Ponds or Lakes in the Woodlands area off Sleepy Hollow road

barrymondo · Post by **barrymondo** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 4:29 pm

Looking at Yahoo maps, there is a really nice looking lake very near to where Sleepy Hollow road dead ends in behind White Oak Crossing. It looks like a very short distance from the roads end to this lake which is not named on my map. I heard that there is some good fishing in some of the small lakes and ponds in the sleepy hollow area. Does anyone know any more about this. I am looking for a remote pond that is not heavily fished :?:

SOUTHWESTPADDLESPORTS · Fri Dec 01, 2006 4:56 pm

If you are looking to paddle be careful, the only official bodies that are open to the public for boating are Lake Woodlands, and Bear Branch Resovior. I do fish alot of the ponds in neighborhoods and places like that, but I do it from the bank. Usaully if I see a pond I stop and throw a few times if no bites I keep going, but most of the ponds do hold fish, but are fished so much it is hard to use arties. I would go with live minnows and light weight gear and you should have a blast. I will try to find the pond you are talking about and report back what I find. If you ever are looking for some good places stop by the shop and will show you on a map the ponds that I frequent.

Chris
SWPS
chris@paddlesports.com
281-292-5600

SOUTHWESTPADDLESPORTS · Fri Dec 01, 2006 5:08 pm

I just looked at the map on Google Earth and it looks like there are a bunch of different lakes on the Oak Ridge side of 45 (east), there were some good looking ones down on the end near the creek. I will try them out on Tuesday if there is access to the water from the road.

Chris
SWPS
chris@paddlesports.com
281-292-5600

barrymondo · Post by **barrymondo** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 5:22 pm

The pond I was describing is real close to the San Jacinto River when you blow up Yahoo. Sleepy Hollow goes due east and then takes a sharp right heading south and eventually dead ends. The pond is real close to the dead end and looks to be good sized. I would love to get in there if it is not posted.

JimD · Post by **JimD** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 7:09 pm

Go fish Bear Branch.

YOu have to haul the kayak 150 yards back but no problem. Used to have lots of fish last time I was there a couple of years ago. It and L Woodlands were where I learned to kayak.

BB is just like a mini 'East Texas Lake. Bass, crappie, cat fish, and lots of gar. First time I ever had a 3' gar jump over the kayak about eye level and close. :roll:

barrymondo · Post by **barrymondo** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 9:44 pm

Hey Jim D, where did you put in Bear Branch---down behind the Tennis courts and soccer fields in the park off South Alden Bridge Drive? I was there today and the water is low and there are alot of lilly pads there. Checked it out and it looks good. There was a canoe on the reservoir and I am wondering where they put in because it did not look like anything was disturbed near the boat launch area. I saw something huge moving in the lilly pads----it was 100 yards away--and looked like a gator but i guess it could have been a gar.

Im am just learning to Kayak too and I am somewhat leary of being out there alone. Did you usually see other boaters out there?

SOUTHWESTPADDLESPORTS · Mon Dec 04, 2006 8:31 am

Hey Barry if you would like to fish BB and get away in the middle of the week let me know because this is the other body that I fish when I get burned out on Lake Woodlands. The lilly pads can get bad and when I was there the day after Thanksgiving there were a few right at the boat launch. The resevior is a great place to paddle with lots of shallow flats and tons of hydrillia. the further up towards the dam it gets deeper and this where I have caught most of my gar, and let me tell you they bigger than any others I have seen in person. The first one I caught out there jumped like a largemouth. If you stay in the shallows try to find channels or gaps in the vegitation and this where I do the best, not around the structre. I like to rig a swim bait weedless or if you are out there in the spring try throwing some topwater frogs on the lilly pads and hold on because this is how most of the bigger bass are caught. I hope this helps and if you need someone to paddle with just let me know. Oh yeah by the way, I have spent numerous hours on that body and have never seen a gator, doesn't mean that that is not what it is just wouldn't be my first guess.

Chris
SWPS
chris@paddlesports.com
281-292-5600

barrymondo · Post by **barrymondo** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 8:51 am

Hey Chris, that would be great. Let's let the weather warm up and then i will contact you here or at the store, or if you know there is a day you are planning to fish bear branch--let me know a day or two ahead of time and i will take the day off to fish with you. In the mean time, let me know what you recommend to fish with and I can run by academy or gander mountain and pick some stuff up. I usually fish grubs, beetle spins or frenchfries which may work becasue they float and should do well in the shallow area's. WHat do you catch the gar on?

Fla-Fish · Post by **Fla-Fish** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 9:00 am

???frenchfries??? Please explain it's a new one to me.

SOUTHWESTPADDLESPORTS · Mon Dec 04, 2006 10:42 am

If I am thinking of the right thing it is a soft plastic about 3" long that looks like to frenchfries you buy in the freezer section at any grocery store. I know Wal-Mart had them on clearence a few weeks back, I think they were the 3X soft plastics in garlic scent but they were only like $1.88 a pack. I have heard lots of people use them with luck but I tend to stick to the new gulp baits whether in fresh or salt water. Finesse baits like the FF and wacky worms do work on BB but with all of the vegitaion what ever you use you need to rig weedless.

Barry I will let you know when the next time I'm heading that way and see if you can't come on out and hook onto something, I'm won't promise big fish but you will catch a few.

Chris
SWPS
chris@paddlesports.com
281-292-5600

barrymondo · Post by **barrymondo** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 10:54 am

Great, look forward to hearing from you.

SOUTHWESTPADDLESPORTS · Sun Dec 10, 2006 9:59 am

Barry I went down Sleepy Hollow the other day and looked at the area you were speaking of, all of the ponds are posted no swimming or fishing private property. From what I can tell they are a bunch of old sand pits that have water in them, the only reason I say this is there is a big gravel company at the end and I saw alot of earth movers pushing sand back and forth.

Chris
SWPS
chris@paddlesports.com
281-292-5600

barrymondo · Post by **barrymondo** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 10:58 am

Hey Chris, thanks for checking the ponds out. I was afraid of that---I have been back there as far as the gravel pit area---My bet was they were all posted. Oh well, guess we have to keep looking.

SOUTHWESTPADDLESPORTS · Sun Dec 10, 2006 11:27 am

I look for water every time I'm in the car, I have seen a few decent looking ponds on the way up to Conroe that I am going to check out as soon as my back gets alittle better. I was in a wreck on Tues. and my back got tweaked a little so I am going to give it a week or so before I start trying to load and unload boats, let alone try to paddle. I will let you know what I can come across.

Chris
SWPS
chris@paddlesports.com
281-292-5600

CypressAg83 · Post by **CypressAg83** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 12:22 pm

SOUTHWESTPADDLESPORTS wrote:The resevior (Bear Branch) is a great place to paddle with lots of shallow flats and tons of hydrillia.

BB is controlled & managed by SJRA as a retention reservoir (to prevent downstream flooding). On my last visit to BB, the dominant submergent plant was coontail (lots of it) - with very little hydrilla present. Has the hydrilla rebounded in BB - or, is it actually coontail (pictured below)??????
<a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v86/KMDuffie/Coontail8.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a>

SOUTHWESTPADDLESPORTS · Sun Dec 10, 2006 12:32 pm

There is lots of the coontail on the opposite side from the damn, but the closer I get to the damn the more hydrilia I seem to see, it may be coontail just to low in the water for me to tell 100%. Lots of lilly pads and tons of other vegitation, if you get a chance go by and let me know. I will try to pull some next time I'm there and I will post the pictures and maybe you can confirm my thoughts or give your own opinion. The resevior is a great place just to sit and listen to the birds or watch the wildlife as long as the construction crews near the golf course are gone. One of the first times I paddled it I heard what I thought was a gun shot and all the birds fled, I have heard it many times and until recently didn't know what it was, then I saw some dump trucks moving around and figured it was just them dropping dirt or something.

Chris
SWPS
chris@paddlesports.com
281-292-5600

CypressAg83 · Post by **CypressAg83** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 12:53 pm

The upper (feeder) end of BB is fairly "wild" - lots of ducks, aquatic mammals and slithery creatures (during the warmer month). It is a nice place to paddle, although it is very shallow. But, don't plan on jumping out of your yak up in that area, since solid footing lies beneath 1 or 2' of silt and mud.
The deapest hole in the entire reservoir lies about 50' north of the west end of the dam (a little over 15' on my latest bathometric of the lake). I marked several fish on the bottom in that area - presumably cats, but who knows. They could have been brown carp.

SOUTHWESTPADDLESPORTS · Sun Dec 10, 2006 1:02 pm

I know some of the biggest gar I have ever seen personally were down near the damn. I have yet to really fish for cats out there so I might make it my trip. Thanks for the help and I will post up some pictures of the vegitation and the resevior. You seem to know alot of info about BB so I will ask you, last time I was there I launched at the provided luanch and headed away from the damn, I ran into an area that I had to portage over but I accessed another body of water that seemed to be the same size if not bigger the main body of the resevior, do you know if this is still considered BB or does it have another name. The water was just as shallow and basicaly the same layout, just wondering if you knew anything about it.

Chris
SWPS
chris@paddlesports.com
281-292-5600

CypressAg83 · Post by **CypressAg83** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 1:37 pm

The lower 2/3rd of BB is relatively open water. But; heading north toward the feeder-end of the lake, brush-covered islands and sand bars create a partition-effect for the upper third.

There is, however, one opening in the partition (the old creek channel) through which I was able to manuver my jonboat - though only for a short distance due to sunken timber. A yak would be much better suited for exploring the backwater area - which is still considered part of BB.

I think we charted the entire surface-area @ 72 acres, with 49 acres lying in the lower open-water area.

A local group reportedly began erecting wood duck nesting boxes in the upper area. I haven't yet seen the exact location of the boxes. But, it would be interesting to spy on these birds during their breeding season - from a distance.

Lets get together for a paddle up there. There is/was a top secret access-point that allows driving (4x4) to the edge of the lake - if it still exists. My contact at SJRA mentioned plans to "gate" that access awhile back. So, it may not be an option at this point.

SOUTHWESTPADDLESPORTS · Sun Dec 10, 2006 2:18 pm

Sounds good and thanks agian for all your help. I will let you know the next time I am heading that way.

Chris
SWPS
chris@paddlesports.com
281-292-5600

JimD · Post by **JimD** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 4:39 pm

When I was fishing BB I took my saw and such down and cleaned out the right side of the small pier to BB. Made it easy to launch.

built just like a minature East Texas lake. Upper in is full of moss and pad and fairly shallow. I have seen waders way out there. Caught a lot of Bass thru there.

The bottom 1/2 is mixed with some deep to 12/13 ft holes where they dug the dirt for the dam. Some good white perch, gar,cat fish, and big bass in there. YOu really need a df to do the bottom justice. Be sure to look at the creek channel on the launch side. Lot of trees and was full of 1-2 pound fish the last time I was there. White perch large and fun to catch out in the middle on the humps that are there.

barrymondo · Post by **barrymondo** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 8:04 pm

Hey Jim D, you seem to have fished BB alot over the years. Have you ever had snake problems in there. We used to wade in from the creek channel off STEEPBANK before there were houses in there. THe place was infested with mocassins. THey would not be a problem now, but i dont know how comfortable i would be paddling a yak surrounded by those critters.

Infidel · Post by **Infidel** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 1:35 pm

Barry,
You could try Bedias lake if you're looking for something off the beaten path. It's a pain to get to for most people, I've only seen some birders and some teenagers camping there, no fishermen. Its very fishy but I've only managed a few small bass. Lots of gar in there. It's located behind the Trace Creek neighborhood between Gosling and Flintridge. It's not for kayaking or flyfishing, but it is an isolated little pond.

Easiest access is off of Flintridge a few hundred yards past Trace Creek. Look for an old road (no vehicle access) cut through the trees on the side of a gully, left side of Flintridge as you're heading north. Follow the trail about .5 mile and the pond is on your right. It's an easy trip on a mtn. bike which I usually use, no nearby parking.

barrymondo · Post by **barrymondo** » Thu Dec 14, 2006 9:29 pm

Hi Infidel,
Thanks alot for the info on Bedias Lake. I will give it a try. I think my kids used to go back in there and they said it was very fishy. Do you know anything about Schweine Lake--it is on the map right off kykendahl--south of spring creek on the west side of Kykendahl. It looks like a fair sized pond or lake--but i have never seen it---and it appears on the map to be right off the road--unless it is that swampy area that can be seen through the trees.

Infidel · Post by **Infidel** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 9:53 am

Sorry, never heard of Schweine lake. If you find it to be a good bet let me know, I'm always up for exploring new places.

TexasKayakFisherman.com

Ponds or Lakes in the Woodlands area off Sleepy Hollow road

Ponds or Lakes in the Woodlands area off Sleepy Hollow road

Try

BB is easy to fish.

Bedias Lake