Yegua below Somerville

[penubly]

I've searched and I don't see a recent thread for this so ..

Anyone kayaked below Somerville on the Yegua? Any suggestions or tips?

[texnomad]

In the middle 1980s I had a lake house at Somerville. I searched a few times for a put in but it was all private property except for a little piece just down stream from the dam release conduit. That part that was public was so grown up with brush and copperheads that I never forced my way through to the creek. There was way tooooo much great paddle boat fishing on the main lake to take any chances below the dam. We sold the place in 1991 and I have not messed around there since.

[Crusader]

There is a dude on youtube that used to post a lot of videos fishing Sommerville area. I remember him launching below dam. Here, I think.

[larry long shadows]

here he is on the tube he was or still is a member here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAFLxzwXr2k

[kickingback]

Fishtales still fishes Somerville. Not sure where he's been but Yakity-Yak knows him well.
Fishing the lower dam area is fun. The best time to go is when the water is above 500 cfs being released from the discharge. The fish will stack up by the drain when it is releasing water. You can find them in slack water with no release but they are not stacked at the pipe but scattered.
You can launch and paddle to the "rocks" that line the bank around the discharge. There is a sign that states you cannot go further in a boat/kayak. You park it on the beach by the rocks and can walk to the discharge with your fly or regular rods.
Last time I went the Game Warden chased us off as they closed the entire area until they open the top for visitor parking for fishing there. It was closed for a while. Not sure if it opened again yet. But if you go to fish in kayak no one will see you unless they come down the stairs there.
You can catch strippers in the discharge flow channel and crappie where the flow hits the river.
When you go under the railroad bridge to get there you should go left getting there and right coming back. That area under bridge is shallow and you can paddle through easier than to the right where the water is deeper and moves faster when there is discharge.
Good luck!

[Crusader]

In the middle 1980s I had a lake house at Somerville.

I've been thinking about buying a place on Somerville. Couldn't find any right on the water -- any idea why? (well, besides the fact that this lake level fluctuates between +25 and -25 feet) Is this lake completely surrounded by government land that is not for sale?

I would appreciate any advice on where a fisherman should buy a place over there (and general advice about the area). Thank you.

[texnomad]

When I was in that area all the land up to a certain elevation was COE land. That line was something like 25 feet above normal lake level so no public owned waterfront property. My lot line on the south was that COE land but it was about a half mile to the normal lake level water. My place was in Birch Creek Forest subdivision.

[kickingback]

In the middle 1980s I had a lake house at Somerville.

I've been thinking about buying a place on Somerville. Couldn't find any right on the water -- any idea why? (well, besides the fact that this lake level fluctuates between +25 and -25 feet) Is this lake completely surrounded by government land that is not for sale?

I would appreciate any advice on where a fisherman should buy a place over there (and general advice about the area). Thank you.

Try contacting Weldon Kirk. He guides that lake all the time and is a good guy to talk to. He can give you information others cannot. His contact info is https://fishtales-guideservice.com/

[penubly]

Thanks for all the info guys. Much appreciated.