First Major Reservoir in Texas in Nearly 30 Years Now Filling

It’s official.

https://boisdarclake.org/press-rele...ryFnH_VVeuFsCJz8izuWQXi9gB4TXbvyy5EgRJpw

Hurry up and plan your brush piles.

I've got mine ready to go

I've got a couple dead citrus bushes that I can add to those brush piles

I may take my drone up there when it gets 20' from full and then again at 15'.

That should give me some insight.

How early are lakes like this fishable? Does it take 5 years?

need an acre of mainlake waterfront property.... ready to buy.

I’ll go look when it gets less than three foot from full.

Wish they’d keep on building them! Especially down near San Antonio, of course they’d never be full; but still.

Might depend if it fills quickly or slowly. I’d think 3 years minimum to actually catch anything.

I caught a 6 pounder out of Gilmer within a couple of weeks of it opening. I was pretty sure it would have been the lake record at that time but it was almost dark on a Sunday evening and I didn't know who to call so I released her. I'm pretty sure there were ponds that had fish in them that were flooded and those fish were then in the lake.

TPWD has stocked most of if not all the ponds on land that will be flooded by the lake. So the lake will have catchable fish from now till it fills so If I were you guys I would be out scouting the lake NOW because you'll never get to see the lake bottom again to understand and know what you are actually fishing.

From a water level standpoint, I’m not sure. The link said it will start providing water this year to cities. This link here says it will take two years to fill.

https://boisdarclake.org/construction/building-a-reservoir/

As William said, I think they stock ponds while they’re constructing the lake, so when the lake fills, there will already be fish in it ready to go.

There are going to be some high expectations I would imagine with this reservoir. It would be cool to fish a new lake like this, with relatively large un-pressured fish when it open up.

Naconiche was amazing when it first opened. After a year it became just another lake but full of timber

Good new for sure.

Maybe they will take all the OH Ivie SAL’s and dump them in there.

Lake Conroe was finished in January 1973 and reached full by October 31, 1973. It was supposed to take several years to fill but heavy rains that year filled it in ten months. I began fishing the lake sometime in 1974 and the fishing was as good as Fayette County has ever been.

Me and the group that I fish with, will be there the MINUTE, any sigh of big sacks start being reported.

It won't take long to fill up at all. Bois darc moves lots of water. One good rain and it will be full. I'm 3 miles from boat ramp and can't wait! Grout-Scout this is OUR lake so stay down south. Choke is on fire right now

Their stated aim with stocking it as they have is to steal the state record from Fork in a matter of years.

The lake will be fiahable as soon as it hits the old road beds. Now, from a boat? That'll be a bit longer
However, we get a fall like 2017, it will be full in a matter of months!

the live-scopers are coming

Oh no, probably put them in fork along with a billion fingerling

the birds, gar, grinnell and sandbass eat good @ Fork when they dump the fingerlings

Cooper lasted a little longer but was the same deal, I've been told Richland Chambers was awesome the first year and the just transitioned into normal.

Wish they had named it something I could pronounce!

BDO. Or in the summer, just BO.

Pretty close to Bo Dork!

Bo Derek Creek

Anyone remember when Limestone opened. It took two years to get fished out. I think they had to close it and restock. That will happen here I'm sure with the amount of pressure Texas fishermen can put on a lake.

Why would they put yet another lake in that area? Here in South Texas we are on water rationing pretty much year round.

Projected population growth in Collin, Grayson, and Fannin Counties is eye opening.

We are growing like crazy here too. There is no gap at all between San Antonio, New B, San Marcos, and Austin. With as much as Texas is growing, and constant drought conditions, I would think someone would start building more lakes. It seems like the solution to South Texas water problems is to only water the yard on your given day, and turn off the water when you brush your teeth.

I am probably just jealous, The only decents lakes we have around here are Amistad at 3 hours away, Choke at an hour and a half (and only room for about 20 boate), and Falcon at 3 1/2 hours. Im not really worried about running out of water, although the watering restrictions suck because I am a lawn guy, I just want a closer lake to fish. haha

I hear ya. Well, at least y'all are closer the gulf and decent beaches.

I'm no water resource specialist, but I believe y'all have more access to very large underground aquifers in that area.
North Central Texas is highly dependent on man made reservoirs for water supply.

Austin through San Antonio is considered more central than south Texas. South Texas has no great population centers.
San Antonio and Austin are both ripe for a draught inspired hardship.
The Edwards Aquifer is close to normal now but give it 10 years with below average rainfall and it will get really bad.

I would bet you have nowhere near the number of boats on your lakes compared to us here in N Texas. Be thankful.
I used to live in northern San Antonio and there were several lakes that we could get to in an hour to an hour and a half.

Just got my live scope mounted and am ready to get in line when this lake opens!!

They killed all the fish in any of the ponds that will be inundated. My brother has an acquaintance that had stocked Florida bass and had some 10+ in it. No more.

I heard that too. I believe TPWD wants the lake to be as close to 100% Sharelunker or Florida offspring. No native northern bass. As much stockings as they do in many of these lakes the % of florida or SAL fish in the lake is very low, like less than 5% or worse (if I remember correctly). So if they can get this lake close to 90%, then it will stay there and have the best genetics of any lake out there. At least that's the dream.

Rumor is fresh water red fish and crabs will be stocked as well

That’s good news we need a couple more , but I know it’s a long and hard process and I get one of the main reasons is getting people to sell their family land.

Same thing they did in Fork when it opened. Every time you have a native bass that spawns with a Florida fish you diffuse the gene pool. It will eventually be average unless the lakes mineral content can support a large population of fish. Lets hope they don't put any sandies or yellow bass in it.

Bois D'arc creek connects with the Red River.
Anything that gets out of the Texoma dam could end up in the lake, correct?
Nature finds a way.

Only if the fish can swim through the dam.

Paddlefish below the BD dam in a few years?

Those folks up there love to keep Texoma low by releasing water regularly, especially in the late winter/early spring.

I have never fished a new Reservoir hopefully this will be my chance in a couple of yrs.

no, but there are some big ole catfish in it just east of us. see people down there noodling sometimes but rod n reel mostly.

gonna be nice not havin to drive all the way to fork, I like short commutes. lol

How long do they anticipate that it will take to fill?

It is currently on "pre-fill" impoundment. Once they get to the main gates and close them (this fall) they say at least a year, but depends on rain.

Need something near Houston. It's ridiculous that we have 2 lakes

Hard for me to get excited since I seen the 7’6” pipe being laid for them to pump the water to McKinney and other towns .

And with all the timber they cleared out

It is a water supply. But you should see the timber they left - there is a big lane, but the backs of creeks are full of timber and west of the 897 bridge there is good timber.

You have a big saltwater one to your southeast

There's one on the drawing board. Last I heard the environmental studies were all complete and waiting on approval.

https://brazos.org/AllensCreek

look south, lots of water

Ditto

I had a line on a lot there but a developer swooped in and bought the whole tract......such a bummer.


I will also add that a bass fisherman had a lot to do with the layout and structure , get a drone and start flying now.

sell the footage later

Would love to see this!

Lake Houston and Conroe?

Somerville, Fayette and Livingston too far?

Sam and TB too far?

Sam is a 2hr trip to the south end of the lake and TB is another 30 minutes down the same road.

Should come up a little after this weekend.

I am about 6 mi. north of the lake, couple of yrs. ago this rain would have flooded fm 100 for at least a few hrs. (note rainfall per hr.).

most of that 2.47 fell in the last few days, had .22 month total on the 10th.

From the 897 bridge to the dam they didnt leave any timber. Dont know what creeks you are talking about being full of timber cause all the big creeks on the east side have been cleared out.

Originally they said they were leaving the timber in the creeks and only clearing the mainlake to the bridge.

So it is going to be a pleasure boaters lake?

They put in a bunch more bass in Bois darc Creek last week off the bridge on 1396 Hope they go towards the dam area , theres some water down that way.

They need to build about 10 more good size lakes. Make 2 or 3 for pleasure boaters where its seawalls and docks and developments all around and make 7 or so of them for fishing. Spread out some of the crowds and there would be something for everybody. Oh, and put hydrilla in 3 or 4 of the fishing lakes