11 February 2025 “stocking and rain!”

[HEN]

Looking at the stocking tubes, unless someone is messing with me, I think they stocked on high water on the lower river sometime in the past week. Also this past Saturday there were a bunch of people fishing on the wall and in the skinny water at the park and most of them had fish on a stringer. That's almost a sure sigh of fresh fish.

The lake is at about 540, 6 feet from the 534 target. Bad news is we've already got almost 2 inches of rain and looks like much more to come this week. That will raise Albert Pike and send more water into the lake thus adding more time to reach the 534 target!!  It's just that time of year!! 

Fished Albert Pike last week and caught fish from the upper bridge all the way through Long Creek to the swimming hole. All were in the 6 to 12 inch range, very small!!  Rex (FlyFish) and his brother were also there tormenting the fish 🎣. The fish are small but it's really pretty up there and it is a pull on your pole. That being said, you may go in a few days and not catch a fish. Seems when the river blows out, like it will with this rain, the fish "blow out" also.

Still bungering here on the lower river and still not able to Wade the river!☹️.

[GORDOB]

Mike, when the upper river gets really high and fast apparently a lot of fish are forced downstream.  If they wind up in the lake is it possible that some of them might migrate to the deeper water that stays cold through the summer, thereby surviving?  Asking for a friend. LOL

[Jeff Guerin]

Over the decades I've heard about a trout or two being found in the lake. Very likely to become Striper food, though. 

Personally, I've never caught any below Winding Stair. There's also the very likely scenario that fish will move out of the main river and up into the feeders like Blaylock, Brier, Long Creek. And even into the smallest of feeders - I once caught a nice one in a pool about the size of a farmhouse sink below a one foot waterfall! This was probably 100 feet off the river, just upstream of the big Bend Pool above the Long Creek crossing.

Try every incoming feeder for a couple of hundred feet and further in some of the larger ones!   

[GORDOB]

Thanks Jeff, good to hear from you.  I really like the upper river and have had exceptional luck along about the end of March and first week or so of April.  I hadn't thought of fishing the feeder creeks but that is great advice.  Apparently the upper river gets more stocking after January up to April.
Hope the New Year is going well for you and hope Sandy is doing well.

[GORDOB]

Jeff, forgot to tell you.  Bass Pro is opening in Tyler some time soon.  The store manager is a fly fisherman and while they're not going to have a full blown fly shop they will have a good stocking of gear and materials.  He's already contacted the club and suggested we hold some fly tying and casting events at the store.  He's supposed to attend our meeting next Monday also, looking forward to having a fly shop in Tyler again.

[brettbardwell]

I fished albert pike on Monday- caught a few near the bridge above the swimming hole - on a dry dropper rig -
Beautiful place to fish

[HEN]

Thanks Jeff, always glad that you chime in and answer questions that I have no clue about!!🤔🤔. It would be a sad day if you ever quit posting and all your past knowledge of this river was lost. If I ever post anything that you know to be incorrect, please correct it for me!!  The river here is just holding steady at about 540 while all the water from AP comes down. At 5:00 the lower river and the upper river are too high to wade. Still bungering here and Langley running about 6 feet and still rising.