300 miles on a motorcycle in August. camp @ Balmorehea State Park and immediately head for that huge spring fed swimming pool. COLD clear water. HEAVENLY

I was there in the winter. It was full (because they weren't irrigating yet). I didn't catch anything but I saw a few fish jump.

The bait shop said that is the lake was still up. I don't know how. Doesn't seem like they have had much rain out there. Any suggestions on what to throw?

BJ, now I am even more interested in your report back. I was talking to a guy today that said he heard somewhere that TPWD was doing some research out there awhile ago and said the fish population was way down again.

Also, since everyone here has lived in the area at one time or another does anyone know of a reservoir around Ft. Stockton? My mom and sister say they've driven out to it on HWY 18 but I've searched all over the internet and found nothing of it. Does anyone know if it really exists or if they're just trying to tease my about the lack of fishing in the area.

BTW Roddy, exactly where are these ponds you're talking about in Ft. Davis? I've been up there quite a bit and never seen anything. Are they off on private property? Possibly part of the Limpia Creek? I know that alot of ranchers and landowners around here really don't like trespassers and I don't want to be caught out somewhere I really shouldn't be.

Wow, I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't looked it up. That possibility intrigued me, so I looked it up.

There is one.

Called Imperial Resevoir. Here's the topographic map(and a great web site for finding minute land details, by the way):

http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=31.2857&lon=-102.8706&datum=nad83

I found it. Never been out there but I will ask around.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=75287&ll=31.256836,-102.856776&spn=0.058105,0.116435&hl=en

Desert_Angler didn't know about anything around Ft Stockton when I was there, but now that I see it I wish I would've checked it out. Let us know if you do any good. Only real fishing I did when I was there was on private tanks. If you get to know some of the ranchers out there, they're usually pretty nice about letting you on to do a little fishing.

It definitly has memories, used to walk the canals back in the early 80's. Used to have awesome crappie fishing next to the bait shop and right beforeo the bridge(dam). From Monahans live in DFW now go back occassionally though not to fish. Best friend is up here as well an his relatives own Carrasco's its on the way into Balmorhea. They had the best burritos and there was a little hole in the wall restaurant that was was really good. The swimming pool is definitly something to visit. Would like to hear the report as well. Definitly take the sunblock its gets really hot nothing like West Texas dry heat!!!!!!

Imperial used to have good whites and crappie. It is a shallow lake---8' or so. I haven't been there in years. Balmorhea was a great lake. I have caught many bass over 8# in the winter near the ditch in the stickups. I haven't been back since it died out. Crappie and channel cats were really good around the docks and rocks on the east side of the lake. I hope it comes back. Not many places to fish out there.

Oh yea the Resevior use to hop around back by the dam, other than that wasn't to deep elsewhere. Is salt water though if my memory serves me correct. I know a lot of my friends back home still hit the Resevior though are partying and boating. Not much esle to do in West Texas aside from that and the Sandhills in which there are a lot of ponds out in the middle of no where with good fishing. Gotta know the land owners for the Sandhills there are a few but they own a lot of land I mean a lot of land. Mesquite bushes and tumbleweeds and a whole lot of dirt!!!!!!

Well I asked them and they said it wasn't that far out of Ft. Stockton. I did a little searching and found the Leon Spring Reservoir which is south of I-10 before Ft. Stockton, but I found some stuff about it going dry so I'm not sure if it'd be worth going and checking it out. I also found one called the Diamond Y Spring that is supposed to contain several species of endangered fish and it on a reserve so I'm not sure if fishing is allowed there but I'm definately gonna try to check out some of these spots this summer.

hey guys, Im from Ft. Stockton and use to fish balmorhea as a kid, we never did good but every once in awhile we would catch some bass and catfish. There is a creek on the south side of the lake that use to have tons of bass, they werent big at all but on light tackle it was a blast. try minnows and nightcrawlers.. James

Imperial has too much alkali(?) I've heard stories when I was a kid in crane that their were fish, but I have never seen one from there. I heard water quality had gotten worse...so goes the fishing.

Anyone else been out there lately?