# Watch the gates



## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

You tail race fishermen should watch the LL gate operations the next few days.
As of 6:30 AM 01/26/12 the upper river from Rosser to Crockett has an average flow of 15,920 cfs and an average depth of 22.65 feet. Most of this water is in the Rosser to Oakwood area. That is a big slug. It would add 2+ feet to LL which is now a little above normal elevation.
This means every drop of that water coming down will be released.
The problem is knowing when. TRA's computer watches the upper river gauge data and issues gate operation orders. But the gauge at Oakwood went kaput Tuesday and the Crockett gauge is very eradicate.
The leading edge of this slug is about three days away from entering the lake.
Also there is a sizable 5000 cfs slug in the river between the LL dam and Liberty which TRA will keep in mind when releasing more water.
My guess is TRA will open gates in stages start ing in two days. But with two gauge on the blink that is just a guess. But rest assured there will be plenty of water flowing in the tail race very soon.


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## GBird (Jun 12, 2010)

Just noticed 3200 cfs flow at Goodrich, maybe 3 gates are open now?


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

But 1,380 of the 3,210 is from Long King Creek, so probably only 2 gates open. The whole system will get a good flush, that is for sure. I have often wondered if fish can feel the current through the lake in the lower end. Certainly above the 190 they should, but I think they can even in the main lake with a flow like is coming. This should make whites really storm upstream. I often thought they can't go upstream if they can't detect which direction upstream is. Many years ago I wished for a low green river the whole season. Well, it ended up happening one year and that is not what we want. Water is life and we need it, so do the whites.

Sunbeam, I remember several years back there was a good rain in Dallas, but basically no where else. The "slugs" as you call them are accurate, at least that is the word I would use. It took basically a day between each of the main river measuring points of Rosser, Trinidad, Oakwood and Crockett. The graph of the level rising then falling looked very similar at each measuring station other than the date.


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

No... that is water from Long King creek dumping in just above the US 59 gauge..It was over 3500 yesterday but dropping now.


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## markbrumbaugh (Jul 13, 2010)

You can watch my dock. As soon as several boards are knocked loose, and only then, will TRA open the gates. This has been true for nearly 30 years.


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

I visited the TRA there at the dam maybe 20 years ago. They told me what Sunbeam has said, that they used a computer and used the measuring points along the river to know how to control the gates. They did not mention having a camera watching your dock being in the computer formula, lol. By the way, they had a picture of the new 190 bridge on the wall that looked complete, but the lake had not filled. It was going across pasture land and just a river.

Another time I was at the gazebo below the dam when a big bus load of retired people were there too. The bus driver was explaing so many facts and figures to the retired visitors. I was in awe, lol, then realized he was not the bus driver but working for the TRA. DUH!


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Those releases that come in bursts, where they open a couple of gates, then wait a day or two then open some more make it hard to fish the tailrace. It is much better for those folks downriver however!

It takes a day or more for the fish to settle down and bite good after a significant increase in the discharge starts up. 
So when they come in stages it takes longer for the fishermen to catch a good bite.

The best bite comes when they open them wide and let it roar for a while then shut it back to 7 or less gates. The big discharge dumps a load of fish from the lake in the river and they stay around the stilling basin and tailrace until they are caught or eat all of the shad and move down river.
After the construction was done sometime ago where the TRA bulkheaded the rip rap and cut a big V in the middle to force the water down the middle of the tailrace to stop the undercutting of the West bank(which threatened the integrity of the earth dam)the fishing has changed back there. The main river channel used to come out of the far west gate, as part of the construction project they filled that channel in with huge rocks.

Before the construction and rerouting of the main flow the water would pool up in the tailrace and stay for a long time and the fishing was fantastic.
Now the water rushes on downstream quickly and the window for good fishing is much shorter after a big discharge, but still fantastic!


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## dbullard (Feb 13, 2008)

Its a coming pushing 30200 at Rosser and 32 ft . Also still over 36FT 20000 in the Metroplex. We should be good on water for a little while !!! Lol Sunbeam you will have to fish a little down stream of the bird roost going to be some current up my way!!!


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

db, after that long hot dry summer with my boat hanging over knee deep grass I am ready for a flood.
When they open the gates I think I will take a lawn chair down to the gazebo and watch the big striper flying down the apron. 
Those certified idiots that chase logs on the Swanee River on the TV "Ax Men" need to move to Riverside. There is going to be some extraneous timber in the river.


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

The leading edge of the flood waters on the upper Trinity reached the Lock n Dam at midnight 1/26/12. It should reach Riverside about dark Saturday night. There should be some decent flow through the dam and good fishing by Tuesday or Wednesday. It will get up to about 15,000 cfs for awhile. There is still plenty of water in the Dallas metro area with 30,000 in the upper river.


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

I realize that sometimes it hurts to have a trip rained out, but we needed the rain. I always say too that water is life and we need it. I really believe this big rain from Dallas on down was just what we needed. Actually, I wish some of the upstream creeks such as Bedias had had more. But, I really believe this will cause the whites to storm upstream. Some of the fish that might have used wind blown points now know which direction to go.


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## Mattsfishin (Aug 23, 2009)

Looks like they are releasing 4000 CFS now.
Matt


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## HGX_Fisherman (Feb 26, 2009)

Thanks for the info Matt!! Have to try to get the canoe up there.


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

Did you actually see the open gates Matt?


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

HGX_Fisherman said:


> Thanks for the info Matt!! Have to try to get the canoe up there.


I don't think you want a canoe in the tail race unless you have a 100 hp paddle. LOL <G>


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

Looks like they opened at least 1 gate an hour or so back. The river flow at Goodrich was falling off as Long King creek flow fell, and then the river flow picked back up.


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

Whitebassfisher said:


> Looks like they opened at least 1 gate an hour or so back. The river flow at Goodrich was falling off as Long King creek flow fell, and then the river flow picked back up.


There is a three hour delay from a gate up until is registers on the Goodrich gauge. It is on the US59 bridge down stream of the dam.'

It began to rise about 11 AM so they opened the gate(s) when they came to work this morning.
With the volume coming across the L n D I expect 6 gates by Sunday morning....if not more.
I'll bet there is a mile wide grin on the fellow operating Browders. Those $10 launches add up quick.


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## HGX_Fisherman (Feb 26, 2009)

Sunbeam said:


> I don't think you want a canoe in the tail race unless you have a 100 hp paddle. LOL <G>


Jen and I got out there with 6 gates open and bucking a 30mph wind (forget the fact it was 28 degrees to boot)....and SHE STILL caught more fish than me!


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## mossyoak1 (May 1, 2010)

Just past by the dam 4 gates open


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## longhorn daddy (Nov 10, 2009)

HGX_Fisherman said:


> Jen and I got out there with 6 gates open and bucking a 30mph wind (forget the fact it was 28 degrees to boot)....and SHE STILL caught more fish than me!


 i can testify to that.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

I just looked at the discharge, it dropped for a bit then it looks they might stair step it up a notch.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/tx/nwis/uv/?site_no=08066250&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060

3760cfps, if that holds for 3 days it will be on!


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

shadslinger said:


> http://waterdata.usgs.gov/tx/nwis/uv/?site_no=08066250&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060
> 
> 3760cfps, if that holds for 3 days it will be on!


I am afraid this is going to be a much bigger discharge than I first expected. There is still nearly 30,000 cfs coming from the Trinity Tributaries in the Metro area. Plus the various creeks above Crockett have contributed more water than original estimated. 
The first of the flood water is just reaching Riverside. The level has risen a few inches over night at that gauge.

That 30,000 slug up river has been steady for three days. That means all the gates open at least two feet when it arrives. There could be some turbid water all the way to the dam.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Now that will dump some fish in the tail race!


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## Zero (Mar 13, 2010)

*Have not been to the **** since I was a kid...*

35 years ago my parents would take us to the **** and we would wade out by the boats and catch ice chests of white bass. One cast could be a white bass the next could be a blue cat the next could be a huge gar. At the time I heard it was one of the best bank fishing spots in the state.

Now I understand that you are not allowed to wade right up to the gates now.

I do not have a boat but I kayak almost everyday. Most of the time I go BTB. I live in NW Houston.

So my questions are:

1. Is it safe to fish out of a kayak there?
2. I live in NW Houston. So what would be the best route to get there and where would I launch.
3. What bait should I use? When we were kids we always used shrimp and caught everything known to mankind.

Thanks,

Zero


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## rubberducky (Mar 19, 2010)

Zero said:


> 35 years ago my parents would take us to the **** and we would wade out by the boats and catch ice chests of white bass. One cast could be a white bass the next could be a blue cat the next could be a huge gar. At the time I heard it was one of the best bank fishing spots in the state.
> 
> Now I understand that you are not allowed to wade right up to the gates now.
> 
> ...


I see a lot of guys down there in kayaks and canoes heck I haven even seen them down there in little inflatable boats. 
Use all kinds of baits. I catch WB on inline spinners, rattle traps, pet spoons, and speck rigs. 
For cats I use the normal baits suck as shad, mullet, cut buffalo and carp.

To get there the easiest way is go straight down 59 take 1988 down to 3278. You will have to go up to browders and pay to get your kayak in the water.
James

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk because Reeltime told me to


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

See Google maps

From west Houston use I45 north to Willis. 
Take FM1097 out of Willis to Hyw 150.
Right on 150 to Cold Springs
Stay on 150 through Cold Springs to FM 222 
Left on FM 222 to LL dam.
Watch for Browder's Store on left at west end of the dam.
You must pay to use access to their park and ramps on either side of the basin. They have baits and minnows.
For the kayak with the high flow the next few weeks I would stay on the west side and fish in the bypass channel that flows into the main stream right at the boat ramp. There are lots of flooded willows with crappie. Use minnows. Lots of cat fish in the middle of the bypass channel. Use shrimp or shad.
Caution. Check the TP&W regulation for bag limits below the dam. They are less per day that the state wide regs.


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## Danny O (Apr 14, 2010)

7 gates now (Sun 1:15pm)


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## rubberducky (Mar 19, 2010)

Look at all that water!! Man I want to go fishing now!
James


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk because Reeltime told me to


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

Just the beginning. The big water is still 4 days away. They should have them all open by Tuesday noon.


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## Mattsfishin (Aug 23, 2009)

OH YEH !!! Time to bust out the BIG anchors.

Matt


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## tngbmt (May 30, 2004)

thanks for the pics dannyO .. i miss going up there last year ..
cant wait for the cooler of wb pics


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Mattsfishin said:


> OH YEH !!! Time to bust out the BIG anchors.
> 
> Matt


The motorcycle helmets and long johns too! 
I bet we have some cold weather yet, and the dam will be red hot fishing, just like 2 years ago.

After a long high discharge there are usually a lot of fish in the tail race, but it is coming at a time when many of the white/striped bass are up river and will not be there to follow the current through the gates.
Which is good for the striper fishing in the years to come.

There are still a lot of white/striped bass that do not run up river, but stay in the lake and will get pulled through the gates because they seek the current. 
It should make for some real good fishing when the discharge stabilizes or gets cuts back.
:whiteshee


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## Mattsfishin (Aug 23, 2009)

I have some of the hi tech long johns and a propane heater for the boat and extra neopreme gloves. Another week or 2 and the fishin should be really good below the dam.


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

Just been looking at Danny'd photo.
Looks like the early birds are already there. If my old eyes do not deceive me, it appears that there are two boats and three waders in the water. Three more fisherman on the bank.
One waders are using inline spinners. Can you conform that is what you saw from the bridge Danny? LOL


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## Boomhauer75 (Jan 3, 2010)

Glad I serviced the boat today. She is ready to go!


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## Danny O (Apr 14, 2010)

Sunbeam said:


> Just been looking at Danny'd photo.
> Looks like the early birds are already there. If my old eyes do not deceive me, it appears that there are two boats and three waders in the water. Three more fisherman on the bank.
> One waders are using inline spinners. Can you conform that is what you saw from the bridge Danny? LOL


 As Danny O snapped pics, I noticed 2 boats in, 2 launching, 2 waders and 2 bank fishermen. Both fishermen were using Curados 200E and 300E, respectively! Oh, and one of the dudes was smoking a cigar and from the fragrance wafting over the bridge, I believe it was a Romeo y Julieta!


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

:ac550:


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## HGX_Fisherman (Feb 26, 2009)

Bring on the big water!! My freezer is feeling a little lonely.


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

Looks like they are now running 9 gates at 12" open and one at 10" open. The 10" one is the one they normally flow the contract water through.
Blankenship said it took them a week to get it adjusted to suit the boss. They do not move it unless it is a must. But with 20,000 cfs coming they may have to open it higher.

Touche' Pet Spoon....the first tall tale teller just does not stand a chance here on the fresh water board.


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## rubberducky (Mar 19, 2010)

I just got back from running to to south on 59 stopped at the river and took a few pics. Lots of water coming down been a long time since it look like this
James 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk because Reeltime told me to


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