Kirby Lake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kirby Lake |
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 Kirby Lake
Location in Texas
Kirby Lake
Location in the United States
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| Location | Abilene, Texas |
| Coordinates | 32°22′35.34″N 99°44′4.46″W / 32.3764833°N 99.7345722°W |
| Type | reservoir |
| Built | 1928 |
| Surface area | 740 acres (300 ha) |
| Max. depth | 16 ft (4.9 m) |
Kirby Lake is a 740-acre man-made reservoir located on the south side of Abilene, Texas, just east of Highway 83, in the northeastern portion of Taylor County. Management is under the City of Abilene.
Geography
It was impounded in 1928 and has a maximum depth of 16 feet. The surrounding area is mainly prairies with loamy soil. The lake is part of the Colorado River Basin (Texas), Brazos forks.
Angling
Kirby Lake is a popular lake for fishing, in particular blue or other catfishes, as well as bluegill. Like most lakes in the region, largemouth bass, carp, white crappie, and other fish also live in the waters. Most people fish directly from the banks rather than using a boat.
Wildlife
The lake is known for a number of bird species, including pectoral sandpiper, cactus wren, Baird's sandpiper, and the more rare long-tailed jaeger, red knot, and red phalarope. Desert cardinals, scarlet tanagers, and various waterfowl can also be seen in their spring and fall migrations.
The entire region is known for its diversity in butterflies, and the greatest variety can be found at Kirby Lake: Pipevine swallowtail, sleepy orange, Reakirt's blue, Horace's duskywing, tawny emperor, common buckeye, sachem, and others.
