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Sheldon Reservoir

12K views 71 replies 20 participants last post by  roninrus1 
#1 ·
I am new to fishing in the Houston area. I am looking to fish Sheldon Reservoir. I just purchased a 17 foot bass boat and plan to use it there.

Any safety concerns? Any areas I should avoid?

Re bass fishing, any areas you mind sharing where I should fish this time of year? i am not looking to steal your honey holes, but any pointers are appreciated. I hear it's a small lake.

Thank you.
 
#2 ·
Shallow lake. You can get the boat in just fine, but I would stay at idle (I think you have to anyway.) The last time I was there it was covered in weeds and trash. Maybe that's changed. Never really got the "good fishing" out of there that people talk about.

If you want a good chance at bass, I'd recommend going right down the road to Lake Houston and put in at Pondersoa Marina. Good bass fishing all up in that creek as well as crappie. It's literally right down the road from Sheldon.

https://tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/fish/recreational/lakes/houston/access.phtml
 
#6 ·
fished there a few weeks ago only had one blow up on top water early. one of the guys at the ramp told us how good it could be but I didnt see anyone pull out a fish there. It could have been an off day but Im not looking to go back any time soon. It is idle only and dont go for a swim because there is a ton of gators and some big ones. good luck
 
#8 · (Edited)
Well uhh....Ponderosa Marina is on Luce's Bayou north of Crosby. Google map says 20.3 miles from Sheldon Reservoir. Luce's empties into the upper end of Lake Houston, or more correctly the east Fork of San Jacinto River. Ponderosa is where Wolf Road crosses Luce's bayou. Turn left on Wolf Rd. off FM 2100.
I haven't fished Sheldon in awhile but fished it a lot years ago. There are some big bass in there. Idle speed only per TP&W.
Luce's Bayou is prettier. Classic bass fishing around cypress trees. You can go upstream a ways until you run out of water, or downstream and into east fork of San Jacinto river which is good bass fishing as well. Luce's gets hit pretty hard on weekends.
 
#10 ·
Well uhh....Ponderosa Marina is on Luce's Bayou north of Crosby. Google map says 20.3 miles from Sheldon Reservoir. Luce's empties into the upper end of Lake Houston, or more correctly the east Fork of San Jacinto River. Ponderosa is where Wolf Road crosses Luce's bayou. Turn left on Wolf Rd. off FM 2100.
I haven't fished Sheldon in awhile but fished it a lot years ago. There are some big bass in there. Idle speed only per TP&W.
Luce's Bayou is prettier. Classic bass fishing around cypress trees. You can go upstream a ways until you run out of water, or downstream and into east fork of San Jacinto river which is good bass fishing as well. Luce's gets hit pretty hard on weekends.
I thought it was a lot closer than that! Guess I have my directions a little backwards.
 
#13 ·
sheldon has good fishing . may as well just leave the windows down and the doors open on your vehicle . aboout a 80 % chance they will break in anyway . google maps to deussen park , its on the south end of lake houston . wiiiiide ramp on one side , go to other end of parking lot and its a single lane ramp where you can park your vehicle closer . got to work around folks bank fishing and hanging around but free ramps , not as much stuff to hit . fish the boat docks on east side of lake near the creeks and ditches . if its on , usually catch dinks on up to 3 lbers .
 
#14 · (Edited)
If you're near Humble I would focus on Lake Houston since you're right there. Explore the north end of the lake. You can even get into Spring Creek from the West Fork of San Jacinto. There is a bit of a white bass run in there too. Work up the East Fork as far you as you feel comfortable. There used to be a private ramp at Hwy 59/Hamblen Rd. at the West Fork, but I think it is closed. I heard the county is planning to build a ramp there as part of the Spring Creek greenbelt.You can also fish below the Lake Houston dam in the San Jacinto River. There is a history of polluted water in the lower river and I would do catch & release. The lower river gets hit hard by hot rod boats on weekends.
I grew up in the 1950-60's only bass fishing Luce's, Sheldon, & the river below the dam. We fished it regular and did well.
If you want to venture further south there is Trinity River. Launch at the US Army Corp of Engineers at the Wallisville Project south of I-10 and fish upriver. Also Turtle Bayou. Launch in Whites Park just south of I-10 at Hwy 61.
 
#16 ·
I would be nervous about parking at the ramp close to Hwy 90. We usually used the dirt ramp on Garrett Rd. which is no longer in service.
TP&W used Sheldon as an experiment. It was great fishing before they drained it in the 1970's?. I think at one time they even stocked it with walleye and pickerel. They also focused on goose habitat on the dry land east of the reservoir. I don't know if Robert Comstock is still in charge, but his focus seemed to be on urban park activities rather than fisheries. Or, maybe it was a TP&W thing.
Fishing seemed to be best in spring and fall rather than in the heat of the summer.
To the original poster: you might look at: lakehoustonfishing.com. It ain't much, but it might help a little.
 
#19 ·
try

for Lake Houston
Lake Houston Marina on the east side of the lake right at 1960. it is a pay ramp so rif-raf is at a minimum.
Lake Conroe
Livingston
Sommerville
Sam Rayburn
Fayette Co.
and if you want to drive farther:
Travis
Canyon
McQueenie
Lake of the Pines
go by Academy and find a book put out by Fishing Texas it has maps of all the major lakes & bays in it you'll recognize it when you see it.
 
#20 ·
Highlands reservoir, turtle bayou and there has been quite a few boats etc. at sheldon lately with people around the ramp throughout the day. quite a few boats catching nice fat bass and crappie too! they opened the parking lot up off garrett And it's been packed like the old days with crappie fisher-peoples everywhere with their lawn chairs.
 
#21 ·
<--- Born and raised on the east side. They don't play when it comes to stealing anything not bolted down. So frustrating I left.

The best fishing spots in that reservoir are the areas covered in lilly pads and inaccessible by motor boat. Canoe, yes...but then ya got the alligator factor. *shudders*

We would tear up the bass with a lilly pad jumping frog. If ya see a big swirl following your lure...JERK IT OUT QUICK! You're leading a gator straight to ya!
 
#22 ·
we use to take the john boat trolling for those suckers as a kid. I'd throw top waters and everything I had at those gators trying to get one to hit it! lol maybe not smart but dang we had fun!

True,, park on garrett lot and canoe or john boat around the pads up north of garrettt. The parking lot on that end is safer than the south end. the old levee on the south end that use to be at the spillway was a cotton mouth heaven. Lived over here 50 yrs now.
 
#23 · (Edited)
I forgot about Highlands Reservoir. I looked on Google satellite and didn't see a ramp. We fished that a little bit, but that was decades ago.
I think Sheldon was drained to re-work the levees. In my opinion it hasn't been the same since. I believe TP&W stocks it with Florida bass now. I just grew up fishing for native bass. I know the Floridas get bigger but it seems I can only catch a few per trip.
Weather cools off I'm gonna put the GoDevil in Sheldon.

Waterspout...I grew up in one of the finer sections on the east side...McCarty Drive at Loop 610. Wasn't really so bad in the 1950-60's. My folks moved to Beltway 8 @ 90 (Royalwood) after I got out of school. We lived in Woodforest for a time until we moved east to Liberty about 25 years ago.
 
#24 ·
Woodforest most of my life and now in Atascocita. I ran North Shore when it was 90% woods! Not many ponds in this area I don't know. Little secret. the Ditch north duessen park off lake H prkwy in summerwood is a awesome canal to fish. it's alway been there.

Hint: it feeds sheldon reservoir from the lake! ;):cheers:
 
#25 ·
you can park off L h prkwy and fish the crick, it's loaded with bass and the new super fish of the world. LMAO TILIPIA, big suckers too. They're aren't farmed raised and are actually good eating. besides. If you hook it you have to keep it. Against law to throw it back, It's invasive
 
#36 ·
Unless they changed it back, they removed the motor size limit but put in a no-wake, idle only rule. Been checked a couple of years ago with a 16' alum boat and 40 hp Yammie. Was idling as required and the motor was never mentioned.
Used to work shift at Armco in Greens Bayou and fished Sheldon in the morning after graveyards, in the evenings after days and in the mornings before work on evenings. Normally fished 4-5 days a week. On off days fished the bay or surf. Fishing is tough but there are fish there to be had. I gave up because of the theft and non-fishing people hanging around ramp.
O Yeah! The ramp on Garrett was shell all the way around the parking area. When I was younger Dad would back trailer in, and like most others, leave it in the water. Used to be great crappie fishing in that area in the fall.
 
#40 ·
Almost forgot - at the Katy BassPro there is a picture over the exit door, of Sheldon from back in the 50's. Mr. Kemp and Mr. Beasley, in the picture, were biologist on the lake. There was a portable building at the exit from the south ramp onto Pineland that they would setup at and ask people leaving about their catches. They did a census of size, species, etc.
The state stocked redfish, flounder and specks into the lake in the '50s and there were signs asking anybody that caught one to notify the biologist. Never heard of one being caught.
Mr. Kemp the same Bob Kemp the big state hatchery is named for and is credited with getting Florida bass into Texas waters.
Really nice, and a lot of fun, to see the posts from the other "older" guys who fished the res during the early days.
 
#42 ·
I never did it but my younger brother would skip school and sneak shoot geese on Les Downey's place across Hwy 90 from the reservoir. I don't think he ever asked the Downeys, but they were old family friends and probably wouldn't care. When there wasn't much out there all those old families were good friends. Downeys had a smoking hot daughter too. A bit older than me.
Wallisville Road between Oates school and 610 had a boat ramp section on it. Seemed like 45 degrees. Herman Pendley took his 63 Chevy airborn on it, all 4 wheels. I don't know how fast he was going, I was in the back seat, but way too fast.
What was the name of that hardware store on 90? My Dad fly fished a lot...Sheldon and Luce's. People who never seen one would ask where to get one and Dad would send them to.....White City Hardware. Dad somehow ended up with a new fly outfit every spring.
My dad got shot in those woods off Wallisville between Federal and Uvalde. Rabbit hunting at night with a friend. 22 shell entered his neck exactly between the 2 collarbones, followed a collarbone and lodged in his ribs. Rushed to the Tidelands hospital. Doc watched him overnight and just left it in. Made an interesting x-ray.
I got a lot of tracks around there...a lot of them barefoot.
I was 28 years old when I moved to Woodforest. I grew up in OST Acres...Oates Prairie. We thought anybody that had sidewalks and a brick house lived in River Oaks!
 
#55 ·
That's crazy you knew my second cousin Herman Pendley. Never got to meet him before he died. I was barely old enough to remember his funeral. My mother always talked about how crazy he was. I also got to cut my teeth around the Sheldon, wallisville, hwy90 and van rd areas.

Sent from my SM-J700T using Tapatalk
 
#43 ·
When White City Hardware closed down a guy (I worked with at Armco years later) bought all the fishing stuff for a lump sum. When I worked with him he would bring boxes of lures to work for us to pick thru.
When I was 10, I bought a True Temper fly rod from Tipton's Hardware for $10 with lawn mowing money. Tipton's was still on Market at the time. When fly fishing Sheldon near Garrett Rd. people would stop and ask what I was doing. They had never seen anyone flyfish before. Only flies I used for poppers.
Les Downey always seemed like a real nice guy. There was a place on SW corner of Pineland Hwy 90 intersection that sold beer. Dad always stopped after leaving the res for a cold one. Saw Downey there some and got to know him a little. Never saw his daughter, sounds like my loss. Dang ice-cold root beer sure was good after a morning of wading. The fields on both sides of 90, on south side of res, were rice fields. No businesses then.
With you on the bricks and sidewalks!

Man, this could go on for days.:cheers:
 
#44 ·
We used to come in from East Mount Houston Rd. and duck hunt the North border of Sheldon. Some fast action when they started pouring in to roost. One evening I shot a beautiful greenhead and wounded it. It swam through the fence onto the refuge. I went after it as I didn't want to shoot it again and tear it up. I chased it till it was almost too dark to see, so I went ahead and shot it.

We loaded up the 14 foot john bote and headed back to the truck on the side of the road. We got everything in the truck and George (Friend of my dads) had to take his waders off cause they had a leak. As he was taking them off a truck went by and his headlights lit us up enough for the 3 car loads of wardens to see us. They had us on the ground spread eagle while others were searching the truck. They took us to jail in Humble to see Judge Lee for shooting after legal shooting time.

They threw us in the drunk tank with all the filth and puke...nasty place. Finally Judge Lee came in and we went before him. I told him what happened and he said, "Son how old are you?" I told him I was 15 and he looked at the bailiff and said, "We need to talk!"

He said, "Next time leave the duck, something will eat it!" George paid the $60 fine and we went back to get our straps that were hanging on a stump.

I've got lots of stories of that area too. :biggrin:
 
#51 ·
We used to come in from East Mount Houston Rd. and duck hunt the North border of Sheldon. Some fast action when they started pouring in to roost. One evening I shot a beautiful greenhead and wounded it. It swam through the fence onto the refuge. I went after it as I didn't want to shoot it again and tear it up. I chased it till it was almost too dark to see, so I went ahead and shot it.

We loaded up the 14 foot john bote and headed back to the truck on the side of the road. We got everything in the truck and George (Friend of my dads) had to take his waders off cause they had a leak. As he was taking them off a truck went by and his headlights lit us up enough for the 3 car loads of wardens to see us. They had us on the ground spread eagle while others were searching the truck. They took us to jail in Humble to see Judge Lee for shooting after legal shooting time.

They threw us in the drunk tank with all the filth and puke...nasty place. Finally Judge Lee came in and we went before him. I told him what happened and he said, "Son how old are you?" I told him I was 15 and he looked at the bailiff and said, "We need to talk!"

He said, "Next time leave the duck, something will eat it!" George paid the $60 fine and we went back to get our straps that were hanging on a stump.

I've got lots of stories of that area too. :biggrin:
Judge Lee in Humble....man I ain't heard that name in decades. Thankfully I never met him.
Harbomaster maybe you or somebody else can jog my memory. There was a café on Hwy 59 I think, somewhere around 1960. They served fried chicken and a lot of vegetables. They grew the vegetables right next to the café. It was a favorite of a lot of folks but it was the same thing I ate at home. Athletic teams would stop there a lot. I want to say Log Cabin but the wife says she doesn't think so.
 
#46 ·
95!!!!! Congratulations are in order for you Sir!
I won't even try to compare numbers of memories.
The was a fellow named Norman Smith who lived in the same area as the bait stand.
BIG **** HUNTER with a pack of outstanding hounds.
He was our barber in Galena Park and his shop was on Holland near our house on 11th.
Grew up **** hunting with him. He passed at home while taking a nap, around 1968.
We were to hunt that night.
 
#47 ·
You old timers, like me, may have seen my old 4x4 Scout at Sheldon in the late 60's. Body was orange and the top was painted as an American flag. Horizontal red and white stripes with blue with white stars around the windows. Big peace symbol on the tailgate and text that said "Stop The War, Nuke Hanoi". Not exactly the everyday peace symbol!
 
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