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With eye on the future, TPWD builds fish habitat before new lake is filled

By Kirk McDonnell

June 2024 Issue

reef ball

Lake Ralph Hall is a soon-to-be lake in North Texas. Under construction on the North Sulphur River, the 7,600-acre lake will supply water for the region, and it’s also expected to be a prime fishing location for anglers.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department staff and biologists, in partnership with Upper Trinity Regional Water District, had the rare opportunity to shape the fish habitat literally from the ground up. TPWD's Inland Fisheries Division embarked on a massive fish habitat installation project in early 2024.

“This is a once-in-a-career type of opportunity for folks in the fisheries field,” says Dan Bennett, Denison District supervisor for the Inland Fisheries Division. “To see a new reservoir construction in the area and have a large source of funding to utilize for fish habitat that will benefit anglers for the next several decades is tremendous.”

TPWD staff placed several different types of structures at multiple locations around the lake. TPWD will share the coordinates of the structures with anglers online using the Texas Fish Habitat Web Map (tpwd.texas.gov/fishattractor) so they can go right to the exact spots and fish on them.

“There are a few different types of structures, including one that's made of concrete called a reef ball,” Bennett says. “They are used mostly on the coast in the Gulf to create artificial reefs. We've had around 203 made to put out in the lake basin and are stacking those in configurations to congregate fish in certain areas. The ‘spider humps’ are a conglomeration of logs and riprap (rocks) piled on top of each other. We are also installing 50,000 square feet of gravel spawning beds as part of the project. These beds will help the sunfish and bass have more reproductive success as the lake gets going. Anglers will be able to target the habitat improvements as soon as the lake fills.”

In addition, the Upper Trinity Regional Water District built a coastal-style fishing jetty to enhance shoreline access for fishing once the lake is completed. TPWD and the Upper Trinity Regional Water District partnered to submit a $250,000 grant for the habitat and angler access project.

Bass Pro Shops and the National Fish Habitat Partnership provided the initial $250,000 grant for the project, generated by the Bass Pro Shops U.S. Open, which included a fishing event at Lake Ray Roberts. The Trinity water district matched that amount and provided funds for the coastal-style fishing jetty. It will also provide additional funding for boat ramps and access facilities around the reservoir.

“It's really kind of unique that we have been allowed to come in and do this type of fish habitat construction before the lake fills,” Bennett says.

TPWD is also getting a jump-start on fish stocking at Lake Ralph Hall by stocking largemouth bass fingerlings from the Toyota ShareLunker Program, as well as threadfin shad, in a pond within the footprint of the reservoir. This will allow the fish to mature and begin spawning before the lake is filled. More bass and other species will be stocked once the reservoir starts to fill to provide future fishing opportunities and establish healthy fish populations.
Construction began on Lake Ralph Hall in June 2021.

spider humps
Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine 
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