Lake Characteristics
Location: On the Rio Grande, 12 miles northwest of Del Rio in Val Verde County
Surface area: 64,900 acres
Maximum depth: 217 feet
Impounded: 1969
Location: On the Rio Grande, 12 miles northwest of Del Rio in Val Verde County
Surface area: 64,900 acres
Maximum depth: 217 feet
Impounded: 1969
Lake Amistad Information
Conservation Pool Elevation: 1117 ft. msl
Fluctuation: Depends on rainfall and downstream irrigation demands. Annual fluctuations can be 5-10 feet. Historical fluctuations have dropped lake as much as 50 feet below conservation pool.
Normal Clarity: Clear to slightly stained
Fluctuation: Depends on rainfall and downstream irrigation demands. Annual fluctuations can be 5-10 feet. Historical fluctuations have dropped lake as much as 50 feet below conservation pool.
Normal Clarity: Clear to slightly stained
Fed by the Rio Grande and Devils rivers and many area creeks, Lake Amistad is located about five miles northwest of Del Rio on the Texas-Mexico boarder
Large rocky canyons, widespread hydrilla. The last thing serious fishermen would expect to see in a deep, clear-water lake is hydrilla, but at Lake Amistad this fast-growing Asian weed has become widespread, and as a result, the bass fishing has improved dramatically. In fact, since it first appeared about 1994, the hydrilla has totally changed how anglers fish the 69,000-acre impoundment. Located along the Texas/Mexico border, Amistad has been often described as a blue gem in a brown desert, a description referring to the beautiful blue lake set in a semi-arid countryside characteristic of this part of Texas. In addition to the Rio Grande, the primary tributary is the Devils River. The Pecos River, also considered a tributary by some, does not flow into the major part of the lake, but rather enters the Rio Grande more than 60 miles above the dam. Several smaller creeks feed both the Rio Grande and Devils Rivers. The entire area has been designated the Amistad National Recreation Area, and is administered by the National Park Service. This means there is no residential and extremely limited commercial development along the shorelines. Primary Species: Largemouth and smallmouth bass.With striped and White bass plentiful.
Largemouth bass anglers are successful year around on beautiful Lake Amistad. Topwater baits, buzzbaits and spinner baits work well in the early morning and late evening. Crankbaits can be effective along rocky shorelines, points and dropoffs. At midday many anglers turn to plastics such as Texas and Carolina rigged worms or grubs to effectively fish the deeper waters near vegetation or rocky structure. Catfish anglers can find channel and blue catfish throughout the lake. Stinkbait and cutbait work well for both species. Many anglers try to improve catch rates by "baiting" catfish holes with sour grain to attract the catfish. The best action for white bass is during the spring spawning runs. These occur from late January through March as whites migrate up rivers to spawn.
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