All in all, I got to spend time with my brothers but I will never go to, recommend, or even dream of Lake Whitney State Park..I'm glad I'm home. Everything was totally cool. The reservoir encompasses a surface area of more than 23,500 acres and 225 miles (362km) of shoreline. According to the The Handbook of Texas Online, In 1914 the city of Fort Worth Began building the first manmade reservoir in Texas. We became afraid and went to the ranger station with our concerns. The construction of the dam's powerhouse began in April 1951 and was completed in June 1953. Whatever you do, thoughdon't swim out to the center of the lake at night. Crappie are in a pre-spawn seeing both numbers and quality fish. Alligators have been in Texas since long before people arrived here. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. A custom search will allow you to receive email alerts when new properties at Lake . These alligators usually stay beneath the waters surface, and sighting one is extremely rare. The White pioneers apparently established a settlement, which they called Towash, at the site of the former Native American community.[3][2]. Lake Whitney Marina At Juniper Cove. We drove around the park and it was well laid out and clean. The water temperature is 71 degrees, which is perfect for the shad spawn, and if you find shad up in the shallows by the bank, you can bet there will be some stripers feeding on them, he said, adding that topwater lures are the way to go. I went in the water and shooed it off , and it went on its own happy merry way," he says. Have some feedback for us? But attacks may occur due to other factors. Lake Whitney offers a wide variety of freshwater fish. Bishop was trying to "play it off real cool", but it was apparent that he was looking for alcohol. With the warming trend and sunshine these fish should make a push for the bank. Lake Whitney lies in Hill and Bosque Counties, one of the 125 Texas Counties where alligators have been sighted, but these counties do not have a high population of alligators. Texas experienced a number of devastating floods in 1913 and 1921 resulting in death and destruction due to rivers overflowing from heavy rainfalls. There, if you are unwise, you can literally walk up to and touch the alligators, and some do. Alligators have a natural fear of humans and stay away from crowded areas like parks and beaches. Alligators have lived in marshes, swamps, rivers, ponds, and lakes of Texas for centuries. Alligators are necessary to keep the balance of nature in check as they eat snakes and other small critters which could otherwise get out of hand. Thank you, Do you have to make a reservation or can you just pay at the front gate when you get there. We rent canoes, single and double kayaks, and paddleboards at our park store, from Saturday through Sunday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Self-service rentals are also available. Capturing and rehoming Big Tex, a 13-foot 8 inches, 900 pounds alligator, was no simple chore. A couple was fishing in their boat when they spotted a giant 10-foot alligator in Lake Travis. A lot of Texans consider it common knowledge that theres only one natural lake in the state. According to renowned wildlife expert Fred Gehlbach, wild populations of alligators have been present in the Brazos River near Waco for a long time. If an Alligator hiss at you, that means youre too close. But they didn't. Alligators have been seen at Lake Worth and Eagle Mountain Lake. We were refunded the two unstayed nights, and to the rangers credit I think they tried to help and were pleasant to us. Outdoors columnist Todd Nafe has written regularly for the Tribune-Herald since 2001. Water lightly stained; 58 degrees; 6.17 feet below pool. Once was on a Houston-area golf course, and the incident ended peacefully, as the gator kindly let me play through. If the water level of a lake is low enough that alligators can no longer submerge their heads underwater, theyll be in a river. I don't recommend coming to swim at this lake with small children. Lake Whitney is a flood control reservoir on the main stem of the Brazos River in Texas. They have lost their fear of humans. The largest lake in Texas is Lake Texoma which has no alligators and is an artificial lake created by constructing two dams on the Red River. We no longer felt safe at Lake Whitney State Park and chose to leave. After reaching severely low population levels in the middle of the 20th century, the alligator has since recovered and is now sought recreationally and economically in many southeastern states. The game wardens been looking for the Nile crocodile for several weeks now and they finally caught it last night 3:35 am this morning at McCown Valley it was 17 foot long and was close to 300 pounds game wardens call Daniel O'Bar and told him about the catch his words were "holy shit you actually caught it" so McCown Vally . Although the alligator is often a lone predator, smaller and younger alligators have a reputation for sticking together in packs, especially when hunting. Of course, no matter how cute or friendly an animal might seem, theyre probably not used to pats on the head, and things can spiral into trouble pretty quickly. The enormous 14-foot-3-inch male alligator captured in May 2013 holds the record for the official length, which isnt much smaller. Predominant fish species consists of the following: The Texas Parks and Wildlife departments advises anglers check bloom status for golden algae as it is toxic to the fish and will impact fishing practices. Worth, and Waco, Texas, near Hillsboro, Texas. 96% of travelers recommend this experience. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Nebraska cheerleader competes by herself at state competition, but crowd doesn't let her feel alone, Mike Copeland: Steak and Ale comeback; Paper plant progress; Bagby apartments; Gaines Booked Up, Elementary school music teacher leaves $6M to Baylor, Former NFL star Chad Johnson says he saved money by living inside Cincinnati Bengals stadium for 2 years, Lake on Waco Creek floated for park next to Floyd Casey development, Whizzbang's owner buys Health Camp with eye to preserving burger joint legacy, Fairfield may be built by Brackens, but it's supported by many parts, Waco Charter School to close after summer classes, Brice Cherry: Collen pushes all the right buttons in her best coaching performance yet, Giant solar project transforms landscape in southern Hill County. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Spiders, crawfish, shrimp, insects, minnows, and crabs are the principal prey items for American alligators under 3 feet long. There are an estimated 250,000 alligators in Georgia and 100,000 in South Carolina, both states below Texas. Do not recommend to campers who like peace and quit11. When they attack, alligators may run up to 30 miles per hour (MPH) on land. Yes, one alligator attack has been reported in Texas. Tommy did not leave as the woman did. Canyon Lake. They are usually shy and prefer to keep their distance. Stories exist of alligators living in the warmer waters of the river, but no one has seen them in years now that the river runs colder and clearer. Alligators are limited by habitat type and temperature requirements, so they are primarily concentrated in southern and eastern portions of Texas - as indicated by the dark green shading on the map below. I should have known it was trouble when their loud party lasted till 4am, but hey I'm a fun girl and to each their own - right? If you havent been to Whitney recently, the lake will probably look different than in recent years, thanks to ample rainfall which is filling the lake up again. "it tried to come up on to the bank. Pretty view, until the park rangers search you for 3 hours. [8][9], Lake Whitney is a year-round destination for Texas residents due to the abundance of water sports and activities all ages can enjoy and its proximity to Dallas-Fort Worth along the Interstate 35 Corridor. The alligators in Texas are found mainly on the coast and in East Texas, with a population of about 15,000. Does anyone know the best place to rent a boat? Lake Whitney is located about an hour and a half southwest of Dallas. The only region in the world where both alligators and crocodiles are known to coexist is southern Florida. Water lovers can enjoy boating, fishing, swimming and skiing on Lake Somerville. But there have also been numerous instances where the victims body was discovered intact. Now that I have that out of the way my first instruction is to not panic and become paranoid about fishing, swimming, boating, and all of the other watersports we enjoy in East Texas and down to the coast. There are 286.33 miles from Lubbock to Whitney in southeast direction and 388 miles (624.43 kilometers) by car, following the US-82 E and US-287 S route. You have permission to edit this article. . Kids reportedly had been throwing rocks at it in a pond. In addition to topwaters in the shallows, hes catching them on live bait fished at 25 feet, and hes even catching some stripers mixed in with big schools of sand bass using slabs bounced off the bottom. There are several parks on the Brazos River, just north of Lake Whitney. Whitney is easily considered one of the most beautiful lakes in Texas, and is a fantastic place to go if you like to fish. McCown Valley Park. Some visitors to the nature center say they have also seen the gators. The sandy beach is located in the day-use area by the Towash Shelter Loop. They can grow to be more than 12 feet (3.6 meters) in length and weigh as much as 1,000 pounds (450 kilograms), with males being slightly larger than females on average. The American alligator is also among the deadliest animals you may encounter in Texas! The other happened while visiting family near the Louisiana border as I watched a gator knock over and eat a trash can that had been minding its own business out by the mailbox. [10], In 2011, this designation was reconfirmed by the Regular Session of the 82nd Legislature in House Concurrent Resolution No. The Sabine River in East Texas, the Gulf of Mexico, the Rio Grande, and westward to around Interstate 35 are all inhabited by the Texas American alligator. Lake Whitney State Park has a designated swimming area in the southwestern corner of the park. Lots of tenting areas available in the park. Whitney Resorts RV Park. June 2, 2021 / 12:00 PM / CBS Texas. Improve this listing All photos (103) Top ways to experience nearby attractions 2022 Luxurious River Cruise on the Brazos River in Waco 444 Ensley was working at Hawkins lake and calmly encouraged the gator to leave. Copyright 2008-2023 LakeHub LLC. WATCH: Sharks biting alligators, the most epic lion battles, and MUCH more. The American Southeasts coastal wetlands and those in North Carolina and eastern Texas are home to American alligators. We were the only campers in our campground. There are some websites that show them up close. Popular with fisherman for stripers and small mouth bass. Alligators are native to the North Texas area and live in various freshwater lakes and rivers, including Lake Worth, Eagle Mountain Lake and the Trinity River. Alligators are freshwater animals, so theyll only be in a lake if it is one. But how about Texas? Lake Whitney striper . Quick Answer: Where Is Lake Whitney In Texas. These v. About a 60 lb. Once an endangered species, the alligator is now a protected game animal in Texas. I've never been in a stinky lake before. TKF 9000 Club Posts: 9474 Joined: Mon Apr 18, 2005 2:27 am Location: kingwood, tx. "Maybe in search of food or something like that," says Texas game warden Todd Long. There has been an alligator attack in Del Valle, Texas. When swimming in or navigating the Brazos River, and especially on the lower (southern) Brazos River, people need to have an awareness of alligator habitat and habits. 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