# Conroe is close Somerville is under water



## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

Do not go to Conroe. It is close through labor day or untill further notice. Barracade and signs greeted me upond arrival.


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

That is the brand new office they just built at Big Creek Park/Marina . Thermocline blanket the entire lake . Only place where there's no thermocline was about near the shore line where all the BBQ pits are sticking out up through the surface. Guess I'll go home and cook some crawfish. Mother nature wins again.


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

Look carefully and you can see the only clean bathroom on the left as you enter Welch park. It too is under water. Y'all need to pizz in a bucket if you do go to Somerville to fish right now. No bath rooms.


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## ML56 (Dec 30, 2008)

So sad to see Lake Somerville get hit again, hope they had builders insurance on new construction. Will be limited access to lake for a while, only upside is fish populations should improve for the future. Black bass should be great with all the farm ponds that just got flushed into the lake.


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## SKs Crappie Fishing (Mar 24, 2008)

I heard Conroe was going to open for labor day.... that may have changed....
That's a lot of water on Somerville....


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## justfishin (Aug 8, 2007)

Can you put a boat on Somerville? 


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## denimdeerslayer (Feb 23, 2012)

Boat ramps closed Im sure, but I know last time we just backed off the side of the road at Welch.


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## denimdeerslayer (Feb 23, 2012)

brucevannguyen said:


> That is the brand new office they just built at Big Creek Park/Marina . Thermocline blanket the entire lake . Only place where there's no thermocline was about near the shore line where all the BBQ pits are sticking out up through the surface. Guess I'll go home and cook some crawfish. Mother nature wins again.


I would have thought all the rain and water running in would kill the thermocline.


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## Gofish2day (May 9, 2006)

Don't tell me Conroe is closed. I haven't fished in a few weeks and starting to get the shakes.


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

denimdeerslayer said:


> brucevannguyen said:
> 
> 
> > That is the brand new office they just built at Big Creek Park/Marina . Thermocline blanket the entire lake . Only place where there's no thermocline was about near the shore line where all the BBQ pits are sticking out up through the surface. Guess I'll go home and cook some crawfish. Mother nature wins again.
> ...


Yes I would think so too but sonar don't lie. 2D shows the entire bottom of lake to be covered. So bad I could not see any fish on 2D except for the ones that are above the thermocline. Side scan was completely void of fish at all the regular hot spots. I've 
Never seen my side scan so empty as it was on Saturday. Wish I had a thermometer to lower down to the bottom and get a temperature reading so I can understand more of this thermocline science. Surface temperature early morning reads 75 degrees so the bottom is either cooler or warmer ? All I know is it's gonna have to dicipate before fishing can get back to normal. I did not hang around to see it dicipate later on through the evening. Some times it does and you can catch a bunch. Went to Conroe instead. Total waste of my day since Conroe was close. I did see a few group of hybrids suspended between the thermocline but they were moving fast through all the trees and I could not keep up with them. Even the shads are staying well above the thermocline. I see tons of shads just hanging out but very little feeding activity going on. Maybe give them a week or two to acclaimates to the new changinging conditions. I am thinking about getting a thermometer that I can lower into the thermocline and get a water temp reading. This thermocline thing really intrigue me. I know there's a science behind it that fish react to and I'm very interested in understanding it.


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

Gofish2day said:


> Don't tell me Conroe is closed. I haven't fished in a few weeks and starting to get the shakes.


It is close Karl. They had over hundreds of boats that were floating around on the lake broken loose from the storm surge. Many of them boats yet to be reunited with their owners. I drove across the 1097 bridge and on the left what I saw was unbeliveable. One of the boat slips where they had many boats tied to the slips look like it had been hammer by high water and wind and ripped apart. Only one boat was still hanging from a thread under all those rubles. It's bad !! Don't bet on fishing Conroe for a while.


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

Lake Conroe remains closed to recreational traffic for the time being, the San Jacinto River Authority announced Thursday.

While most boats will not be allowed on the lake, contractors and tow boats helping repair damaged docks and bulkheads will be allowed to maneuver along the shore at no-wake speeds. Any other boaters on the lake could be subject to citations and hefty fines, according to Precinct 1 Constable's Lt. Tim Cade.


"You can't go out sight-seeing," Cade said. "This is not for recreational use. The sight-seeing, taking a joy ride, all of that is not allowed by the SJRA at this time."

There is much debris still out on the lake, Cade said, including broken docks, floating tree limbs and camouflaged islands because of the lake's risen level. The SJRA has been releasing water, at one point at a record-breaking rate, to bring the lake down to its normal level of 201 feet deep.

The lake sat at about 1.5 feet over its normal capacity with the SJRA releasing water at a rate of about 5,500 cubic feet per second as of press time Thursday. That's down from record-breaking 80,000 cubic feet per second it released days into Hurricane Harvey's deluge of rainfall.

"(The Precinct 1 Constable's lake patrol) vessels are not immune," Cade said. "We've run over it. That's how we're finding it. It's floating just under the surface of the water and, if it's poking out, it's only by an inch. That's very hard to see."

The damage caused by Hurricane Harvey's rainfall on Lake Conroe came as many homes along the shore were flooded and wooden docks ripped from their bases. Rogue boats, some of which were improperly tied off prior to the rainfall, still remain floating on unmanned on the lake as Precinct 1 Constable's lake patrol units continue to wrangle them together.

Precinct 1 Constable Philip Cash said his deputies have collected more than 200 boats all on the west side of the lake and have yet to identify the owners of about 75 of those boats. Deputies were hard at work Thursday gathering boats on the east side of the lake.

"We've been very successful in locating the owners and putting them with the (boats)," Cash said. "If you do have a boat on the lake, please call us."

Boat owners who cannot find their vessel on the lake are urged to call the Precinct 1 Constable's Office from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday at 936-539-7821.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Bruce Google _thermocline_, and you can read about it firsthand. Pretty interesting stuff, three basic layers of water in most of our reservoirs near here. They impact us as fishermen by interacting according to temperature of the top most layer in the summer, called the thermocline.

When it gets super heated, above as low as 85 on Livingston and the first week of June, it creates a barrier because of the density difference between hot and cooler water. And that won't let dissolved oxygen go past it, keeping all of the fish and O2 in the top layer of water.
That makes underwater humps and ridges *worthless* if they are below the thermocline.
And fishing the top 10 to 15 feet on the south end of Livingston where it is at.


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## SeaOx 230C (Aug 12, 2005)

shadslinger said:


> Bruce Google _thermocline_, and you can read about it firsthand. Pretty interesting stuff, three basic layers of water in most of our reservoirs near here. They impact us as fishermen by interacting according to temperature of the top most layer in the summer, called the thermocline.
> 
> When it gets super heated, above as low as 85 on Livingston and the first week of June, it creates a barrier because of the density difference between hot and cooler water. And that won't let dissolved oxygen go past it, keeping all of the fish and O2 in the top layer of water.
> That makes underwater humps and ridges *worthless* if they are below the thermocline.
> And fishing the top 10 to 15 feet on the south end of Livingston where it is at.


Some really good info right there.....


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## denimdeerslayer (Feb 23, 2012)

If the lake is way up then I'd expect most of the fish up in the shallows chasing new food sources.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

denimdeerslayer said:


> If the lake is way up then I'd expect most of the fish up in the shallows chasing new food sources.


True dat, and since Bruce is seeing a definite line on the sonar between the the bottom and the upper layer of water it could be colder runoff from the rain that has flooded in above the warmer water on top and making a density line between them. The fish will move right up in the shallows and feed in that fresh runoff that is oxygen enriched.

The rain totally disrupted the thermocline that had set in on Livingston and the fish are all over the water column. 
The white bass on Livingston are going into a fall pattern early due to low water temps for this time of year. They are feeding aggressively and often top water as they are ready to put on some fat for the winter and upcoming spawn.


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## mycolcason (Jan 7, 2013)

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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

denimdeerslayer said:


> If the lake is way up then I'd expect most of the fish up in the shallows chasing new food sources.


I think you are right about that !! The only feeding activity I see was fish busting the surface in shallower water. Maybe large mouth,gar,or buffalo. I travel as far up to Birch Park hoping that some of the 5 foot humps would be spare from thermocline and even those humps are at 22 feet of water. I observe an eerie quite lake with very little activity. Birch is also under water all the way to the first bathroom closest to the shore.


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## Rip"N"Rob (Jun 30, 2013)

Conroe must be open now. They had the ramp in 7 Coves blocked off for a couple days, but today it was open and I saw a few bass boats out running around.


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## BobBobber (Aug 29, 2015)

Conroe canal channel cats dropped back to lake maybe. When runoff flowed to the lake, cats ate.

Now no flow and no bites. Well, a few if you wait an hour or so.

From what we are told (residents), stay off Lake Conroe now. Like one post said here, bass boats might be out. Well, they might want to back off on their typical 50mph speeds right now.

If it's legal to be on Conroe, I'd put-put around for a while. Submerged logs don't yield right-of-way . . . and they don't carry any insurance policies to pay for hospitalization and boat repairs.


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## C130 (Sep 16, 2016)

Conroe is open as of yesterday but the "recommended" max speed is planing speed. I'd definitely be careful with all of the stuff floating around, some of its pretty big.


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

Thanks for the info C130 . I will be out there this weekend to see if all them hybrids got flushed down through the dam. Hope a good amount is still left for the winter bites.


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## C130 (Sep 16, 2016)

I'm headed to Livingston Saturday to try and figure something out there. Son and his fishing partner have a high school tournament there on the 30th.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

C130 the south end is very muddy especially the east side. Just some info fir you.


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## C130 (Sep 16, 2016)

shadslinger said:


> C130 the south end is very muddy especially the east side. Just some info fir you.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thanks, appreciate the information. How's the Kickapoo, Penwaugh area?


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

It looked a little better going north from memorial point I didn't go any further than that.


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## C130 (Sep 16, 2016)

shadslinger said:


> It looked a little better going north from memorial point I didn't go any further than that.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Thanks


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## KILT610 (Feb 24, 2006)

brucevannguyen said:


> Look carefully and you can see the only clean bathroom on the left as you enter Welch park. It too is under water. Y'all need to pizz in a bucket if you do go to Somerville to fish right now. No bath rooms.


Lake Somerville Marina is open.


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## whsalum (Mar 4, 2013)

C130 said:


> Thanks, appreciate the information. How's the Kickapoo, Penwaugh area?


Haven't been in Penwaugh but Kickapoo is still muddy.


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## ML56 (Dec 30, 2008)

KILT610 said:


> Lake Somerville Marina is open.


Is there a place to launch at Lake Somerville Marina?


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## ChuChu (Jan 23, 2010)

The dam gates are open, dropping about 3" per day. Still 16' above normal, so probably a month before any boat ramps will open


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## That Robbie Guy (Aug 11, 2009)

Any updates this week from either lake?


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

That Robbie Guy said:


> Any updates this week from either lake?


Two Lakes in one day 9/16/17

We had less than a dozen boat launch today at Somerville. Bass boat,aluminum boat,pontoon boats. Water is clean clear brackish tint but clean. Even the whites got a black tint to them.No debris no floaters. Just a nice clean lake. Water temp is 76 degrees early morning. Still very high. Thermocline cover all the humps early morning but clears as the day progress. Side scan shows many unkown species of fish to be hugging the shore line. Welch Park no longer allowed launching on the asphalt road behind their office. Go all the way to where it dead end at the barracade to the boat ramp and launch off the banks. Thats where everyone is launching.

Conroe is also the same. No floaters no debris from light house to the dam. Water is a little murkier than Somerville but the hybrids didn't mind. We launch at the 8:30 public boat ramp. Boat traffic was also on the light side. Not too many.


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

Heres a picture of Birch. Water is still up to the stop sign and almost to the bathroom. Suprisingly also brackish clear and clean as further South. One would think it's all muddy but no it's not.


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

Lot's of baby whites. Although bank people didn't see much spawning activity in the creeks but there's an abundant of baby whites every where through out the lake like this one.


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

Fish ID please. Caught at Conroe. Not sure whites or hybrids ?


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## Chunknwind (Jul 28, 2015)

Check the tooth patch,I'm gonna say white bass.

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## Mattsfishin (Aug 23, 2009)

That is a white but always check the tooth patch when in doubt. Most guides know to check tooth patch when in doubt. Never take that chance with customers. Some hybrids do look like a white.


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

I throw them all back so they can reproduce. Caught quite a few on a hump. Very healthy looking too. Showed one to Karl and he thinks its whites.


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## OutlawDave (Mar 1, 2017)

Looking at the Corp sites shows all launches in Somerville still closed ?


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

As of last Saturday my friend went to Somerville and had to launch off the bank so I say yeah they are most likely still closed.4 wheel drive helps !!


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## OutlawDave (Mar 1, 2017)

yep, i just called and she said they are still launching off the beach somewhere but Im not risking that.

Looks like me and the kid will go to conroe, been there 1000 times to do everything but fish so this will be new :goldfish:


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

Welch Park . Avoid launching from grassy areas. Not much depth in those areas. Look for banks with hard clay near the blockade. It drop 45 degrees sharp and has no problem launching bigger boats. Again I say 4 wheel helps because once those clay gets wet. It can get slippery. Sarcastic !! We ran across this patch of thermocline couple weeks ago. Flooded Lake means lots of access areas to the grass for largemouth bass. This could be bad for boat ramps but good for bass fishing if you can launch your boat. Downsize your baits. Fish are feeding on small button size shad's right now. Gutted them open and they're full of button size shad's in their stomach. Hope it helps as some of you who wants to try their luck at Somerville this weekend. Fish are there you just got to find them.


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

OutlawDave said:


> yep, i just called and she said they are still launching off the beach somewhere but Im not risking that.
> 
> Looks like me and the kid will go to conroe, been there 1000 times to do everything but fish so this will be new


Conroe ...That flood did not flush all the fish down the toilet. Hybrid is good on Conroe right now trolling pet spoons right about 15 feet of water. Pet spoon tie to a deep-diving crankbait is a good rig. If you don't get your bait down to 15 fow you will not catch them. Morning bite is good then slows down right about noon then picks back up late evening. Look for structures.... points,flats,and humps. Good luck to you sir !! It's gonna be a beutiful weekend. Enjoy it !!

Tip: if you have any doubt your crank bait is not going deep enough, or you just aint getting any bites...you can remove the first treble hook from the belly of the crank bait. Add a small bell wieght to that split ring. It will make your crank bait dive deeper. Bring a veriety sizes of bell wieght . Mix and match till you get it right. Go with the smallest size first.


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

If any of you guys in the market for a new Fish Finder hummingbird chirps give out crispier 2D images. Here's another cool pics of a 12" chirp at work from two weeks ago.


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

Hey outlaw Dave !! How did y'all do yesterday ?? Did ya catch dinner ??
Here's yesterday crew that I took fishing. Fish were HUNGRY !! WE caught plenty for a a fish fry !! We had a FUN DAY x 2 !!


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## brucevannguyen (Oct 21, 2012)

Somerville is still flooded. We had about a dozen boat launch off the banks at Welch Park yesterday. Bank is launch able. You just gotta pick a good spot that gradually drops at an angle. Many areas off the banks drops sharp vertical. You may damage your boat trailer trying to pull it back up.This is Big Creek still partially submerge. We did a double whammy two lakes in one day. Water clarity at Somerville is stain but clear. Lots of bait activity near the banks. Conroe water is still dirtier than Somerville but the fish didn't care. They were hungry !!


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## OutlawDave (Mar 1, 2017)

@brucevannguyen

That front that came through thursday night must have turned them off. My uncle lives on the island near the 1097 short bridge where we launched and hit several spots near the lighthouse that produced undersized blackbass but no keepers. Came back in and talked to him and his neighbor who said its been tough out there the past few days.

you guys look like you rocked em ... way to go. 

Cant wait to get back to Somerville !!


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