The discussion about Rayburn being down recently got me to thinking of this question. What would happen to Fork if you had absolutely ZERO boat traffic and fishing pressure for a year? Lake is locked down closed for 1 year. What do you think would happen to it? Surely the fishing would improve, yes?

Still wouldn't see me out there.

the methed up thieves would have to travel further to steal

I think it would obviously improve the catch rates with a lack of pressure for a year. It isn't going to all of a sudden return to the glory days though, the age of the lake and lack of habitat it had when newly establised is the biggest killer there.

It still wouldn’t make up for the lack of hydrilla. I don’t think Rayburn is as bad as some think. It just has a lot less of the 4-5 pound fish it normally has. Probably because of all the new tournaments pounding it year round.

This is about to happen at Canyon lake with only one ramp still open!

I think one of the reasons why people keep getting disappointed in their Fork trips is they show up with unrealistic expectations.
Another reason is they keep trying to fish it the same way they did 5, 10 or 20yrs ago. Lakes change and sometimes we have to adapt. I've been fishing the lake I live on for a lot of years. When we moved out here 3yrs ago I was stubborn and kept trying what has always worked. At times that just didnt work well.
These days I keep more of an open mind and it seems to help.

Terrible idea. No one shut Ivie down and look what it is producing. Do you really want see all the supporting businesses in the area go under? These folks stay in business because of the fisherman. They have put money blood and tears into their businesses and been there for us thru good and bad.

look what happened to squaw after being shut down for so long

Fork has been fishing very tough as of late. Normally this time of year we average 20-50 fish a day. Lately its been 5-10. And thats been a grind to say the least. Im ok with the downswing in things. With the amounts of hydrilla Im seeing in DIFFERENT parts of the lake, thats great news. One area we found has well over 5 acres of it. And with the amount of fry and smaller bass I saw shallow during this spawn, in a few years fish numbers will sky rocket out there.
All in all Rayburn and Fork get beat to death with tournaments. I watched the guys from Media come in Saturday afternoon on Fork and it looked like a club tournament. Hardly no boats in it. Fun or not, at those kinda numbers nobody is making money.

Which ones the only one open, did potters creek shut down?

Really LACK of habitat when estabilsed. ??????

I hope the TPWD condemns the lake and the county then uses eminent domain to make the little fish leave and then only allows the big fish to stay there.

It’s just a hypothetical bud. Not proposing it happens.

Yes it now LACKS the amount of habitat it did when established.