# Here it comes!



## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

Open the gates!!! 
The upper Trinity is bank full at Trinidad and Oakwood and it is still raining.
About a 3" average on the local watershed with 4.5" on Kickapoo, White Rock and Wolf Creek.


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## dbullard (Feb 13, 2008)

Flush it


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

dbullard said:


> Flush it


Exactly right! New water is life. 
Bedias has had a couple good flushings lately, which to me means Nelson probably did.
But! Dallas still got squat!


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## GBird (Jun 12, 2010)

Is this enough to muddy up the south end, or just bring the lake up to normal pool, add oxygen and cool the water some more?


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## Mattsfishin (Aug 23, 2009)

The creeks needed a good flushing and the lake also. Looks like time to start fishing the river as soon as this settles a couple weeks.


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

GBird said:


> Is this enough to muddy up the south end, or just bring the lake up to normal pool, add oxygen and cool the water some more?


Any discloration in the south end will come from the San Jac county creeks which did get some 5 to 6 inch local rains. The upper end of the lake will be muddy (or discolored) from heavy rains on all of the tributary creeks including Bedias, White Rock and Harmon which all received extremely heavy rain in a short time span.
The 20,000 cfs slug in the river is going to be muddy. The river has about an average 20 foot rise from Rosser to Crockett. 
So I would think the Riverside area will soon be muddy and may stay that way for some time.
Anticipating the annual question of "will this rise make the white bass go up stream?" my opinion is the same as before. They will go upstream just as they have for eons and the rise will not make one iota of difference in the timing.


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

Sunbeam said:


> Anticipating the annual question of "will this rise make the white bass go up stream?" my opinion is the same as before. They will go upstream just as they have for eons and the rise will not make one iota of difference in the timing.


I have an opinion here, but it may stink. I don't think that the whites know which way is upstream unless we get some rains to cause current to guide them.


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

Going upstream to spawn is in their DNA.
I have seen the white bass so thick in the Wa****a River above Foss lake it looked like you could walk on them. The lake and river was at a record low from a three year drought. The farmers had not made a dry land wheat crop in two years.
No rain but the whites went up stream just as they always did every spring.

When I moved to Houston in 1966 we fished the Lock n Dam that next spring for whites and catfish. That was 20 months before the closure was made at the dam in Oct 1968. The whites were running up river to spawn before there was a Lake Livingston.


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

We made it. The level gauge at the Livingston Dam crossed the 131.0 mark about 5 pm Halloween Day. That is a better treat than a handful of candy. Well.... most candy. 
Still shows 1000 cfs discharge which surprises me. If some one crosses the bridge below the dam please count the gates open and report on this thread.


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## MrTroutsnot (Dec 6, 2012)

USGS site I see says 6000 cfps.


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

There is four (4) gates open 12" as of 10 POM Halloween night.
Get the long rods ready. Those big cats and stripers are mighty hungry without having a decent flow all summer.


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## wwind3 (Sep 30, 2009)

Below the Kickapoo bridge----muddy and LOTS of floating junk---some of it you don't wanta run over...


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

Now nine (9) gates at noon Friday. This should increase as the river flow approaches. Looks like we are getting the big flush that is long over due.


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## FishNJeremy (Jan 1, 2012)

yep, pass by the livingston dam around noon leaving the state park and there were 9 gates open. Water level at the dam looks like some good fishing.


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## Mattsfishin (Aug 23, 2009)

Alright, I have my big rods ready and casting corks ready. Plus my manly anchors that everyone cries like a baby when I ask them to pull one in.


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

Don't rush down there in the next few days. There is 26,500 cfs in the river between Riverside and Oakwood. With the lake at conservation pool that mean all of that water will be released. We could easily see all twelve gates open in the next day or. Don't want to make a long drive and find way too much water to fish safely.
TRA has a recorded message every morning but they do not update it if the flow increases until the following morning.
At nine gates it is get iffy for all but the most experienced. At twelve it should just be admired from afar.

BTW....That mystical hydro-electric plant could be generating 15 megawatts right now.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

The plume of spray and mist at the gates could be seen from the island today.
It pulled fish of of some the usual spots and made them go deeper, but the cats fish really went on a bite.


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

Sunbeam said:


> BTW....That mystical hydro-electric plant could be generating 15 megawatts right now.


Ssshhhhhh.....


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## pYr8 (Apr 17, 2012)

Got a solid 3" here 4 miles south of the 19 bridge & things are on the up scale.

Muddy water for a while up here as far as I can tell, sure gonna need some different tactics.

Hopin things settle down a little for the sac-a-lait to get on the bite


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## wwind3 (Sep 30, 2009)

wwind3 said:


> Below the Kickapoo bridge----muddy and LOTS of floating junk---some of it you don't wanta run over...


Pics


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## cleve68 (Jun 8, 2010)

Oh my, What a mess ! Everyone be careful out there it;s been awhile sence i,ve seen so much floatin out there.
Thanks for the pictures wwind3


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

Nice pics.
I told the Filipino when they built those new lifts it was going to be a log dam.
TRA is running 14,000 which is 10 gates open 12" and gate #6 & 7 open 24".
But they have 26,5000 cfs looking down their throat between Crockett and Riverside
and the lake 6" overfull. We could see all gates at 24" by Sunday afternoon.
Then it will rock and roll down there in the stilling basin. 
Looks like muddy water down to the 190 bridge by late next week. 
The water should be reverse flowing in the creeks by now. That might improve the crappie as soon as it clears a little.


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

Up to 16,000 cfs at the dam as of 7:00 AM Sunday morning. The lake is still rising slowly.
I might make a trip down to Wallisville in a week to see this water go over the barrier.


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## redexpress (Apr 5, 2010)

3 of 4 gates open at Wallisville this afternoon...locks standing open.
Chocolate milk.


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

TRA is releasing 19,000 cfs since Sunday. Lake is still rising. Now 131.87. I do not think they will let is get over 132.0 ft elev. before opening the gates wider.
They are trying to protect the low county below Liberty/Dayton right now.


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## WGA1 (Mar 1, 2012)

For us down in Liberty it is nice when its a slow rise versus a fast rise. I was out on the river Sunday and there is alot of floating debris right now.


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

Looks like TRA has it under control. Baring any heavy rain on the local and upper watershed the present flow should not increase.
The lake seems to have stabilized at 131.88 and the input flow is now less than the output.
It will take a week to get things back to 131.0. But it will be several weeks before the creeks are clear enough for decent crappie fishing.
Of course I must add the standard disclaimer.........This is Texas so never take the weather for granted. The frogs could be gasping for air in another 24 hours.


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## Bankin' On It (Feb 14, 2013)

Thanks for the update Sunbeam. I saw that 80% chance of rain tomorrow. EEK!


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## Gofish2day (May 9, 2006)

I lost the links to check the flow below the dam and just above the lake at I think riverside. Can someone post the links again.

Thanks!


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## Mattsfishin (Aug 23, 2009)

I remember fishing down there with 12 gates open ( 24,000 cfs ) and the whites and stripers going crazy on the west side along the trees. You had to lean against the console or sit down to fish. It was rocking n rollin but the fish were bit in !!!! Oh yeh and if you did not keep the motor running or a good anchor it would take you back up to the dam. Must be careful when a high flow is coming out. Not a good day for rookies. If you go, go with someone that knows what they are doing down there. Always were a PFD down there and it does not matter if it is a high flow or a little discharge. you must always think safety below the dam.


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

Very well said Okra Matt.


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## Gofish2day (May 9, 2006)

I found it USGS Site.


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## SetDaHook (Oct 21, 2010)

wwind3 said:


> Pics


Good pics there wwind. But not to worry...all that junk will end up stacked up in my cove again. Looks like I'll be busy for awhile. :headknock


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## ComeFrom? (May 21, 2004)

We need another good drought.


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## wwind3 (Sep 30, 2009)

SetDaHook said:


> Good pics there wwind. But not to worry...all that junk will end up stacked up in my cove again. Looks like I'll be busy for awhile. :headknock


 Yep---home looks fantastic---I took a peek a week or so ago--cabinet guy was there. Yall did a great job for sure...


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## SetDaHook (Oct 21, 2010)

wwind3 said:


> Yep---home looks fantastic---I took a peek a week or so ago--cabinet guy was there. Yall did a great job for sure...


Thank you!! We're moving in next week on the 15th (hopefully), so come by and check out the finished product after we're in.


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## wwind3 (Sep 30, 2009)

SetDaHook said:


> Thank you!! We're moving in next week on the 15th (hopefully), so come by and check out the finished product after we're in.


Will do----thanx


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## pYr8 (Apr 17, 2012)

Water level links for y'all if you need them
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/tx/nwis/current/?type=flow
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/tx/nwis/current/?type=lake&group_key=basin_cd


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## Watersoul (Feb 15, 2013)

Has the Trinity been able to flush a lot of the trees and dirty water out of its self. I was running the river a day before duck season and it was like mud. Not to mention there were islands of trees floating everywhere.


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## redexpress (Apr 5, 2010)

I went to Buffalo this week and made a side trip to take a pic for y'all. 
Lot's of water coming over:
yeah Buffalo NY and Niagara Falls.


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