Lake Fork Reservoir
Marshy inlet on Lake Fork
Location of Lake Fork Reservoir in Texas, USA.
Location of Lake Fork Reservoir in Texas, USA.
Lake Fork Reservoir
Location of Lake Fork Reservoir in Texas, USA.
Location of Lake Fork Reservoir in Texas, USA.
Lake Fork Reservoir
Location
Coordinates32°48′15″N 95°32′22″W / 32.80417°N 95.53944°W / 32.80417; -95.53944
Typereservoir
Part ofSabine River
Primary inflows
Primary outflowsLake Fork Creek
Catchment area493 sq mi (1,280 km2)
Basin countriesUnited States
Surface area27,264 acres (11,033 ha)[1]
Max. depth70 feet (21 m)[1]
Water volume675,819 acre-feet (833,610,000 m3)
Shore length1315 miles (507 km)
Surface elevation403.0 ft (122.8 m)
Websitewww.sratx.org/sra-offices/lake-fork/
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Lake Fork Reservoir is a reservoir located in Wood, Rains, and Hopkins counties in the state of Texas, between the towns of Quitman, Alba, Emory, and Yantis, Texas.

It was impounded by the Lake Fork Dam in 1980, and reached its normal pool surface elevation of 403.0 feet (122.8 m) above mean sea level[1] in 1985. It consists of 27,264 acres (110.33 km2),[1] offers 315 miles (507 km) of shoreline, and has a drainage area of 493 square miles (1,280 km2). The dam is 12,410 feet (3,780 m) in length and impounds Lake Fork Creek, a tributary of the Sabine River, and other major creeks are Big Caney and Little Caney.

The dam and reservoir with a maximum capacity of 675,819 acre-feet (833,610,000 m3) are owned and operated by the Sabine River Authority, a state agency.

It officially serves as a reservoir for Dallas and its suburbs.[2] However, it is best known for its fishing, as it holds 15 of the top 20 Texas State Record largemouth bass ever caught, making it one of the premier trophy bass fishing lakes in the world.

Fishing

Lake Fork Reservoir was created as a textbook fishery, including initial stockings before the lake filled. Lake Fork Reservoir was established, by the Texas Parks and Wildlife, as a premier bass fishing lake, with 732,514 Florida-strain largemouth bass being stocked from 1979 through 1987. Lake Fork Reservoir offers excellent fish habitat with 80% standing timber left intact, and hydrilla, milfoil, and duckweed being the predominant vegetation. Other species of fish include catfish, sand bass, yellow bass, black and white crappie, sunfish, bowfin, gar, and bluegill. The predominant food source for the larger fish is shad, minnows, and crawfish.

To preserve the great Lake Fork Reservoir bass fisheries, the Texas Parks and Wildlife implemented a protected slot limit of no bass between 16 and 24 inches (410 and 610 mm) will be kept, and will be returned into the waters of Lake Fork immediately. A five bass per day limit can be kept, consisting of five-under 16 inches (410 mm), or one-over 24 inches (610 mm) , and four-under 16 inches (410 mm).[3]

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, the Lake Fork Reservoir has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded at Lake Fork Reservoir was 108 °F (42.2 °C) on July 19, 2006, while the coldest temperature recorded was −7 °F (−21.7 °C) on February 16, 2021.[4]

Climate data for Lake Fork Reservoir, Texas, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1989–present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 88
(31)		 86
(30)		 90
(32)		 95
(35)		 98
(37)		 102
(39)		 108
(42)		 107
(42)		 110
(43)		 96
(36)		 89
(32)		 82
(28)		 110
(43)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 73.4
(23.0)		 76.6
(24.8)		 81.9
(27.7)		 85.7
(29.8)		 90.8
(32.7)		 96.0
(35.6)		 100.4
(38.0)		 101.9
(38.8)		 97.2
(36.2)		 90.2
(32.3)		 80.9
(27.2)		 75.0
(23.9)		 103.0
(39.4)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 54.9
(12.7)		 59.1
(15.1)		 66.3
(19.1)		 74.4
(23.6)		 81.3
(27.4)		 88.7
(31.5)		 92.7
(33.7)		 93.4
(34.1)		 87.2
(30.7)		 77.2
(25.1)		 65.9
(18.8)		 57.3
(14.1)		 74.9
(23.8)
Daily mean °F (°C) 44.9
(7.2)		 48.9
(9.4)		 56.4
(13.6)		 63.9
(17.7)		 72.0
(22.2)		 79.5
(26.4)		 83.0
(28.3)		 83.0
(28.3)		 76.5
(24.7)		 66.2
(19.0)		 55.8
(13.2)		 47.5
(8.6)		 64.8
(18.2)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 34.9
(1.6)		 38.7
(3.7)		 46.5
(8.1)		 53.4
(11.9)		 62.6
(17.0)		 70.2
(21.2)		 73.3
(22.9)		 72.7
(22.6)		 65.8
(18.8)		 55.2
(12.9)		 45.6
(7.6)		 37.8
(3.2)		 54.7
(12.6)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 19.7
(−6.8)		 24.6
(−4.1)		 29.4
(−1.4)		 38.3
(3.5)		 47.9
(8.8)		 61.4
(16.3)		 67.0
(19.4)		 65.4
(18.6)		 52.9
(11.6)		 39.8
(4.3)		 28.8
(−1.8)		 23.8
(−4.6)		 17.2
(−8.2)
Record low °F (°C) 9
(−13)		 −7
(−22)		 13
(−11)		 27
(−3)		 37
(3)		 52
(11)		 57
(14)		 56
(13)		 43
(6)		 28
(−2)		 20
(−7)		 2
(−17)		 −7
(−22)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.41
(87)		 3.39
(86)		 4.16
(106)		 3.93
(100)		 4.97
(126)		 3.89
(99)		 2.71
(69)		 2.71
(69)		 3.26
(83)		 4.70
(119)		 3.70
(94)		 4.31
(109)		 45.14
(1,147)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 0.2
(0.51)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.2
(0.51)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 7.7 8.6 9.0 7.7 8.4 7.8 5.4 5.5 5.6 6.7 7.6 9.3 89.3
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1
Source 1: NOAA[5]
Source 2: National Weather Service[4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Lake Fork". Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. n.d. Archived from the original on 27 November 2021. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  2. ↑ "Lake Fork begins supplementing Dallas water supply". The Dallas Morning News. 1 January 2010. ISSN 1553-846X. Archived from the original on 16 December 2021. Retrieved 16 December 2021. After decades of planning, years of construction and hundreds of millions of dollars in costs, water is finally beginning to flow out of Dallas taps from Lake Fork, in East Texas.
  3. ↑ "Fishing Regulations for Lake Fork". Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. n.d. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  4. 1 2 "NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Shreveport". National Weather Service. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  5. ↑ "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Lake FK RSVR, TX". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved February 20, 2023.

Resources

source: Army Corps of Engineers, and USGS
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