Medina Lake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Medina Lake |
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Medina Lake
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 Medina Lake
Location in Texas
Medina Lake
Location in the United States
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Map
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| Location | Bandera / Medina counties, Texas, US |
| Coordinates | 29°32′25″N 98°56′01″W / 29.54028°N 98.93361°W |
| Lake type | Agricultural reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Medina River |
| Primary outflows | Medina River |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 6,060 acres (2,450 ha) |
| Max. depth | 152 ft (46 m) |
| Shore length1 | 110 mi (180 km) |
| Surface elevation | 1,062 ft (324 m) |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Medina Lake is a large reservoir (an artificial lake) in the Texas Hill Country of the United States. It was created on the Medina River. The lake is managed by a special group called the Bexar/Medina/Atascosa County Agricultural District.
The lake was formed when the Medina Dam was finished in 1913. This project was paid for by private companies, not the government. The main goal was to provide water for farming in the area. Medina Lake is located in northeastern Medina County and southeastern Bandera County. It is about 40 miles (64 km) northwest of San Antonio.
Medina Lake has a curved, crescent shape. It stretches for 18 miles (29 km) long and is up to 3 miles (5 km) wide. The lake is held in place by the Medina Dam at its southern end. When it was built, this dam was the biggest concrete dam in the country. It was also the fourth largest dam overall. The dam is now listed as a historic place.
The lake gets its water from the Medina River and also releases water back into it. People use the lake for fun activities like boating and fishing. Farmers also use its water for their crops. Some towns along the lake include Mico, Lake Medina Shores, and Lakehills.
There is also another Lake Medina located east of Medina, Ohio. This lake recently became a county park.
Fish and Fishing at Medina Lake
Medina Lake has been stocked with different types of fish. This helps make the lake a great place for recreational fishing. Some of the fish you can find in Medina Lake include largemouth bass, white bass, and hybrid striped bass. You can also find catfish and carp.
For a while, due to very dry weather (drought), many of the fish disappeared. But after the lake filled up again, plans were made to restock it. This happened when the water levels became good enough. By October 2, 2016, the lake was almost completely full again.
Medina Lake's Water Levels
Medina Lake has seen big changes in its water levels over the years. During a severe dry period from 2010 to 2013, the lake's water dropped very low. It was less than 5% full. When the water was this low, you could see old cracks in the lakebed. You could also see things like oil drums and even a Jeep that were usually hidden underwater.
Only one public boat ramp was usable during this time. Many businesses around the lake had to close. Some people even moved away from the area. The town of Lakehills became very quiet, almost like a ghost town.
However, heavy rains in May 2015 helped the lake a lot. Its water level rose to over 46% full. This meant the lake was only about 28 feet low, much better than being 90 feet low just a few months before.
Even more rain came in May 2016. This time, the Medina River basin and the lake itself received a lot of water. By June 1, 2016, Medina Lake was completely full. It was even 1.5 feet above its normal level! This showed how quickly the lake could recover with enough rain.
