Took a trip to Cedar Creek, Palestine, and Fork today to check out the water levels.

Cedar Creek:

Cedar Creek was a little high, but usable. The lake has very few stumps, on the majority of the lake, unless water is 4'-5' low. So with the exception of the water being high, and them letting 12,000 CFS, it was pretty normal, and fishable.

Palestine & Fork:

Palestine & Fork was 1 1/2 feet above Pool. Both lakes have a lot of stumps, through out the whole lake. Especially Palestine had just about EVERY stumps covered by water. The lake looked completely CLEAN.

I would be extremely careful at these lakes. Fork has marked boating lanes, was helps. Palestine has none of this. I have recorded ROUTES on my Lowrance. Without it, I woud have never left the Boat Ramp. All the stumps are just under water, and there are Stumps ALL over the lake. Unless you have some experience on the lake, I would pick another lake, until it returns to Full Pool.

Just a little heads up.

Also went down to local City Lake yesterday evening. It has 3 fishing docks, and 2 swimming decks. ALL are under water. When I got there, there was a Skeeter high center on the Swimming Deck that was about 4"-6" under the water. Wasn't pretty, and don't know how he was going to get his boat off. Wasn't going to push or float it off, it was On There.



keith

on this type of precautionary report. This is really helpful.
Thank you Mr. Keith. You are a winner.
Please be careful everyone!!
Michael Onewolf

That's what I like about my kayak, them stumps don't bother me much at all.

Lot of lakes have hazards on the water right now if you don't know the lake. Biggest hazard today on Granger was launching and trailering on the ramp @ Taylor Park. Debris everywhere. Cleared as much as I could but couldn't remove the stumps that weigh as much as I do. We have a 3 lane ramp with a 1 lane boating lane getting out of there.

No, Fork is just high enough that there are hidden water hazzards, which is pretty much the case at Fork all the time. With Fork having the Boat Lanes marked, it has just come up enough to hide some of the stumps that have been exposed for the last couple years. It is just a Be Carefuk Warning. Through my trip of the 4 lakes yesterday, I saw 3 boats torn up. 2 with structure damage, and 1 with a Lower Unit.

I'm just seeing a lot of post over the last week, talking about going to new lakes. After what I say yesterday, I would think that it is not a good time to go visiting lakes that you are not experienced on. Or at least till the water returns to Pool.

Palestine and the local lake was by far the worse.

keith

Fork is not above pool yet. I was there Saturday, and ran quite a bit of the lake. The lake looks awesome, the most water She has had in for years or so. The stumps that were showing up in some of the boat lanes are not an issue now. But floaters were.

+1 on Palestine. I was there yesterday, people in boats everywhere. I saw one bass boat running full speed in an area that I was idling last week. Alot of the stumps that were showing last week are just under the water level, and you are right, no marked boat lanes. Alot of stuff floating in the water as well, even saw a tree in the middle of the lake. Be careful out there.

Yup. I saw a couple floaters yesterday on Palestine. Banks are full of floating nasty grass.

been running my boat slow on palestine, still knocked a few stumps. I saw a tree too (same one?) it was floating about half way from the villages to 155 bridge.

Full size, 12 footers, 2x6's floating on Cedar creek when I was out Sunday. I marked it with 2 water bottles ( all I had). Can't count all the logs I saw.

I need those for a trailer!!!!!