# One might consider limiting fish consumption from these Texas lakes



## Rather-b-fishin (May 13, 2009)

FYI:

Sam Rayburn (since 1995) & Toledo Bend have been on the Fish Consumption Advisory list along with many other lakes in the state for quite a while. They recently re-tested Rayburn and the results coming out are going to be very similar. However, Lake Livingston, Conroe, etc are in the clear for fish consumption.

http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/seafood/survey.shtm#advisory


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

I was discussing Livingston water a few months back with a state biologist and he told me that we have very low counts of bacteria here. In fact, during the height of last summer's drought, when you would expect it to be the highest measurements, they tested out very, very low counts in the main lake.


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## SetDaHook (Oct 21, 2010)

Good to know...Thanks for posting the info. Had a big plate of fried white bass from LL Friday night! Mmmmm


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## Rather-b-fishin (May 13, 2009)

Yes sir, we cooked up some LL WB too last week and they were some of the best tasting fish I've ever had! I nearly ate my own weight in filets! Awesome....


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## Rather-b-fishin (May 13, 2009)

Meadowlark said:


> I was discussing Livingston water a few months back with a state biologist and he told me that we have very low counts of bacteria here. In fact, during the height of last summer's drought, when you would expect it to be the highest measurements, they tested out very, very low counts in the main lake.


That's great to know! Awesome!


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## Gofish2day (May 9, 2006)

Actually the ban is on Toxic chemicals and heavy metals. Since Texas is one of the leading states with Coal fired plants all lakes have a mercury problem in large preditor fish. The problem happens in large fish such as large mouth bass and Stripers. They accumulate the mercury by eating small fish. The mercury is then stuck in the fish until some higher member of the food chain (US) eats the fish. Better to throw the big ones back.


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## Rather-b-fishin (May 13, 2009)

Gofish2day said:


> Actually the ban is on Toxic chemicals and heavy metals. Since Texas is one of the leading states with Coal fired plants all lakes have a mercury problem in large preditor fish. The problem happens in large fish such as large mouth bass and Stripers. They accumulate the mercury by eating small fish. The mercury is then stuck in the fish until some higher member of the food chain (US) eats the fish. Better to throw the big ones back.


This agrees with what the representative from the DSHS said to me today. He said some of the main issues with Rayburn & Toledo stem from coal plants in East Texas. It has more to do with atmospheric conditions instead of toxic dumping. The Angelina and Neches rivers are inside an area which lends itself to contamination. And he mentioned the bigger fish are likely to have higher mercury counts than smaller fish in lakes with advisories. The lower quadrants of the Trinty and lake Livingston have safe levels and no advisories on fish consumption.

I think I read a while back it takes 3 months to rid your blood stream of half the mercury content that has been absorbed and it rids itself in halves for every three months after that. There's also suppliments you can take to speed up the process.

Pregnant women and children have the most health risk from mercury contaminated fish.

I didn't post this to scare anyone. If you regularly consume fish from these lakes you can always stop eating the fish and give your body time to rid itself of the trace amounts of toxins. It's never too late to improve one's health!


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## Sharky2012 (Mar 23, 2012)

This is welcomed information. I have a relative that is always telling me that fish from Lake Livingston will give you cancer. My relative is a RN and she came to this conclusion after asking her patients with cancer if they every ate fish from Lake Livingston. I told her this was a bunch of BS, because her patients are 70-100 years old. I told her that if I reach that age bracket before I get cancer I'm okay with the results!!!


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

So far this thread does not scare me.


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