Coleto Creek Reservoir
Where Families Have Been Making Lasting Memories for Over 25 Years
by Wilfred Korth, Chief Ranger
Coleto Creek is a joint venture between the Guadalupe- Blanco River Authority and Coleto Creek Power, located between Victoria and Goliad off of Highway 59. It is a very popular South Texas get-a-way and fishing hole. Many families claim Coleto as their regular hide-away, and frequently return to “Make New Memories”. The Coleto Creek Park Staff are on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to help park and reservoir users; and to perform the daily operations of the Coleto Reservoir. Being a Power Plant Reservoir, vs. water supply or flood control, the water level tends to be fairly consistent, except during the hot, dry South Texas summers when evaporation takes over. But on average, the reservoir is never more than 2' below normal. In 2007, Coleto experienced an abnormal amount of rain and actually stayed full or above full for the majority of the year. It will be interesting to see what long-term impact this nutrient loaded rainfall runoff will have on the reservoir. The surrounding land use is mostly ranching, and soils are sandy, the water clarity is very good. For those who SCUBA dive, you can often find light penetration down to 30' depths in the reservoir.
And because of the power plant, fishing in the winter is great; you just go to the Hot Water Discharge. So on any given day you will normally find a reservoir that is full, with clear, blue water, and loaded with freshwater opportunities.
Coleto is well known across the state for its fishery, but it is more than just a great fishing hole! Families from throughout the state enjoy a wonderful variety of outdoor recreation opportunities at Coleto’s 190-acre park, which provides the only public access to the reservoir. Many families find Coleto’s picnic facilities to fit their needs. There are shaded picnic tables with BBQ grills; marked swimming area, playground, and sand volleyball courts to fit the needs of even the most energetic park user. Plus, if your looking for a new place to hold your next Company Picnic, Family Reunion, Scout outing, bass club weighin, or even a wedding, Coleto has an Enclosed Group Pavilion and a Covered Pavilion to meet the needs of your group. Each pavilion has a BBQ grill, sand volleyball court, and horseshoe pits; and are located close to the reservoir for those in your group wanting to bring boats to use or go swimming. Both pavilions can be reserved
up to twelve months in advance of your event.
For those wanting to stay overnight, there are fifty-eight multi-use campsites that can be reserved up to twelve months inadvance. There are also four camping cabins that can be reserved up to twelve months in advance of your stay. Plus, new this year, Coleto has added four travel trailers for rental. You reserve a trailer and campsite, and on your arrival date you will find the trailer sit up and ready to go on your site. So Coleto’s camping offerings can accommodate any type of camping group. These shaded sites can offer a quite retreat from your busy workdays. The campground also has a one-mile nature trail on which to further explore the park. Plus, a local group of volunteers have completed
construction on four miles of narrow track mountain bike trail, and have continued work on additional mileage.
Many of the park users utilize the reservoir for a variety of different water activities. You can spot pleasure boaters just out for a relaxing ride around the reservoir, jet skiers, water skiers, and an occasional sailboat quietly slipping along. As gas prices have continued to climb we have also seen an increasing number of kayakers. Coleto attracts this variety of
boaters because of its many coves, which can provide calm waters out of the sometimes windy main reservoir, and long arms of the reservoir, which provide long ski runs. From end to end the reservoir is over seventeen miles long.
Coleto, also, sees many Wintering Texans each year and not all are out-of-state campers. Many fly in - because Coleto is a prime migratory winter site for a wide variety of waterfowl and birds. Which includes nesting Southern Bald Eagles, Osprey, Hummingbirds, Rosette Spoonbills, and White Pelicans. At last count, Coleto has recorded over 100 different bird species that have visited the reservoir. The nearby Gulf Coast is one of the most active bird watching areas in the United States. Coleto is a Designated Viewing Site on the Great Texas Birding Trail and the park staff has compiled a birding checklist, which shows what types of birds you might encounter during your visit.
In addition to bird life, you will find an abundance of wildlife that has taken up residence within the park and along the shores of the reservoir. On any given day, as park users are relaxing along the reservoir shoreline, they may see deer, squirrels, turkey, foxes, bobcats, raccoons, and a variety of other wild creatures. Plus, for those who enjoy watching insects, especially butterflies and dragonflies, the park staff has been diligently working to increase the number and diversity of butterfly friendly plants in the park. This work is paying off as the number and kinds of butterflies we
see each year are growing. Speaking of wildlife, Coleto does have an over abundance of white tailed deer. For the past many years Coleto has been offering bow hunters from across Texas the opportunity to harvest deer from Coleto’s
herd to help reduce the population. Hunters are selected from an annual draw held in August each year. Those interested should watch the park’s website which will post information on the annual draw in June.
With all of these great outdoor opportunities, Coleto’s #1 activity is still its freshwater fishing, and the #1 fish sought are Largemouth Bass. And you don’t have to have a boat to enjoy Coleto’s fishery. The Park has a 200' lighted fishing pier and a clear shoreline to provide easy access to the reservoir. Coleto has yet to produce any huge Largemouth Bass, BUT the catch rate per hour fished and numbers of bass being caught keeps Coleto in the top ranks of Texas Bass Lakes. Some bass fishermen have been known to catch and release over 100 bass in a day. The current “Water Body
Largemouth Bass Record” for Coleto is a 12.81 pounder caught by Jimmy Johnson of Ganado. The “Top 10” bass weighed in at the Coleto Park Office all exceed 10 pounds. Many of the largest bass brought out of Coleto have been caught in February, which in normal years is the start of our Spring Bass Spawn. One of the contributing factors to Coleto’s quality bass fishery was technical assistance from the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department during construction of the reservoir, who helped develop a plan to leave a large number of the trees in the reservoir standing, so there was immediate structure for bass when the reservoir filled. In addition, over the past fifteen years a variety of aquatic plants have become well established providing even more habitat for bass. Plus, as part of Coleto’s ongoing fisheries management plan, over the past three years, TPWD has stocked the reservoir with Northern Largemouth Bass to help dilute the influence of the Florida Bass gene in Coleto’s current Bass population. Florida strain bass will grow larger, and faster but studies are finding that they are harder to catch; whereas the Northern Bass grow slower but for some reason are more readily caught.
In November 2007, TPWD performed their annual fish population survey on Coleto and found a good range of age class bass and a good range of sizes so it appears Coleto’s bass population is healthy and continuing to thrive. Coleto also has an outstanding population of catfish, with blues, yellows, and channels just waiting for the right bait. The “Certified All-Tackle Water Body Record Catfish” for Coleto are a 46-pound Yellowcat which is a new 2007 record catch by Kevin Schultze of Victoria, a 9.73 pound Channel cat caught by Tyler Janota of Victoria; plus a 51.5 pound Bluecat caught by Larry Volkmer of Victoria. The Coleto staff has seen some Yellowcats over 50 pounds and other Blues that went over 40 pounds. Unfortunately, they made it to the skillet before they made it to certified scales! Trotlines and jug lines baited with live perch, shad, or cut bait consistently produce the best catches. During the winter months and early spring, the Hot Water Arm of Coleto tends to produce the most fish.
Crappie are the next most sought after gamefish at Coleto. They can be hard to find but once located can lead to some
excellent catches. The “Certified Coleto Water Body Crappie Records” are a 1.92- pound White Crappie brought in by Ann Holland of Victoria and a 1.39-pound Black Crappie brought in by Hilda Lovely of Berclair. Fishing with live minnows under the Coletoville Bridge, and at the Park’s Boat Ramp and Fishing Pier tend to be the most consistent crappie areas. In addition we have some fishermen who have been building brush piles in selected areas of the reservoir, which will attract schools of crappie.
The last major gamefish sought at Coleto is the Hybrid Striped Bass. Since the reservoir’s impoundment in 1979, TP&WD has stocked over 500,000 hybrids into Coleto. The best time to seek hybrids is during the cool months. The “Certified
Coleto Water Body Hybrid Record” is a 7.18 pounder caught by Kenneth Tyner of Victoria. There have been some uncertified hybrids that went over 8 pounds. Many a fisherman has snapped his rod while trying to bring in a record hybrid. Hybrids on Coleto love cold weather. They seem to lie dormant for most of the year but when it turns cold they kick in. The two hottest spots for them are at the Hot Water Discharge and in front of the Main Dam. During the warmer months you can find them schooling on occasion. You can hook a lot of hybrids out of these schools but normally they are small in size. Slab spoons, spinner baits, and rattletraps usually produce good catches.
With all of Coleto’s gamefish, our only “State Certified Fish Record” is currently a non-game fish. Brian Morris of Victoria,
who is an avid Bowfisherman on Coleto, shot an 11.72 pound mullet in 2002. With Coleto’s normally clear water,
bowfishing for non-game fish is becoming a popular activity with a number of large gar and carp being taken on a regular basis. Bowfishing is legal on Coleto for non-game fish only.
As you prepare for your next outdoors outing consider a visit to the Coleto Creek Reservoir and Park and “Come Make a
Memory With Us”. You may want to browse our website at www.coletocreekpark.com for a complete listing of activities and facilities. We recommend calling (361) 575-6366 in advance for camping reservations if you plan to stay in the park and remember we will take reservations up to twelve months in advance and holiday weekends do fill in fast. The staff can provide you with information on the current reservoir and fishing conditions, upcoming events, and names of area hotels.
