Hey there everyone. Been reading the board for a while, but have not posted much. I plan on taking my 2 boys camping and fishing at the Bend next week during Spring Break. Are the whites running yet? Sure would love to get them into a mess of fish.

I believe the lack of water will not produce many fish. I go there every yr but the water is lower than it was last yr. Am no professional but my prediction is there will not be huge stringers coming out of there this yr. I hear there are crappie at the boat ramp but that is all I have heard. I only live about 1hr away so if it is better than I think than I can take my kids down one weekend and fish. But for this spring break we are staying and fishing our lake instead...........will miss the camping but think the fishing is better here now.

Hey Coach, from what I gather the bend is pretty low but it's bound to have a spawn. They will find a way to get up there. Might be later than normal, especially with the strang weather we have been having... Reports have it that they are below the parks office. Last year the water was low, this year will be even lower.. Good luck, have fun..

Yes what dbones said.

All the info I have is second hand but from multiple sources and the warden/rangers at the park. Evidently there are two sandbars with just 1 to 2 inches of water several miles down river that are preventing the fish from moving up. I asked about the fish being caught at the park and the reply was they are more than likley resident river fish. Take it for what it's worth. I am leaving my trailer at the deer lease ( on the llano river on LBJ) and my dad is moving his from Sulpher Springs down to Alexanders on the Lake Buc to fish for them from the lake. Ken Milam says the fish are staging up below the first sand bar coming up from the lake.

Ditto. That is exactly what I'm hearing as well.

With no significant rainfall in sight, this could be bad news for the run up the Colorado.

I've fished Bend for 30 years. Many years the water is too high, or too low, but you can always count on the run happening. It might be early, late, or hard as hell to catch them if the water is high, but 'the run' ALWAYS happens. This year, may be different.

I sure hope we get some rain!!!

That is sad. We have gone there every year for the run since we heard about it a few years back and really enjoyed it. Its a beautiful place.

Sorry, but this year the Bend is a bust! I was going to spent my vacation camping,kayaking,fly fishing, catching whites. Now there is no reason to go to the river. Staying home to fish the lake. Yes, it is as bad as all the reports say.

Have you been there? It is hard to believe that there will be no fish there. My group has been going for 40+ years, and I would rather see it low than raging. If there is water on the rock, the fish will head upstream. I've seen it in the past that at the low points, you could "scare" 10 at a time on the bank! Just wandering what you have seen?

Oh yeah, on the worst years when the river was way too high, We had some great poker games and talked about past years. We are going the first Sunday in April, as years past. We'll see. I'll let ya'll know.

This is the lowest level Buc has seen since 1952 and 1963. Below is a link with the historical lake levels since it was dammed up.

Info from the LCRA website

http://www.lcra.org/water/docs/histlvls/buchanan.xls


There is just no water for them to get there.

Hey Alcojones, I do not think the lake level has to do with the spawning, unless the river dries up, which is unlikely. The elevation of the lake doesn't have much to do with the flow of the river above it. Not trying to start anything, just trying to learn.

Fish will be fish.

Whats being said is since the lake is so low the river actually starts 9-10 miles closer to the lake than it usually does.

Right off the bat(with the lake full) you hit 6 foot shallow flats. And this is 9-10 miles before Bend right when the lake narrows. It only takes a couple wide shallow sandy areas to stop them from moving up. From the looks of it the river is barely flowing.

They can only go so far up-river LOL....
Anyone know how far they go past CBSP on a regular water level year?

I'm betting they make it up there BUT they may wait until a rain to muddy things up before they spawn. Then they spawn FAST!!

This is how it works on G-town when water is real low. I would just call the Ranger station 2 times a week and see when if people start catching them. They know what they are talking about up there, thats for sure.

i am going to Bend on sunday and coming back tuesday.

i will try to catch fish.

but i may be able to catch only crappie.

i will give yall a report.