National Trails and Free Fishing Day




Saturday, June 1 is the 21st annual National Trails Day. Lace up some sturdy shoes, grab a hiking stick and head to a Texas State Park near you to join a guided hiking tour or hit the trails on your own. Dozens of state parks will be offering guided nature hikes - from short, family-friendly hikes geared toward beginners to more strenuous treks of up to seven miles. "National Trails Day is a great time to showcase the beauty and diversity of the trail systems in our more than 90 state parks," says Karen Blizzard, assistant director of Interpretive Services for Texas State Parks. "Spending time on the trail, whether hiking, biking, or nature viewing, provides happy memories, good health, escape from stress, and cherished time with friends and family. Stewardship and volunteering also are a big part of National Trails Day, and we encourage everyone to get involved with trail maintenance and volunteer projects at state parks near them," Most of the National Trails Day state park events are at no extra charge, but regular Texas State Park entrance fees will apply. As always, children ages 12 and younger receive free park admission. To check park fees that apply to your favorite state park, visit www.texasstateparks.org. If you would rather lay down the hiking staff down and grab a fishing pole, June 1 is also the annual TPWD Free Fishing day in any public water in the State of Texas. Fishing inside Texas State Parks has always been free. Once you've paid the park entrance fees, no one needs a fishing license or stamp, whether freshwater or saltwater, adult or child, as long as they are inside the state park. This applies to fishing from the bank, a pier, river or creek fishing, and fishing from a boat. You can even wade fish in coastal state parks along park property. Bag, length limits and other regulations still apply. You can enjoy the Free Fishing in State Parks program at more than 50 state parks, and at numerous Wildlife Management Areas across Texas. Check the state park near you to see what special events such as fishing derbies and "Learn to Fish" seminars. Some parks provide loaner equipment and bait: just call ahead to ask. To find out more about the different TPWD fishing programs, check out http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fishboat/fish/programs




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Lake Fork Current Weather Alerts

There are no active watches, warnings or advisories.

 

Lake Fork Weather Forecast

Thursday

Sunny

Hi: 70

Thursday Night

Clear

Lo: 52

Friday

Partly Sunny

Hi: 76

Friday Night

Mostly Cloudy

Lo: 58

Saturday

Mostly Cloudy

Hi: 79

Saturday Night

Mostly Cloudy

Lo: 62

Sunday

Mostly Cloudy

Hi: 80

Sunday Night

Mostly Cloudy

Lo: 66


Lake Fork Water Level (last 30 days)


Water Level on 3/29: 403.35 (+0.35)



Lake Fork

Fishing Report from TPWD (Mar. 27)

GOOD. Water Stained; 60 degrees; 0.28 feet below pool. Bass fishing has been slow due to the fluctuating weather patterns. The best bite has been on frogs behind the grass and Texas rigs in front of the grass. Yum dingers are good around flooded grass in 1-3 feet deadsticking rigged wacky worms. Report by Marc Mitchell, Lake Fork Guide Service. Bass have moved up and are nesting, small crawfish patterns will work well. Frog pattern top waters are excellent in the grass and brush. Crappie are shallow, small fish patterns like wooly buggers are a good bet. Bream are beginning to make themselves known in the shallows, wooly buggars and small poppers should bring a strike.Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service. Crappie fishing has been up and down and all over the place this past week. Patterns are not just changing weekly or daily but sometimes hourly. Fish can be in water deeper than 30 feet, or as shallow as 1 foot. Seeing fish around grass, around timber, under bridges, under docks and on ledges. There are very few fish on brush piles and lay downs. Finding fish all over the bridge in the morning then gone that afternoon. The cold fronts and winds have really made finding patterns that will hold up difficult. Not seeing very many fish spawned out yet, so we should have shallow fish for the next months. The bite when you do find fish, and they do not run, is good on small hand ties, minnows, soft plastics. The catfish bite continues to be red hot in 12-18 feet of water around trees that have birds roosting overnight. We should see fish showing back up around trees along creek channels in 18-25 feet of water as well. Bait the area with cattle cubes or sour grain to get the catfish loaded up. Any prepared catfish bait works great and we have been having great trips using punch bait. Report by Jacky Wiggins, Jacky Wiggins Guide Service.

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