Lake Wright Patman

Heard that the crappie are moving onto flats. Folks are catching them 15-20 ft on minnows around brush. Maybe the pre spawn is cranking up.

Lake is up 15 ft

Lake is up over 20ft right now. Time to get in the those trees. Anyone know about any ramp closures?

https://waterdatafortexas.org/reservoirs/individual/wright-patman

Insane. More rain on the way Sunday.

Went out yesterday evening for about 3 hours, I am not messing around when I tell you that the water came up almost 8 inches while we were there. Spillway is open as far as the corp is allowed to open it and it's still rising. Ramp one is about the only ramp open on the lake. Avoid Patman until it is on the fall in my opinion...at least back down into the 230's. Water is currently around 244. 225 is normal pool.

Lake has only come up .5 ft in the past 12 hours, so that's an improvement. I suspect that it will be on the fall by the end of the week if the rain stays away which could be good for some April fishing...however it's supposed to rain again this weekend. Why can't it just rain 1 inch per week all year long??? Preferably on Thursdays...At night.

I called the Corps yesterday and ramp 1 remains to be the only ramp open on the lake. It's dangerous getting in there. Stay away from the left side of the ramp if you go. Railing from a submerged dock is a problem.

I will continue to post reports of what I am able to come up with for us far northeast Texas folks. I'm bound and determined that others who live up this way will join in on Lake Wright Patman. Our options are limited up here without going to Arkansas or driving over an hour.

Where is all that water going? Sabine?

Sulphur then into the Red

Isn't this fairly normal for this lake? The last time I went crappie fishing there in the spring it was up high and we caught em.

I don't know if you can call it "normal" but the lake does flood easily due to the fact that the red is essentially the outlet and Shreveport is downstream. You can't open the gates all the way and let her rip or the Red floods and then Shreveport follows. The lake was built by the corp of engineers as a flood control reservoir so it serves its purpose but the fishing is tough when it's 25 ft high.

Well the lake is back on a sudden rise. No idea where this water is coming from or if they closed the gates slightly but we've come up another foot in the past day. I know Caddo Parish in LA and the Bossier area has experienced some flooding so maybe they are trying to slow that down a bit. Good luck trying to find an open ramp.

It's at 247.5 now or 27 feet into the flood pool.

Wright Patman is on the fall. Cam down .01 ft over night!!!! Get you some of that.

Anyone have any experience fishing Crappie on this lake? I've only ever really gone after the cats....

Maudlin lake area...and Kelly creek area, and old red water bridge area was always good spring time fishing...not real sure you could get to them for a while though...

Went to the spillway yesterday evening and they had the gates wide open. Might try to put the boat in down there on Saturday.

Lake is on a very, very...I mean very slow fall right now. Spoke with a Warden friend of mine yesterday who said that as soon as the Red River is at a reasonable height in and around the Shreveport area, they will really open the gates up and bring the lake down. It could be quite some time before we see the lake at even 10' high...who knows how long before it's at normal pool.

To be honest, I think the lake fishes great when it's in the 230's. Water is well into the bank brush and trees making cat fishing easy and fun.

You're braver than I am. I don't like fighting that current. Let us know how you do! I bet they are catching some crappie down there.

Any news on any other ramps on the lake?

There was only one boat down there Monday that I saw. I haven't heard anything about the ramps on the main lake.

Lake is down half a foot, so even if ramp one is closed it should be open within a week. Just want to be able to get on the lake when things get good in April.

I'm ready to get out on the main lake also. I need to create some crappie holes.

Water is still falling and word is that ramp one is open at Piney Point. It's just dangerous getting in.

At this rate, the lake should be fishable by April unless this weekend's forecast brings more than bargained for. I was looking at historical data for the lake and it appears that floods like this happen every 4-6 years. This in a minor one compared to past years. Apparently the lake came within 3 feet of the emergency spillway one time.

Lake is on the steady fall right now with no rain forecast for the rest of this week. Next week looks to be rainy but if its not too bad the lake should continue to come down at a reasonable rate. I'm still thinking sometime in April many ramps will reopen and fishing will pick up.

I grew up around that lake, seems every time the lake would flood, we spent a ton of time channel cat fishing in the channels/cuts just off the flooded timber, as soon as it was safe to get on the lake...we always had to be aware of floating debris, though....back then the timber stuck out of the water pretty high...when we could see the timber, we chunked minnows beside them, for the crappie...

I'm going to take a few days off next week and do just that. Going to get in the trees around the main lake where the pockets normally are and a few creeks run in. Going to have catfish and crappie bait on hand and try them both. Will let you know how I do.

Went to ramp one yesterday and there were only two boats launched. So on a Saturday in the spring this lake had a total of two boats on it during a peak time. It would be dicey getting in, but if you were all the way trimmed up shouldn't be an issue. Cat fishing would be absolutely insane in the trees right now if you're into that and dont mind a dicey boat launch. Lake fished great when it's in the 230's. It's still sitting at 245 right now so we are going to need a miracle to get it there by April.

Went to the spillway yesterday and had water rolling. Dont think they can open the gates any further.

Well just as things start to look promising for some awesome April and May fishing on this lake, the weather is calling for 3-5 inches of rain for the entire region over the next three days. I expect the water to rise considerably as the ground around these parts is already beyond saturated from February rains. If you just so happen to make it out on Wright Patman, please post your results here!

On the bright side, with all this fresh water and flooding, the spawn should be fantastic this year. Perhaps it will increase the numbers of fish in this lake over the years to come. Even though numbers aren't really a problem to begin with.

The conservation pool was just adjusted for summertime conditions. With the adjustment, water level now shows to be 17 feet high. From experience I can tell you that if the lake drops another 6-8 feet, the fishing is will be incredible.

Talked to an old timer who fishes the lake on the reg. He went out on Monday before this cold front and says that he limited on catfish in an hour fishing in the trees off the main lake. All channel cat. Also caught 4 crappie mixed in there. 8-10 feet of water.

Anyone else been out or at least tried?

JR

Anybody know how the bass fishing has been?

Find somw water with current flow...don’t need much, do need some though...

Anyone have any bass fishing reports?