Be safe on the water this weekend




This Memorial Day Weekend the lakes, streams, and bays of Texas will be enjoyed by anglers and boaters alike.

Last year Texas game wardens spent about 546,000 hours on recreational boating safety work. Use of paddlecraft, (canoes and kayaks), has exploded over the past decade. Many of these users are inexperienced or ignore basic boating and water safety rules.

In 2015 almost half of the 32 boating related fatalities in Texas involved canoes and kayaks. Wearing a PFD, personal flotation device, could have saved some of these people. Texas law does not require anyone except those under 13 and those on personal watercraft to wear a PFD. However, it does require every boat to have at least one PFD for every person on the craft.

Another safety item that doesn’t get a whole lot of ink is the kill switch on motor powered boats. With a kill switch the boat operator has a lanyard attached to usually his belt loop and the other end to the key in the ignition switch for starting or stopping the motor. If the lanyard receives a pull on it, the motor will shut off.

This is a crucial safety feature. If while underway the boat should hit some underwater obstruction, it could cause the boat operator to lose control of the boat, or worse yet, get thrown overboard. Usually if that happens, because of engine torque, the boat will go in circles. There have been too many stories about boat operators being maimed or killed by the spinning prop hitting them as it circles. Be sure to hookup the lanyard to the kill switch.

On this holiday weekend, have fun out on the water, but be safe no matter what kind of boat you are in. One other thing…leave the alcoholic beverages to be consumed on the bank.




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Lake Fork Current Weather Alerts

There are no active watches, warnings or advisories.

 

Lake Fork Weather Forecast

Tuesday

Increasing Clouds

Hi: 76

Tuesday Night

Partly Cloudy

Lo: 64

Wednesday

Slight Chance Thunderstorms

Hi: 78

Wednesday Night

Mostly Cloudy

Lo: 66

Thursday

Mostly Cloudy

Hi: 79

Thursday Night

Chance Thunderstorms

Lo: 69

Friday

Thunderstorms Likely

Hi: 78

Friday Night

Slight Chance Thunderstorms

Lo: 69


Lake Fork Water Level (last 30 days)


Water Level on 4/23: 403.32 (+0.32)



Lake Fork

Fishing Report from TPWD (Apr. 17)

GOOD. Water Stained; 60 degrees; 0.20 feet above pool. Fork has been good with fish in just about every stage of the spawn. Lots of fish are shallow in 1-4 feet with Texas rigs, yum dingers, chatterbaits, flukes, and swim jigs. Offshore bass are good on humps and points in 5-7 feet of water with Carolina rigs with light weights, mid-running crankbaits, and shaky heads. Report by Marc Mitchell, Lake Fork Guide Service. Changing weather means changing bite. First phase bass spawners are now in a post spawn pattern and aggressive. Frog pattern topwaters are excellent in the grass and brush. Casting into the pockets and letting the frog sit for a few seconds is a good idea. Crappies are shallow, small fish patterns like wooly buggers are a good bet. Bream are beginning to make themselves known in the shallows, wooly buggers and small poppers should bring a strike. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service. Crappie are great with some pre-spawn fish, some fish actively spawning and some post spawn. Fish can be found in a few feet of water to 30 feet of water. All crappie on Lake Fork do not go shallow to spawn and we catch fish in 18-20 feet that are spawning on timber. You can also find some fish on brush, lay downs, bridges and docks. It is a very versatile time to catch crappie with multiple patterns. Minnows will work great right now but any crappie baits will catch fish. Try small hand tied jigs and soft plastics. Catfishing is excellent right now on Lake Fork around timber in 12-20 feet. Still seeing loads of fish around roosting trees. Lots of birds in the shallow areas close to the bank in the early mornings chasing shad spawns. The catfish are also up there feeding on shad as well. Use any prepared catfish baits or cut shad on baited holes in the timber. Use a cork with anything a catfish will bite up shallow. Minnows and cut shad will work great on this shallow fish. Report by Jacky Wiggins, Jacky Wiggins Guide Service.

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