Joe Pool Lake

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Joe Pool Lake
Joe Pool Lake -
Location Texas
Coordinates 32°37′43″N, 97°0′19″WCoordinates: 32°37′43″N, 97°0′19″W
Catchment area 232 sq mi (601 km²)
Basin countries United States
Surface area 7,740 acres (31.3 km²)
Max. depth 75 feet (23 m)
Aerial view of Joe Pool Lake and Dam
Aerial view of Joe Pool Lake and Dam

Joe Pool Lake is a fresh water impoundment located in the southern part of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in North Texas (USA). The lake encompasses parts of Tarrant, Dallas and Ellis counties. The lake measures 7,740 acres (31.3 km²) with a conservation storage capacity of 176,900 acre feet (218,000,000 m³). With a maximum depth of 75 feet (23 m) the lake drains an area of 232 square miles (601 km²).

Joe Pool Lake was named after Joe Pool, a congressman from the Oak Cliff area of Dallas who represented this district from 1963 until his death in 1968. Pool was highly influential in passage of legislation and funding of the lake.

Contents

[edit] Beginnings

The project to build Joe Pool Lake started of a promise made in 1961 by the late U.S. Rep. Joe Pool and was carried out by a citizens committee called the Lakeview Planning Council. The oft-stalled lake project -- approved by Congress in 1965 and known as Lakeview Lake until 1982 -- had been the subject of name squabbles and delays caused by lawsuits and lack of funding.

As a result, when construction began in 1977 -- nine years after Joe Pool died -- it became one of the first projects in the nation to pay its own way because of federal cuts in recreational park projects.

Construction of the lake dam was completed in December of 1985. Impoundment of water began in January 1986 and the lake was filled by June 1989.

[edit] Parks and recreation

Joe Pool Lake includes a number of parks, paved boat ramps and parking lots, public swimming areas, a public marina as well a second marina located inside Cedar Hill State Park.

[edit] Britton Park

  • Location:

Seeton Road on the southwest shore of Joe Pool Lake.

  • Fees:

$5 per day vehicle

  • Hours:

6 a.m. - 10 p.m. March - October 28 Closed - October 29 through February 25 Open - weekends in October

  • Amenities:

Boat ramp Parking lot Restroom

[edit] Loyd Park

Loyd Park
Loyd Park
  • Location:

3401 Ragland Road Grand Prairie, Texas 75052 Phone: (817) 467-2104 Fax: (817) 467-4931

  • Fees:

$10 per vehicle up to six people $12 Campsites per night (campsites limited to 2 vehicles, 8 people) $100/night One bedroom cabin $125/night Two bedroom cabin

  • Hours:

24/7/356

  • Amenities:

791 acre (3.2 km²) park offers campers of all types a tranquil, natural tree-filled setting. Boat Ramp Hiking Trails Restrooms Overnight Campgrounds Picnic Areas Cabins

[edit] Lynn Creek Park

  • Location:

Lake Ridge Parkway just north of Lynn Creek Marina on Joe Pool Lake.

  • Fees:

$10 per vehicle daily fee Call 817-467-2104 for reservations

Residents of Grand Prairie get in free (a valid Texas Driver's License with a Grand Prairie address is required)[1].

  • Hours:

6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily March through October

  • Amenities:

784 acres (3.2 km²) restrooms, showers, two boat ramps with eight lanes, a swimming beach, and a concession stand. almost 100 picnic sites, group picnic pavilions, sand volleyball courts and an amphitheater.

[edit] Cedar Hill State Park

Joe Pool Lake Shoreline
Joe Pool Lake Shoreline
  • Location:

1570 F.M. 1382 Cedar Hill, Texas 75104 (972) 291-3900

  • Fees:

Adult: $5.00 per person Children 12 & Under: Free Campsites: Regular (Developed): $15.00 per night Primitive: $7.00 per night

  • Hours:

24/7/356

  • Amenities:

784 acres (3.17 km²)

  • Camping:

Features 355 mostly wooded campsites with a shade shelter over some of the picnic tables. Mountain Biking, Bird Watching, Picknicking, Joe Pool Marina, Fishing.

[edit] Lynn Creek Marina

A marina and restaurant located on the north side of the lake, just off Lake Ridge Parkway near the Lynn Creek Park entrance. The Lynn Creek Marina has more than 500 wet slips for fishing, pleasure and sail boats. The marina does a brisk business in boat rentals and has an indoor-outdoor fishing area where non-boaters can fish for $5 for 12 hours ($3 for children and seniors). Next door to the marina, the popular Oasis restaurant features open air dining and live weekend entertainment over the lake's waters.

[edit] Tangle Ridge Golf Course

One of the state's top public championship courses, Tangle Ridge Golf Club was designed by Jeff Brauer of GolfScapes in Arlington, Texas. It was recently ranked as the "12th best golf course" in the state of Texas by Golf Digest. The layout has the feel of the Texas Hill Country with dramatic elevation changes, gently rolling hills and sand bunkers guarding every hole. Tangle Ridge caters to every level of player with each hole varying in length, bunkering and style - offering a new direction, a new choice, a new experience every time you play. Visit the Tangle Ridge Golf Website complete course information, rates, classes, etc.

[edit] Water Resources

Joe Pool lake is mostly fed by Mountain Creek and Walnut Creek and drains north into Mountain Creek leading into Mountain Creek Lake. Joe Pool Lake is one of the few lakes in Texas that actually drains to the north. Joe Pool lake impounds water in two arms formed by Mountain Creek and Walnut Creek. The Mountain Creek Water Shed is in the Upper Trinity River Basin and has a length of 37 miles (60 km) and a total drainage area of 304 square miles (787 km²).

Currently (2005) Joe Pool Lake serves as a reservoir for the City of Midlothian for their public water supply. Several other entities have water interests in Joe Pool Lake, but are not currently using the water resources. The City of Midlothian has a water intake structure in the southeast leg of the lake. They consume water at a daily rate anywhere from 1 million US gallons (3,800 m³) in the winter months to 9 million US gallons (34,000 m³) in the summer months. The Trinity River Authority of Texas also has a water intake structure in Cedar Hill State Park, but it currently not in use.

[edit] Fishing

[edit] Fishing Regulations

Most species are currently managed with statewide regulations. The exception is a 14 to 21 inch slot limit on largemouth bass. Anglers may keep bass that are 14 inches or less in length, or 21 inches or greater. Daily bag for all species of black bass is 5 in combination, but only one largemouth bass 21 inches or greater may be retained each day.

[edit] Stocking history:

Species Year Number Stocked Size
Bass, Florida Largemouth
2006
325,681
 Fingerling 
Bass, Florida Largemouth
2005
317,036
 Fingerling 
Bass, Florida Largemouth
2001
182,049
 Fingerling 
Bass, Florida Largemouth
1987
203,315
 Fingerling 
Bass, Florida Largemouth
1986
248,256
 Fingerling 
Bass, Florida Largemouth
1986
417,554
 Fry 
Bass, Florida Largemouth
1984
2,700
 Fingerling 
Bass, Florida Largemouth
1981
2,970
 Fry 
Bluegill, Coppernose
1986
5,290
  
Bluegill, Coppernose
1985
125,000
  
Bluegill, Coppernose
1981
19,950
  
Catfish, Channel
1986
546,900
 Fingerling 
Catfish, Channel
1986
203,100
 Fry 
Shad, Threadfin
1981
1,080
  

Comments:

Joe Pool lake opened with tremendous fishing pressure owing to the fact it lies within 30 miles (48 km) of four million people. Restrictive limits were put in place to protect the fish from overharvest and fishing has remained good to this point.

[edit] All-ages records

Rod & Reel
Species Weight Length Date Angler Bait or Lure
Bass, Largemouth 12.89 24.00 Mar 5, 2006 Robert Gaston  
Bass, White 1.94 17.00 Jun 18, 2005 David Hartnett  
Bluegill 0.38 8.25 Sep 8, 2005 Chad Edwards freelined corn 
Bullhead, Yellow 1.57 15.25 Apr 2, 2006 Alissa Lewis worm 
Carp, Common 12.02 32.00 Jan 26, 2005 Chad Edwards freelined bread 
Carp, Grass 32.00 40.00 Jun 5, 1997 Alex Alatorre homemade dough bait 
Catfish, Channel 10.89 28.00 Nov 18, 2006 Trace Neatherlin cut bait 
Crappie, Black 2.03 15.00 May 2, 2004 Scott Pekrul splittail spinner 
Crappie, White 2.59 16.75 Jun 30, 1990 George T. Hearn  
Drum, Freshwater 2.10 14.50 Sep 6, 2004 Germain Gardea shiner 
Sunfish, Green 0.65 10.00 May 12, 1990 Richard Collins  
Sunfish, Longear 0.06 4.81 Sep 10, 1995 Jay Largent  
Fly Fishing
Species Weight Length Date Angler Bait or Lure
Bass, White 0.72 12.50 Jul 26, 2005 Howell Dodd clouser 
Sunfish, Green 0.42 8.31 Jul 3, 2003 Jody Moore popping bug 
Bow Fishing
Species Weight Length Date Angler Bait or Lure
Buffalo, Smallmouth 16.30 27.50 Dec 26, 2005 Bennett Crow &nbsp
Carp, Common 21.13 34.25 Dec 10, 2006 Bennett Crow &nbsp

[edit] Junior angler records

Rod & Reel
Species Weight Length Date Angler Bait or Lure
Bullhead, Yellow 1.57 15.25 Apr 2, 2006 Alissa Lewis worm 
Carp, Common 6.06 0.00 May 13, 2006 Trey Edwards III boiled maize 
Catfish, Channel 7.15 25.75 Aug 5, 2005 Alissa Lewis worm 

[edit] Fishing tips

Marked brush piles offer habitat in the lower end of the reservoir which are often good for both bass and crappie. Crappie fishing is also good under the bridges on both arms of the lake. In the Walnut Creek arm, the old creek channel is a good place to look for bass.

[edit] Fishing quality

Largemouth bass: 3 of 5

Catfish: 2 of 5

Crappie: 3 of 5

Sunfish: 2 of 5

[edit] Facilities

The TRA maintains excellent day use and overnight public recreation facilities. The only free boat ramp on the lake is at Britton Park on the upper end of the Mountain Creek Arm, although it is $5 to park. Cedar Hill State Park (214/291-3900) on the east side of the lake has the second most campsites of any facility in the state park system. It also has lighted fishing piers, boat ramps and group shelters. Local anglers complain that state park gates do not open until 8 a.m. daily.

[edit] Fishing reports

Fishing reports for Joe Pool lake can be found at the Texas Parks and Wildlife website here: [1]

[edit] Joe Pool Lake Archaeological Project

Several archaeological investigations have been carried out in the Joe Pool Lake project area since 1977. The first phase of study, conducted between 1977 and 1979, identified 42 archaeological and historical sites in the vicinity of the then proposed Lakeview Lake, since renamed Joe Pool. The study was conducted by archaeologists from Southern Methodist University and was funded by the federal government through the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District. Archaeological properties identified at that time included small, briefly occupied camps of prehistoric hunter/gatherers, several larger reoccupied prehistoric camps, a small prehistoric village, an ante-bellum plantation, several large post-Civil War farmsteads, and a number of late nineteenth century farmsteads with standing buildings.

Paleo-Indian Period- (10,000 to 6,000 BC)
Paleo-Indian Period- (10,000 to 6,000 BC)

Archaeological investigations in the Joe Pool Lake area have involved both conservation and rescue archaeology. The extensive architectural and archaeological deposits at the John Wesley Penn farmstead, for example, were investigated and documented. Similar conservation oriented investigations were conducted at five other historic sites located on major lake shore parks. The Cobb- Pool site, on the other hand, received major rescue archaeology efforts to recover important information from this Late Prehistoric small village settlement. Four other prehistoric and seven other historic sites also received rescue archaeology operations directed at identifying important remains and recovering data useful for fulfilling the questions outlined in the research design presented earlier. All of these studies have been funded by the U.S. Corps of Engineers (Fort Worth District), the primary sponsor behind the construction of Joe Pool Lake. From these investigations, we have gained a few more insights into the history and prehistory of the Mountain Creek area. Excavations of historic farmsteads have indicated that many mid- and late nineteenth century families lived in well constructed, frame dwellings. Log buildings were not as common as once believed. Both Dallas and Fort Worth attracted sawmills along the Trinity River bottomlands and sawn lumber was available to most families by the 1850s.

The artifacts recovered from excavations of the yard areas around dwellings have also provided us with some insights into family life and household possessions. Home canning using the glass fruit jar indicates a break from older traditional foodways by the turn-of-the-century (i.e., 1900). Animal bones indicate a strong reliance on beef rather than on the more traditional pork. Both of these pieces of evidence support the dominance of a Midwestern orientation of foodways that diverges from most Texas counties to the south. The plain white ceramic tablewares and the low consumption of bottle glass for the same period, on the other hand, both correspond more closely with Southern traditions. One message is clear from these studies. Both human adaptations (culture and technology) and the natural environment have changed tremendously over the last 12,000 years. From the evidence of the earliest sites found that were occupied some 6,000 years ago, up to the first American settlers about 140 years ago, the Mountain Creek area has been affected by nature's relentless fluctuations. The archaeological investigations sponsored by the United States Army Corps of Engineers at Joe Pool have provided a few brief glimpses into the rich record of human history and prehistory of this area. Time's march never ceases and in another thousand years, future generations may be equally interested in our own society and its archaeological remains.

For more information and to view the entire investigation please see [2].

[edit] References

[edit] External links