I was noticing in Bens' video that there was a break in the creek near the rail road bridge. Does this always occur at low release levels or just happen with this recent shut down. Fished there for many years and wasn't aware of this break being there.

As long as there was flow there was no break. The water was higher than that mound. The water was less than 2 feet deep between the railway bridge and dam after the flow was shut off.

Thanks J-Moe,I was curious about that. I have fished the creeks above and below the lake my whole life, but I seem to learn new things about them all the time. Another thing I heard years ago is that the Alcoa plant in Rockdale used Yequa water in their flushing system and back into the creek. Don't know this to be true, but I know 20 or 30 years ago I never saw the creek reach such low levels. I know the drought years will always take its' toll on water supply. I remember the water getting so clear in the Yequa, it seemed to have a bluish hue to it. Was always afraid there were chemicals being flushed into it from Alcoa. I understand the plant is shut down now, but am not sure of that. Excuse my long rant, I guess I'm just a curious old man! (that loves to fish)

For many years the Alcoa strip mines pumped water out of the pits into the Yegua. That's why there was always water in the creek and partly why it would be so clear at times. The pumping stopped when the plant shutdown. The drought of 2011 was the first time I had seen the Yegua go completely dry but I only know about the last 15 years or so..

I went to the spillway yesterday evening. Buffalo were stacked in the chute so tight I could have walked across there backs for one side to the other. I caught a couple of crappie and gou on a pair of jigs. I also caught a couple of warmouth on the fly rod and popper. It's pretty clear that all the hybrids, white bass and bluegill are dead. I did see quite a few fingerling LMB in there though.

why would the hybrids, white bass and bluegill be gone and other species make it thru the
flood?

The fish that died recently were in the spillway where the water level dropped after the COE got the lake back to normal level and shut off the flow. The spillway was loaded with fish from four months of releasing all that flood water the lake was holding. Too many fish in too little of space and when the days are cloudy, still and hot there is less oxygen in the water. Certain fish are much more sensitive to low O2 levels and will die in mass like what happened in the spillway. Happens more often in the fall when the water is still warm and the days are hot and cloudy.

Lake Level is 242 ft. 4 ft above normal. Gates are still closed and more rain is expected Friday and Saturday.

Fall fishing on the lake has been excellent. I've been catching lots of bluegill on the fly rod. Lots of 12 inch bass being caught on the lake. I caught 10 in about 45 minutes on a beetle spin one day. Reports on catfish bite have been good as well. Overlook Park had lots of people fishing and catching some crappie and catfish last week.

Yegua creek was blocked off by a fell tree last week before the flood. There was limited room to get around that tree or under it. Not sure what it will look like after the latest flooding. I suspect it will be a couple weeks or more before the fishing in the Yegua gets good. Pending any more heavy rains that is.

Lake Level is 242.4. 4.4 feet above normal. COE opened the dam back up. Releasing 1315 cfs.

Looks like the yegua is about to get another good slug of water coming through.

I know it looks bad when the Yegua is flooded but it really sets up the fall/winter/spring fishing for the better. Come December/January the crappie will begin to move in mass towards the creek and the fishing can get crazy good.. However a flooded muddy Yegua is no place to be fishing for crappie.. at least not for me..

The Yegua is flooding and the lake is up nearly 7 feet.. might be a while before anyone can get back up the creek to catch some crappie..

Good for the White Bass run, but bad for the Crappie run I guess.

Pending more rain, the lake might be back to normal in about 28 days. On a normal year crappie usually move up in the creeks around Thanksgiving. I'm not giving up hope yet. The big problem is access to the creek. Newman's is still closed and there was a pecan tree across the creek on the lake side of wolf pond. Although you could probably drag a yak around the tree. The paddle from Nails boat ramp to wolf pond isn't any fun for me though.

I was in the area the other day but not that far up the creek, it was flowing like crazy and out of its banks. With all the flow, there is a decent chance the tree moved. Just have to wait and see.