Thread: No Water in Conway

The lake was at 262.3. 3/10s a foot above winter pool. Winter pool began on November 15th. The gates were opened to pull out the last 3/10s. This was done Tuesday night and the gates were closed at 7:30am Wednesday. No gates were open yesterday morning (Thursday morning).


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I'm guessing a certain bait store or ramp operator is where your information came from. I got a call from another angler asking the same question. It is funny to me that when the fish aren't biting, there has to be a reason (or someone to blame), rather than excepting that the fish just weren't biting that day.

Let me set the record strait (again). I would appreciate it if you hear misinformation being spread, you can set people strait too. We have a one foot drawdown from the normal pool level of 263.0 starting every November 15th. This drawdown is to provide more storage capacity in the lake during the wet winter season. This is NOT to provide water for the WMA below the lake. A by product of us bringing the lake down to winter pool is that the WMD can hold the water in the WMA if they choose to. Once the lake is down to 262.0 feet, we do not release more water. The only reason why we open the gates is because we have received rain and the water level has come back up. If anyone would like to discuss this further, feel free to contact me by email or phone (in my signature). Thanks!


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the fish seemed to be biting just fine, so that was not the issue, just never noticed it being as low as it is right now, even after the drawdown.

It is the same elevation that we draw it down to every year, 262.0 feet. I'm hoping that one day we will have a new spillway and we won't have to have the winter drawdown. It would make both anglers and me much happier.


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Matt, Thanks for that bit of good information. I have been fishing Conway since 70's. I have noticed through the years that when the Gates were redone a number of years ago that the Lake never was back to the original water height from before. Its like when it was done they lowered the gate heights some. Reason being....some old Bream beds we fished way back are out of water now. What is your knowledge of this? Thanks again and I for one am so glad you are on here as to ask questions and such let alone be a Crappie Fishing friend.

Thanks Dave. This is some more misinformation that has gone around as long as I can remember. When the spillway gates were replaced, the tops of the gates were set at the same hight as the old gates, 263.0 feet. We had so many complaints about this a few years ago that we had a survey reconfirm the height of the spillway gates. They are still at 263.0 feet. Lake Conway has experienced considerable bank erosion and sediment deposition over the decades. This has resulted in some areas filling in completely. This would make it a appear that the lake is being held at a lower elevation than in years past. Not true.


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Well thats good to know.... Yeah the Lake has changed in many ways over the years.... I really miss the Log Jams.

And they DIDN'T make the lake Deep enough below I40 at Gold Creek when they re built the bridges. Used to be 11'-0"....now 5' average.

Ever fall Nimrod is pulled down to 342 and everyone screams lake is several feet low . The Spring level for years was 343 and was changed to 345 several years back . Now every fall when Corps pulls to winter normal to allow for big rains on this flood control lake people start complaining its low . :rolleyes: