Stay Safe On The Water




Texans around the state are making plans to take advantage of the sunshine on the state’s waterways. Compared to this time last year, drownings are up more than 30 percent. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is reminding everyone to be safe by following basic boating safety precautions and public health guidelines while on the water.

 “Most of the tragic deaths and serious injuries that occurred in Texas waters last year could have been prevented by following a few simple and important steps,” said Cody Jones, TPWD Assistant Commander for Marine Enforcement.

Before heading to the water, Texans should remember these simple recommendations- wear a life jacket, learn how to swim, closely supervise children, use a kill switch, never drive a boat while under the influence of alcohol and take a boater education class.

Safety precautions do not end at the shoreline. It is important that the public stay current with the latest COVID-19 safety precautions from state and local officials before heading to the water. Texans are encouraged to check with the managing authority of the waterbody they intend to visit for any local ordinances in place.

Current recommendations include minimizing in-person contact by maintaining six feet of separation and avoiding groups larger than 10 people. Boaters should also continue to maintain a safe social distance and avoid crowds while out on the water or at docks and ramps.

Game will also be on heightened alert looking for those violating boating under the influence laws. The effort is in conjunction with Operation Dry Water, a nationally coordinated enforcement campaign focused on deterring boaters from boating under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

“Boating under the influence is just as deadly as drinking and driving,” said Jones. “Every year we see dozens of boating accidents and tragedies on Texas waters that could have been avoided if the operator had refrained from drinking. We are calling on all Texans to keep our lakes safe and fun throughout the year by limiting alcohol consumption and having a designated driver at all times when boating on Texas waterways.”

Operating a boat with a blood alcohol concentration above 0.08 percent is an offense that can lead to fines, confinement in jail, and the loss of a driver’s license. In 2019, game wardens made 193 criminal arrests for boating while intoxicated across the state.

According to Texas state law, a life jacket must be available for each occupant of a boat or paddle craft. Children who are under the age of 13 are required to wear one while the boat or paddle craft is underway or drifting. Last year in Texas, game wardens issued 583 citations for children not wearing a life jacket and 1,483 for insufficient life jackets on the vessel. Some good news is the overall number of citations were down 5.4 percent compared to the previous year.

Texans can check out the Life Jacket Association website for a guide to proper cleaning and storing of their Personal Flotation Devices in relation to the virus.

Check the weather before heading to the water, learning to swim and knowing the rules of the waterway before launching on the lake. For more information about boating safety, laws and requirements, visit TPWD’s boating laws website.

 




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Lake Fork Current Weather Alerts

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Lake Fork Weather Forecast

Monday

Decreasing Clouds

Hi: 80

Monday Night

Clear

Lo: 62

Tuesday

Mostly Sunny

Hi: 89

Tuesday Night

Mostly Clear

Lo: 73

Wednesday

Mostly Sunny

Hi: 95

Wednesday Night

Mostly Cloudy

Lo: 75

Thursday

Mostly Cloudy

Hi: 91

Thursday Night

Mostly Cloudy

Lo: 73


Lake Fork Water Level (last 30 days)


Water Level on 5/13: 403.40 (+0.40)



Lake Fork

Fishing Report from TPWD (May 7)

GOOD. Water Stained; 73 degrees; 0.73 feet below pool. Good early morning bass bite around shad spawn areas and with topwater frogs over grass. Midday to mid afternoon work flukes and yum dingers around grass good1-3 feet. New wave of spawners pulling up this week. Carolina rigs fair in 5-10 feet of water on secondary points. Report by Marc Mitchell, Lake Fork Guide Service. Black bass are post spawn and the top water bite is on! Frog patterns are working in the shallow vegetation. The crappie are moving shallow, small clousers are producing well. Large bream have moved shallow, wooly buggers are producing good fish. Channel catfish are cruising 2-4 feet biting clousers. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service. Crappie fishing is settling into the post spawn and summer patterns we should see for the next few months. We are seeing incredible numbers of small black crappie right now loading up on brush piles, lay downs, bridges and docks. The larger black crappie are a little hard to find but you can find some nice groups of them or pick a few out of the smaller fish. The bigger white crappie are beginning to load on the summer pattern trees. We have a tremendous amount of fry covering up a lot of those trees and making it very hard to see those bigger white crappie on forward facing sonar or for them to see your bait. You can find fish in 10-30 feet of water and some may only be 2 feet under the surface or right on the bottom. Minnows and any colored jigs are both producing extremely well. Report by Jacky Wiggins, Jacky Wiggins Guide Service.

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