O.C. Fisher Reservoir facts for kids
Quick facts for kids O.C. Fisher Reservoir |
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The reservoir as seen from San Angelo State Park.
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 O.C. Fisher Reservoir
Location in Texas
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| Location | Tom Green County, west of San Angelo, Texas |
| Coordinates | 31°29′0″N 100°29′0″W / 31.48333°N 100.48333°W |
| Primary inflows | North Concho River |
| Primary outflows | North Concho River |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | 8.5 mi (13.7 km) |
| Max. width | 2.5 mi (4.0 km) |
| Surface area | 5,440 acres (2,200 ha) |
| Max. depth | 58 ft (18 m) |
| Water volume | 396,400 acre⋅ft (0.4890 km3) |
| Surface elevation | 1,908 ft (582 m) |
O.C. Fisher Reservoir, also known as O.C. Fisher Lake, is a man-made lake located west of San Angelo, Texas. It was once called San Angelo Lake. This lake was created by building a dam across a river.
Construction of the dam began in 1947. The United States Army Corps of Engineers built it with help from the Upper Colorado River Authority. The lake officially started filling with water in 1952. In 1975, the lake was renamed to honor O.C. Fisher. He was a local U.S. Congressman who served for 23 years.
About O.C. Fisher Reservoir
O.C. Fisher Reservoir was built for two main reasons. First, it helps control floods in the area. Second, it provides a backup source of drinking water for San Angelo and nearby towns in Tom Green County.
The lake is also a popular spot for fun activities. People can go fishing, boating, and swimming there. The United States Army Corps of Engineers manages the dam and the lake. They also lease a large area of the shoreline, about 7,677 acres (3,107 ha), to Texas Parks and Wildlife. This land is now part of San Angelo State Park.
Drought and Recovery
In 2011, Texas faced a very serious drought. This caused the water in O.C. Fisher Reservoir to turn a reddish color. Tiny bacteria, called Chromatiaceae, caused this. They grew a lot because there was not much oxygen in the water.
By March 2012, the reservoir was completely dry. It had 0% of its normal water capacity. The lake stayed almost empty, between 0% and 1% capacity, for a long time. Then, in May 2015, heavy rains fell almost every day. This caused the lake level to rise by over 22 feet in just one month. It reached just above 13% capacity.
Fish in the Lake
Before the drought, O.C. Fisher Reservoir was a great place for fishing. Different types of fish were put into the lake to make fishing better. These included largemouth bass, white bass, catfish, and white crappie.
However, the severe drought in 2011 caused the lake to dry up completely. Sadly, all the fish in the lake died. After the lake started to fill with water again, new fish were added. In 2016, the lake was restocked with largemouth bass.
