Gators in Waxahachie?

I have recently had a family member move to the Waxahachie area and, prior to the winter storm, we were planning on a kayaking trip to fish Waxahachie Lake. I noticed that the first thing that popped up when I search Waxahachie Lake was “alligators in Waxahachie lake”.

Does Waxahachie Lake have ALLIGATORS???

sounds like it does,...

There is not many lakes in Texas that do not have gators. Maybe some lakes in the panhandle or far west Texas.

I fish Waxahachie a lot never seen no gator.

I don't know of a lake in north Texas that doesn't have gators

Gators are native to all the trinity river and its tributaries.

Here's one found in Rowlett creek in plano
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X3R5rCGAaQ


Gator eating a deer in squaw creek
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4WoMNZekHk

Here's one in lake worth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-MxWrTODto

Personally I hate gators. If you kill one and get a ticket, ask for a jury trial. maybe someone like me will be on the jury, as I will set you free. For my taste, they could exterminate the species.

Their range extends clear up into OK.

https://www.fox6now.com/news/frozen...noses-through-ice-to-survive-in-oklahoma

All lakes in DFW have gators. They just aren't chillin by the ramp waiting to say whats up

I know you took biology in school and know that exterminating gators would create other issues. If you don't like them, leave them alone. Really not rocket science

I’ve never seen one on Waxahachie. But, I’ve never really looked for one. I have been fishing the lake for the last 30+ years. It does have some backwater areas that most don’t frequent, so maybe there is a place where they’d feel comfortable. If I had to guess, I’d say halfway to I35, up the creek, to the left, before the railroad bridge. That area LOOKS like gator stuff. I know it’s full of snakes and some seriously good top water fish during spring and summer.

In fact...in all my 50years of fishing, I’ve never seen a wild gator in a lake in Texas. I have seen one in a canal outside of Galveston. The only other I have seen in the wild were way up lake on Ross Barnett in Mississippi. A BUNCH in 5 days of fishing.

That video of the gator eating the deer is a rare site indeed. Awesome footage and a cool video.

I've never seen a gator in Waxahachie Lake! Although they did find a shark carcass found on the shore! https://www.waxahachietx.com/article/20130620/News/306209962

After having lived for over ten years in south and central Louisiana , seeing gators was commonplace . Unless close to their nest, they normally depart from you quickly. They make great tableware , in gumbo , fried or from the grill.

I've seen them in Little Caney on Fork.

Gborg: I think fried gator is pretty good. I do not think Texoma or PK has any Gators. I think they do not like salt water. I could be wrong, but I've been in all the little creeks on PK and never saw any evidence of them. Audads, Pigs, Turkeys, deer and coyotes but no gaors. maybe Randy Wood or one of the PK guides would have seen gators in PK.

I have fished Lake Waxahachie for years. I`ve fished it from the main lake in my 18fter & as far west on S Prong Creek as fm66 behind where the "Scarborough Renaissance " (scarborough faire) area is located in an 8fter and have never seen a sign ,trail or hide nor hair of Mr. Wally Gator along it`s banks., and since Lake Waxahachie does not boast having the Tributary of the Trinity or any other river system supporting it I would have to emphatically say no to that notion.

HE aka Fishbonz

Heck, even the Ag pond at SFA had one back in the 80's. Might have had a little help getting there though.

Bayou country! Much more probability of gators.

they are in the brazos up to Gbury and i wouldnt bet againt there being one in PK.
they are in the paluxy and in Squaw in numbers ,lake worth and eagle mountain. Pretty sure Aquilla has them

may only be one or 2 in some lakes but they are there.

35 years ago you never saw one east of dallas, now not that uncommon.
leave them alone and they will do the same even the big ones.

I've fished DFW for over 3 decades and I've heard the alligator question a lot in those 3 decades and I can tell you these 3 things.
1. I saw two small ones in 2010 in Marshall Creek in Grapevine both about 3 feet long, I don't know if they survive the
winter here or not but I saw those 2 for certain.
2. There are things in the lakes here you probably don't want to know about, I've seen things that I wish I hadn't.
3. If you don't believe #2, I took this from Texas Park and Wildlife site
Grapevine lake fishing records
Pacu, Red-bellied 0.80 10.00 Aug 10, 2004 Pearl Wolfe ham.
Go look it up for yourself.

Lake Fork, back of Little Caney, see them there all the time. Spoke to a man that lives on that part of the lake two years ago that counted over 20 baby alligators in one day, early summer.

10 - 12 footer in Choke Canyon

Gators move around a lot. There's a news report of them in the Austin area every few years. TPWD's alligator expert was singularly unexcited by one that got into Lady Bird over the summer.

Here's a map of their range in TX:

People put them in time to time to guard their spots.

Everywhere in N. Texas: https://youtu.be/TYPXk6KbFaE

I've been fishing the Trinity in the DFW area for a long...time...now and have seen gators several times. But it's always been a lone gator, have never seen more than 1. I'd say your odds of seeing one are much better on the main river than any of the lakes associated with the Trinity. But for sure...travel past Dallas south on the Trinity and your odds will go way up of seeing one.

Yep, I’m with fishbonz here, I’ve fished that lake from the bank, in a pontoon and did the kayak thing up the Prong creek also-

Lol-
I remember that, some guys were fishing Galveston and brought one back and dumped it by the boat ramp-

Gators move around when it floods. They have been found in Lake Lewisville and Lake Grapevine. The have also been found on Surfside Beach. It was believed to have come out from the Brazos River when it flooded. These have all been single gator incidents which don’t get to hang around a long time before someone removes them legally or otherwise.

you don't fish Rayburn much then!

they handle saltwater just fine...ask anyone who's walked on water while wade fishing and had one come their way after a stringer of trout!

Surfside is about 10 minutes from my beach house. I know there’s a lot of rattle snakes. Didn’t know about a few gators.

Guess I need to watch out when I’m flounder giggin’.

Yo Steve, how ya been??? I have to disagree. I see no reason at all why there wouldn't be one, at least one passing through or just checking it out to see if it would be sustainable habitat. One could easily travel from the Trinity at RC, through RC and chambers creek, up through Bardwell, and on to Waxahachie. I've been up and down the creek there in an 8x4 bassbuster style boat with my dad and saw some things that make you wonder what else might be in there. Of course this was back over 30 years ago.

To the OP: Whether there is or isn't shouldn't deter you from enjoying the lake. Odds are you wouldn't see anything even if there was one there.

Yo Trent!
You are right, I should just said I haven’t seen a gator there, but I bet there are many other things I haven’t seen while I was there too.
But if I did It sure wouldn’t stop me from enjoying that creek or lake, it’s a near to me jewel-