Lake Fork Reservoir
{{more citations needed|date=December 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox body of water
| name = Lake Fork Reservoir
| image =File:A mashy inlet of Lake Fork in Rains County, east of Dallas in northeast Texas LCCN2015630125.tif
| caption = Marshy inlet on Lake Fork
| image_bathymetry =
| caption_bathymetry =
| location = {{ubl|Wood County, Texas|Rains County, Texas|Hopkins County, Texas}}
| coords = {{coord|32|48|15|N|95|32|22|W|type:waterbody_region:US-TX|display=inline,title}}
| type = reservoir
| part_of = Sabine River
| inflow = {{ubl|Lake Fork Creek|Caney Creek|Little Caney Creek}}
| outflow = Lake Fork Creek
| catchment = {{convert|493|sqmi|abbr=on}}
| basin_countries = United States
| length =
| width =
| area = {{convert|27264|acre|abbr=on}}
| depth =
| max-depth = {{convert|70|ft}}
| volume = {{convert|675819|acre.ft}}
| residence_time =
| shore = {{convert|315|mi}}
| elevation = {{convert|403.0|ft|abbr=on}}
| islands =
| cities =
| pushpin_map = Texas#USA
| pushpin_label_position =
| pushpin_map_alt = Location of Lake Fork Reservoir in Texas, USA.
| pushpin_map_caption =
| website = {{URL|https://www.sratx.org/sra-offices/lake-fork/}}
| reference =
}}
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 {{convert|403.0|ft}} above mean sea level in 1985. It consists of {{convert|27264|acre|km2}}, offers {{convert|315|mi}} of shoreline, and has a drainage area of {{convert|493|sqmi}}. The dam is {{convert|12410|ft}} 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 {{convert|675819|acre.ft}} are owned and operated by the Sabine River Authority, a state agency.
It officially serves as a reservoir for Dallas and its suburbs. 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 {{convert|16|and|24|in}} 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 {{convert|16|in}}, or one-over {{convert|24|in}} , and four-under {{convert|16|in}}.
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 {{convert|108|F|C|1}} on July 19, 2006, while the coldest temperature recorded was {{convert|-7|F|C|1}} on February 16, 2021.
{{Weather box
|location = Lake Fork Reservoir, Texas, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1989–present
|single line = Yes
|collapsed = Yes
|Jan record high F = 88
|Feb record high F = 86
|Mar record high F = 90
|Apr record high F = 95
|May record high F = 98
|Jun record high F = 102
|Jul record high F = 108
|Aug record high F = 107
|Sep record high F = 110
|Oct record high F = 96
|Nov record high F = 89
|Dec record high F = 82
|Jan avg record high F = 73.4
|Feb avg record high F = 76.6
|Mar avg record high F = 81.9
|Apr avg record high F = 85.7
|May avg record high F = 90.8
|Jun avg record high F = 96.0
|Jul avg record high F = 100.4
|Aug avg record high F = 101.9
|Sep avg record high F = 97.2
|Oct avg record high F = 90.2
|Nov avg record high F = 80.9
|Dec avg record high F = 75.0
|year avg record high F = 103.0
|Jan high F = 54.9
|Feb high F = 59.1
|Mar high F = 66.3
|Apr high F = 74.4
|May high F = 81.3
|Jun high F = 88.7
|Jul high F = 92.7
|Aug high F = 93.4
|Sep high F = 87.2
|Oct high F = 77.2
|Nov high F = 65.9
|Dec high F = 57.3
|year high F =
|Jan mean F = 44.9
|Feb mean F = 48.9
|Mar mean F = 56.4
|Apr mean F = 63.9
|May mean F = 72.0
|Jun mean F = 79.5
|Jul mean F = 83.0
|Aug mean F = 83.0
|Sep mean F = 76.5
|Oct mean F = 66.2
|Nov mean F = 55.8
|Dec mean F = 47.5
|year mean F =
|Jan low F = 34.9
|Feb low F = 38.7
|Mar low F = 46.5
|Apr low F = 53.4
|May low F = 62.6
|Jun low F = 70.2
|Jul low F = 73.3
|Aug low F = 72.7
|Sep low F = 65.8
|Oct low F = 55.2
|Nov low F = 45.6
|Dec low F = 37.8
|year low F =
|Jan avg record low F = 19.7
|Feb avg record low F = 24.6
|Mar avg record low F = 29.4
|Apr avg record low F = 38.3
|May avg record low F = 47.9
|Jun avg record low F = 61.4
|Jul avg record low F = 67.0
|Aug avg record low F = 65.4
|Sep avg record low F = 52.9
|Oct avg record low F = 39.8
|Nov avg record low F = 28.8
|Dec avg record low F = 23.8
|year avg record low F = 17.2
|Jan record low F = 9
|Feb record low F = -7
|Mar record low F = 13
|Apr record low F = 27
|May record low F = 37
|Jun record low F = 52
|Jul record low F = 57
|Aug record low F = 56
|Sep record low F = 43
|Oct record low F = 28
|Nov record low F = 20
|Dec record low F = 2
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 3.41
|Feb precipitation inch = 3.39
|Mar precipitation inch = 4.16
|Apr precipitation inch = 3.93
|May precipitation inch = 4.97
|Jun precipitation inch = 3.89
|Jul precipitation inch = 2.71
|Aug precipitation inch = 2.71
|Sep precipitation inch = 3.26
|Oct precipitation inch = 4.70
|Nov precipitation inch = 3.70
|Dec precipitation inch = 4.31
|year precipitation inch =
|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 7.7
|Feb precipitation days = 8.6
|Mar precipitation days = 9.0
|Apr precipitation days = 7.7
|May precipitation days = 8.4
|Jun precipitation days = 7.8
|Jul precipitation days = 5.4
|Aug precipitation days = 5.5
|Sep precipitation days = 5.6
|Oct precipitation days = 6.7
|Nov precipitation days = 7.6
|Dec precipitation days = 9.3
|Jan snow inch = 0.2
|Feb snow inch = 0.0
|Mar snow inch = 0.0
|Apr snow inch = 0.0
|May snow inch = 0.0
|Jun snow inch = 0.0
|Jul snow inch = 0.0
|Aug snow inch = 0.0
|Sep snow inch = 0.0
|Oct snow inch = 0.0
|Nov snow inch = 0.0
|Dec snow inch = 0.0
|year snow inch =
|unit snow days = 0.1 in
|Jan snow days = 0.1
|Feb snow days = 0.0
|Mar snow days = 0.0
|Apr snow days = 0.0
|May snow days = 0.0
|Jun snow days = 0.0
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.0
|Oct snow days = 0.0
|Nov snow days = 0.0
|Dec snow days = 0.0
{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00414976&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Lake FK RSVR, TX
|access-date = February 20, 2023
}}
|source 2 = National Weather Service
{{cite web
|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=shv
|publisher = National Weather Service
|title = NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Shreveport
|access-date = February 20, 2023
}}
}}
References
{{reflist|30em|refs=
{{cite web | url = https://tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/fish/recreational/lakes/fork/ | title = Lake Fork | date = n.d.| website = Texas Parks and Wildlife Department | language = en-us | access-date = 2021-12-16 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211127103932/https://tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/fish/recreational/lakes/fork/ | archive-date = 2021-11-27 | df = dmy-all}}
{{cite news | author = | date = 2010-01-01 | title = Lake Fork begins supplementing Dallas water supply | url = https://www.dallasnews.com/news/2010/01/01/lake-fork-begins-supplementing-dallas-water-supply/ | url-status = live | work = The Dallas Morning News | language = en | issn = 1553-846X | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211216220605/https://www.dallasnews.com/news/2010/01/01/lake-fork-begins-supplementing-dallas-water-supply/ | archive-date = 2021-12-16 | access-date = 2021-12-16 | quote = 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. | df = dmy-all}}
{{cite web | url = https://tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/fish/action/fishregs2.php?water=0433 | title = Fishing Regulations for Lake Fork | date = n.d.| website = Texas Parks and Wildlife Department | language = en-us | access-date = 2021-12-16 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201101050042/https://tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/fish/action/fishregs2.php?water=0433 | archive-date = 2020-11-01 | df = dmy-all}}
}}
Resources
:source: Army Corps of Engineers, and USGS
External links
- {{official website|https://www.sratx.org/sra-offices/lake-fork/}}
{{Texaslakes}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Protected areas of Hopkins County, Texas
Category:Protected areas of Rains County, Texas
Category:Protected areas of Wood County, Texas
Category:United States state-owned dams
Category:Dams completed in 1980
Category:Bodies of water of Hopkins County, Texas
Category:Bodies of water of Rains County, Texas