This is the problem middle child of the Brazos dam runs. Rochelle�s upstream and Dick�s downstream, I�m guessing with the support of the Brazos River Authority (BRA), allow folks of the State to enjoy waters of the State. What a novel idea. The run below Granbury, on the other hand, is essentially restricted to those with access to private property. Getting a kayak in at the de Cordova dam using current public facilities requires you cart it � mile and drop it off a limestone ledge. And supplies for 40 miles to the US 67 bridge east of Glen Rose is required if public access is the only option for getting out. Still game? Be ready to suck it up and paddle when BRA closes all the gates on you. A favorite Granbury strategy of late with all the reservoirs at pool level is to open up multiple gates (1000x cfs) before it rains and close them all when they have enough room to hold the expected in flow. Both rates suck for paddling and fishing. To be fair, there are still times, if only occasionally, when good flow rates are sustained for multiple days, like after the fall rains this year. Fishing is outstanding when that happens.

I go back to the early 90s on this section of river when the hydroelectric facility at Possum Kingdom was operating, there was consistently exceptional flow, the fishing was always great, and so forth. The glory days never made it to pictures. Who carries a 35mm SLR on a tubing trip, right? What I have to share are images from at least 2 year old phone technology at the time they were taken. Some of these date back to 2013. They rarely capture just how spectacular this section of river is but will have to do.



Photos 01: View upstream from the north bank of the Brazos near de Cordova dam. BRA operates a park on this side that straddles the dam and provides access to both the lake and the river. Access to the river is an abandoned road leading to an abandoned parking lot at the top of the pictured bank. The road was abandoned by an 18� high bar gate after 9/11/2001. I�ve felt much safer ever since. BRA also controls the broad, gently sloping terrace on the opposite bank where they have some administrative and (guessing) maintenance facilities with an excellent road right down to the water behind locked gates. They damn sure don�t want you using that. If Joe Q public kayaker wants in, he�ll need to crash his [censored] down the limestone bluff pictured.


Photo 02: View downstream from same location as 01. About 100-200 yards downstream of where the channel widens is a good spot for whites and stripers. The 2 mile paddle upstream to the dam from the Pecan Plantation bridge is a favorite solo fishing loop.


Photos 03-04: The Pecan Plantation bank of the river is hardly unblemished by those going for the parkland look. I�ve watched this improvement take shape over the past few years. This is on a cut bank exposed to periodic 20,000-30,000 cfs releases when the natives above Granbury get in a bind. During these releases, the river rises 8-10 feet above the level shown. River wins.



Photo 05: Same cut bank. Same general landscape plan. For sale: Unobstructed river view and access.


Photos 06-07: A pool drop between the Pecan bridge and dam and an early December offering.



Photo 08: This is an upstream view of the Pecan bridge. The newer, upstream bridge was built in 1999 to replace the older, downstream one that was routinely underwater and structurally suspect. Back in the old days, the speed limit was reduced 10 mph over the old bridge in an effort to protect what was left and as a great source of HOA revenue from speeding tickets issued to unobservant guests. This was the subject of one of those �injustice� segments on a DFW newscast. HOA wins. A USGS stream gauge (08090905) is installed here.


Photos 09-10: Fall Creek confluence with the Brazos. This is easily the garden spot on this loop. The water in Fall Creek is always clear, even during particularly turbid flows of the Brazos. John Graves found this spot worthy as well (Chap 16). The Campfire Girl�s camp, or at least a modern version of it, still operates here.



Photos 11-12: Up Fall Creek 100� or so.



Photo 13: A winter walk up Fall Creek.


Photos 14-16: The best pool drop on this stretch during low flow, 10,000 cfs, and 1000 cfs, respectively. Generally speaking, extended low flow conditions like the drought in the early 2010s produces hot, stagnant, smelly pools; 10,000 cfs is a fairly quick but boring ride; 500-1000 cfs is perfect for fishing this segment when a significant portion of the soil profile from upstream is not suspended.




Photos 17-18: An unnamed tributary. A land owner (for drama�s sake and in all likelihood, let�s say they were flush with Barnett Shale lease and production money) once fenced it off but it didn�t last.



Photo 19: This is the easternmost finger where the deepest pool in the loop occurs. I�ve caught a ton of bass here in the form of many fish not weighing much.


Photo 20: Caught this by the dorsal fin with a spoon near the deep pool. Incredible power without a hook in its mouth. The fight of my Brazos fishing life.


Photos 21-24: Long pools and subtle drops characterize the rest of the loop.





Photos 25-28: I�ve caught a lot of these over the years. I�m told there are smallmouth in the upper-mid section of the Brazos but I�ve never seen one. You might think with as many hooks as I�ve thrown in these waters over 25 years that I would at worst get lucky if they were there.





So here�s to more trees on the bank, fewer concrete bags in the water, and greater access to Joe public who support this operation.

Fantastic post. Thanks for sharing. I've always wanted to do a float from the dam to 67, or at least from the the Pecan Plantation bridge to 67.

Awesome post! I've always wondered where to put in in that area. I'm 15 minutes from the Whitney Dam. The new generators have made it dangerous for new talkers now. There isn't a schedule of run time because it opens when power is needed upstream. The only warning you will get is a horn blow and the immediate opening of the gates. It's almost a fish WTF your own risk decision.

For me, I like to put in a Dick's and fish upstream and if they release, I can just float back. I will say, the hill at Dick's is a pain to haul your kayak up after a day of fishing. I would love to try your area out.

Good stuff.

Thank you for sharing this!

nice

Really great post! Thanks for sharing. Would love to see more like this.

Great post.