Is it legal to fish that little pond on the back side of the overflow spillway at Grapevine? I'm not talking about the creek that the water runs into. I'm talking about that pretty little pond on the far north end of the dam. I've never seen anyone fishing back there but it looks like it could have some potential.

I ran into a guy the day I went to check it out and he said he had contacted the authorities and they said it was ok.

I've fished it a few times with nothing doing. The water was so clear however I could see carp, bluegill, bass, and gar swimming around.

It seems as though there are some people (given all the trash) that go down there to do some tight lining. Haven't tried that yet. Let me know how you do if you go.

I was wondering about that pond too as I drive over the dam every morning on the way to work. I figured since they had the fence up there that it was not okay. Let us know how you do if you go down there. I'm off to Colorado tomorrow with the fly rod!! Catch you guys next week.

By the way... to get down there pull into the golf course entrance then take a left into that little parking area then take off walking toward the pond.

I plan to go out to Grapevine tomorrow morning so I may have to throw a line in there and see what happens.

Shane, do any good?

I've caught some fish out of that pond and it is OK to fish. I agree with DH about the trash. If you pack it in, pack it out.

The water is crystal clear and depending on how much water is in there it's about 20-25 feet deep. There is hydrilla off the bottom so watch it if you are tightlining it.

Is there a trail that leads to the little pond off that parking area? I've always wanted to fish there myself. I agree with cbob on the trash issue. As of late, I've taken to picking up old fishing line whenever I find it. That stuff can do serious damage to the critters that use the lake if they get tangled up in it, like ducks.

Hey Speedmaster there is no trail to speak of. After you step over the fence, follow the "road" to a guardrail and step over near the sign if it still there. The paths are were drainage trails from the rain. I wouldn't recommend going after it's rained because that hill is steep and the ruts are deep. Plus it will be a pain trying to get back up that muddy hill with your gear. You may want to pack lightly while we're on the subject. That is one heck of a walk if you are out of shape.

Oh, and the Grapevine police do not have a problem coming down into there to check on you from time to time. I have not seen a game warden down there yet but that doesn't mean they have not seen me.

There is supposed to be a way in from the other side and I have seen people over there but I don't know how to get there.

Not really. My dad ended up meeting me up here and we went out in his boat for about 3 hours early Friday morning. I caught one black below the slot and he caught one white about an inch too short. Aside from that we got skunked. Both of those fish were caught at the bubbles near the dam.

We also spent some time just driving around the lake because he had never been on Grapevine before.

The good news is that he let me keep his boat so hopefully I'll be spending a lot of time on the water over the next month.

What exactly would the PD be checking for?? I wouldn't think they'd mess with you unless you gave them a reason to.

I've had quite a different experience than you guys. I "used" to fish this water a few years back. It seemed like a "utopia" where fish would be land locked from overspill from the lake, and you would think there would be 1000's of fish there!

Long story short, yes there is fish there but I never really caught something I couldn't catch next to one of the marinas without taking the long walk.

BUT.. I was told by a Police Officer that I was NOT ALLOWED to fish there and I havn't since. I was fishing at night, and they actually walked over the fence with their flashlights out, and stuck them right in my face and escorted me and my friend to our car.

I think we need to call the Police, Game Warden, and the Corp Of Engineers to find out what they say, if all 3 give us the green light, then I would think all is well.

I've always heard you couldn't fish there but It's been 15 years.

Shane, the police come down there to look for kids "partying" and such.

Sorry I didn't mention this earlier. Four years ago I too was escorted out the first time I fished there. I contacted the game warden's office to ask if it was fishable. They emailed me back saying that it was Corps of Engineers land and therefore public. The email also said that the police captains should be aware of this. The email said I should let the Game Warden's Office know if I had any problems. I have since lost the email, but I had it on me everytime I went down there. I never saw a policeman down there after I got the email. You might want to contact them before going. I know there was some construction going on back there and the access could have changed.

As far as the fishing, I have caught spotted bass off of the rocks by the spillway wall, a single largemouth on a buzzbait, and two nice flatheads on 12lbs and the other 15lbs. If you go after the flatheads, anchor your poles down because there are two zebco 202's down there with my buddy's name on them. Good luck out there.

Eric

Guys I have canoed down the and took a depth reading at 39 ft. There are some monster cats in there. Locals have said up 70 lbs are in there.
When these last floods we had pushed a lot of fish into there. I landed a 4 lb kentucky and several decent smallies and blacks. Crappie are abundent there and as well as sandies. The area is great at nite. Take a small tube or canoe and enjoy some great catches. Good luck.

Kitrell from wylie,tx