Joe Pool Lake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Joe Pool Lake |
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 Joe Pool Lake
Location in Texas
Joe Pool Lake
Location in the United States
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| Location | Dallas / Tarrant / Ellis counties, Texas, United States |
| Coordinates | 32°37′43″N 97°0′19″W / 32.62861°N 97.00528°W |
| Catchment area | 233 sq mi (600 km2) |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 7,740 acres (31.3 km2) |
| Max. depth | 75 ft (23 m) |
Joe Pool Lake is a large fresh water lake in North Texas. It's a man-made lake, also called a reservoir, located near the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth. The lake covers parts of Tarrant, Dallas, and Ellis counties.
Joe Pool Lake is about 7,740 acres (31.3 km2) big. It can hold a lot of water, about 176,900 acre-feet (218,200,000 m3). The deepest part of the lake is 75 feet (23 m). Water flows into the lake from an area of 232 square miles (601 km2).
Contents
Discover the History of Joe Pool Lake
Joe Pool Lake is named after Joe Pool. He was a congressman from the Oak Cliff area of Dallas. He represented this district from 1967 until he passed away in 1968.
Joe Pool was very important in getting the lake built. He had an idea for a lake that would help control floods and save water. He shared this idea with President-Elect John F. Kennedy and Vice President-Elect Lyndon B. Johnson in 1960.
After Pool's death in 1968, a group of citizens called the Lakeview Planning Council and his friends in Congress continued his work. This project was special because it was one of the first in the country to pay for itself. This happened because the government cut funding for park projects.
The dam for the lake was finished in December 1985. Water started to fill the lake in January 1986. By June 1989, the lake was completely full.
Fun at Joe Pool Lake: Parks and Recreation
Joe Pool Lake has many parks, boat ramps, and places to swim. There are also two marinas, one public and one inside Cedar Hill State Park.
Britton Park: What to Know
- Fees: $5 per vehicle each day.
- Hours: Open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. from March to October 28. It's closed from October 29 to February 25, but open on weekends in October.
- Things to do: You can use the boat ramp, parking lot, and restrooms here.
Loyd Park: Your Outdoor Adventure
- Location: 3401 Ragland Road, Grand Prairie, Texas 75052.
- Fees: $10 per vehicle for up to six people. It's $15 per vehicle on holidays. There's a $10 fee to launch your boat. Campsites cost $20–28 per night, not including vehicle fees. Cabins are also available.
- Hours: Open 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
- Things to do: This 791 acres (3.20 km2) park has lots of trees. It offers a boat ramp, hiking trails, restrooms, overnight campgrounds, picnic areas, and cabins.
Lynn Creek Park: Lakeside Fun
- Location: Lake Ridge Parkway, just north of Lynn Creek Marina.
- Fees: $10 per vehicle daily fee. People who live in Grand Prairie get in free with a valid Texas Driver's License.
- Hours: Open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, from March through October.
- Things to do: This 784 acres (3.17 km2) park has restrooms, showers, and two boat ramps with eight lanes. There's also a swimming beach and a snack stand. You'll find almost 100 picnic sites, group picnic pavilions, sand volleyball courts, and an amphitheater.
Cedar Hill State Park: Explore Nature
- Location: 1570 F.M. 1382, Cedar Hill, Texas 75104.
- Fees: Adults pay $7.00 per person. Children 12 and under are free. Campsites cost $25.00 per night for regular sites and $10.00 per night for primitive sites.
- Hours: Open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day.
- Things to do: This 784 acres (3.17 km2) park has 355 campsites, most with trees for shade. You can enjoy mountain biking, bird watching, picnicking, and fishing.
Lynn Creek Marina: Boating and Dining
Lynn Creek Marina is on the north side of the lake. It's close to the Lynn Creek Park entrance. The marina has over 500 boat slips for fishing, pleasure, and sailboats.
You can rent boats here. There's also an indoor-outdoor fishing area. If you don't have a boat, you can fish there for $5 for 12 hours ($3 for children and seniors). Next to the marina, the Oasis restaurant offers outdoor dining and live music on weekends.
Joe Pool Lake's Water Resources
Joe Pool Lake gets most of its water from Mountain Creek and Walnut Creek. The water then flows north into Mountain Creek, which leads to Mountain Creek Lake. Joe Pool Lake is one of the few lakes in Texas that drains to the north.
The lake holds water in two "arms" created by Mountain Creek and Walnut Creek. The Mountain Creek area that feeds the lake is part of the Upper Trinity River Basin. This area is 37 miles (60 km) long and covers 304 square miles (787 km2).
As of 2005, Joe Pool Lake provides water for the City of Midlothian. They use the lake for their public water supply. Other groups also have rights to use water from Joe Pool Lake, but they are not currently doing so. The City of Midlothian has a water intake structure in the southeast part of the lake. They use about 1 million US gallons (3,800 m3) of water daily in winter and up to 9 million US gallons (34,000 m3) in summer. The Trinity River Authority of Texas also has a water intake structure in Cedar Hill State Park, but it is not currently used.
Fishing at Joe Pool Lake
Fishing Rules
Most fish species in Joe Pool Lake follow the general rules for fishing in Texas. However, there's a special rule for largemouth bass. You can keep bass that are 14 inches (360 mm) or shorter, or 21 inches (530 mm) or longer. You can keep a total of 5 black bass per day. But only one largemouth bass can be 21 inches (530 mm) or longer.
Fish Stocking History
The lake has been stocked with many fish over the years to keep fishing good. Here's a look at some of the fish that have been added:
| 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 |
Joe Pool Lake became very popular for fishing when it opened. This is because it's close to four million people. Strict rules were put in place to protect the fish from being caught too much. Because of these rules, fishing has stayed good.
All-Ages Fishing Records
Here are some of the biggest fish caught in Joe Pool Lake by anyone:
| Species | Weight | Length | Date | Angler | Bait or lure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bass, Largemouth | 12.89 lb (5.85 kg) | 24.00 in (610 mm) | March 5, 2006 | Robert Gaston | |
| Bass, White | 1.94 lb (0.88 kg) | 17.00 in (432 mm) | June 18, 2005 | David Hartnett | |
| Bluegill | 0.38 lb (0.17 kg) | 8.25 in (210 mm) | September 8, 2005 | Chad Edwards | freelined corn |
| Bullhead, Yellow | 1.57 lb (0.71 kg) | 15.25 in (387 mm) | April 2, 2006 | Alissa Lewis | worm |
| Carp, Common | 12.02 lb (5.45 kg) | 32.00 in (813 mm) | January 26, 2005 | Chad Edwards | freelined bread |
| Carp, Grass | 32.00 lb (14.51 kg) | 40.00 in (1,016 mm) | June 5, 1997 | Alex Alatorre | homemade dough bait |
| Catfish, Channel | 10.89 lb (4.94 kg) | 28.00 in (711 mm) | November 18, 2006 | Trace Neatherlin | cut bait |
| Crappie, Black | 2.03 lb (0.92 kg) | 15.00 in (381 mm) | May 2, 2004 | Scott Pekrul | splittail spinner |
| Crappie, White | 2.59 lb (1.17 kg) | 16.75 in (425 mm) | June 30, 1990 | George T. Hearn | |
| Drum, Freshwater | 2.10 lb (0.95 kg) | 14.50 in (368 mm) | September 6, 2004 | Germain Gardea | shiner |
| Sunfish, Green | 0.65 lb (0.29 kg) | 10.00 in (254 mm) | May 12, 1990 | Richard Collins | |
| Sunfish, Longear | 0.06 lb (0.027 kg) | 4.81 in (122 mm) | September 10, 1995 | Jay Largent |
| Species | Weight | Length | Date | Angler | Bait or Lure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bass, White | 0.72 | 12.50 | July 26, 2005 | Howell Dodd | clouser |
| Sunfish, Green | 0.42 | 8.31 | July 3, 2003 | Jody Moore | popping bug |
| Species | Weight | Length | Date | Angler | Bait or Lure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo, Smallmouth | 16.30 | 27.50 | December 26, 2005 | Bennett Crow | |
| Carp, Common | 21.13 | 34.25 | December 10, 2006 | Bennett Crow |
Junior Angler Records
These are some of the biggest fish caught by young anglers:
| Species | Weight | Length | Date | Angler | Bait or Lure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bullhead, Yellow | 1.57 | 15.25 | April 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 | August 5, 2005 | Alissa Lewis | worm |
Fishing Tips for Joe Pool Lake
Look for marked brush piles in the lower part of the lake. These are good spots 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 great place to find bass.
How Good is the Fishing?
- Largemouth bass: 3 out of 5 (Good)
- Catfish: 2 out of 5 (Fair)
- Crappie: 3 out of 5 (Good)
- Sunfish: 2 out of 5 (Fair)
Fishing Facilities
The Trinity River Authority (TRA) has great places for day trips and overnight stays. The only free boat ramp is at Britton Park, but there's a $5 parking fee. Cedar Hill State Park has many campsites, lighted fishing piers, boat ramps, and group shelters. Some anglers wish the state park gates opened earlier than 8 a.m.
Joe Pool Lake Archaeological Project
Since 1977, archaeologists have studied the area around Joe Pool Lake. In the first study (1977-1979), they found 42 old sites. These included small camps of ancient hunter-gatherers, larger camps, a small village, and old farmsteads from the 1800s.
Archaeologists worked to save and study important historical information. For example, they carefully looked at the John Wesley Penn farmstead. They also studied five other historical sites in the park areas. At the Cobb-Pool site, they worked hard to save information from an ancient village.
These studies helped us learn more about the history of the Mountain Creek area. They found that many families in the mid-to-late 1800s lived in well-built wooden houses. Log cabins were not as common as once thought. Sawmills near the Trinity River made lumber available by the 1850s.
Artifacts found around the old homes tell us about family life. Glass jars for canning food show new ways of preserving food around 1900. Animal bones show that people ate a lot of beef, not just pork. These findings suggest that the food traditions here were more like the Midwest than other parts of Texas.
Plain white dishes and few glass bottles suggest Southern traditions. These studies clearly show how much human life and the natural environment have changed over 12,000 years. From the oldest sites, about 6,000 years ago, to the first American settlers, the Mountain Creek area has always changed with nature. The archaeological work at Joe Pool Lake has given us a peek into the rich human history of this area.
Images for kids
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Joe R. Pool, a United States Congressman
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Aerial view of Joe Pool Lake and Dam
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Loyd Park
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Joe Pool Lake Shoreline
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Paleo-Indian Period (10,000 to 6,000 BC)
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Lynn Creek Park
