Go Ahead and Do That Rain Dance
texas fly fishing conditions lakes rivers #flyfishing drought
This part of North Texas was so close, but so far away from the rains of the last two weeks, rains that drenched other parts of the State like East Texas. And if you’re near my neck of the woods, and rely on fly fishing the lakes I fish, then that last statistic I threw at you is probably stuck in your mind; North Texas is a year behind in rain.
However, this year began with more rain than is usual, and we can always hope that trend will continue. Over the entirety of Texas, lakes have gained about five percent back of their capacity, and stand at 67-percent of full. A look at the dots on that map show the East Texas blessings, and the West Texas curse. We still have spring to come, but winter should’ve given more than we got. At some point the politicos will probably remove a couple of those empty West Texas lakes from the statistics (as empty), to fudge the numbers and keep the pool party going.
Examples run the gamut. Lake Ray Roberts has gained a foot in the last 30 days, while the lake connected to Ray Roberts – Lewisville – has gained about 1.5 feet. As the areas around Lake Lewisville (Denton) are built out (paved over), you can expect that lake to have a much more positive flow than in years past. While a lake like Ray Roberts, still pristine, is surrounded by open land for the most part – land that is parched and absorbs most of a slow rain. Some East Texas lakes are at capacity, and some out west are dustbowls.
In fact, the flow from Lake Ray Roberts to Lake Lewisville was completely shut down a when I looked at it a few days ago, and I assume was shut the entire week before. While the release info says “65CFS,” I can assure you I saw an incidental flow that amounted to less than my water hose, and not coming from a “release” at all. Seeing the flow to Lewisville shut off, finally, was a sight for sore eyes, although it renders that stretch of the Trinity fishless, desolate. Don’t bother to drive from anywhere to look for any sand bass, much less hybrid, action along that area. Just keep an eye on the dam statistics, and those of Lewisville (for a more positive opportunity).
Category: Causes
