Shannon

They keep changing their site around. I fixed the broken links to SARAs Calaveras and Braunig Lake pages. Thanks for the new URL. I need more folks to report broken links

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- Shannon Moore
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tennyson

We went on Saturday to fish the shore. Crappie and Bluegill were good on small spinners. I saw a few other fishermen get some catfish. There was some trash about the park. I wasn't expecting serenity since I was fishing a powerplant lake.

Unregistered

i went this past weekend and caught tons of catfish using minnows from the bank. I thought it was a nice park

rookiefisherman

Hello All,
I read some of the comments from other members and I would like to share my own as well. I am a frequent visitor of the lake and I do know of the history as well. Point Blank, this is a fishermans hole; and that's why it stinks. This is the same reason you find fish debris all around the lake and grassy areas. This is a very primitive, rough-neck hangout spot and I don't recommend it for a family retreat. There are a lot of various bugs and critters on the land side, and there are snakes in the lake as well. Trust me, I've seen plenty of them! This is an excellent fishing hole since it contains Reds, Cats, Talipia, Perch, Bass, Stripers, and a lot of other species. There are also turtles and ducks in the water so this should answer any questions if this is a swimming hole. There is an area near the dam for water sport equipment like jet skis, etc.... Yes the water is extremely cloudly and dangerous, since there are tons of hooks and fishing tackle on the bedrock, from thousands of casts from fisherman. Now lets discuss the history. This lake is man-made and was constructed to cool a power plant. It used to have mercury in the water which is extrmely dangerous; especially in fish. They finally got the mercury levels down to make the fish edible. The water itself IS INDEED WASTEWATER! You do need to be aware of that. The SA River Authority pumps treated wastewater into Calaveras to cool the plant. They save money this way and it's kind of a turn-off to know that. For those of you that don't excatly know what waste water is; it is everything that goes down the drain and toilet bowls. They sipher it out, chlorinate it, and pump it to Calaveras and Braunig Lake. So all that water you see used to have fecies, detergents, urination, raw sewege, etc..... That's why it is so dark. I wish someone had pictures of the construction since it wasn't too long ago. Basically they dug a really large hole and fed treated wastewater into it. Also for the record, Braunig Lake used to be a Ranch and towards the far East Side of the lake, there is a barbed wire fence in the water; so if you have a boat, be careful. Braunig is man-made as well and it is named after Mr. Braunig himself. Like I said it used to be a ranch and they now pump treated wastewater into it. Braunig doesn't smell as bad as Calaveras, but it also has a lot of snakes. There was a murder weapon discovery in Braunig about a year ago, and there has been deaths in Calaveras lake, and an unsolved murder at Calaveras lake as well sometime in the 90's. Bottom line folks, these are two excellent fishing holes for a city of almost 2 million, and it saves us a 2hr trip to Corpus. It's kind of fun to see how many fisherman are out there and they are all pretty friendly. They have cleaning stations so it's equipped enough. Nobody bothers you and they don't run you off the lake. You can stay there all night, or even for days without anyone disturbing you, so I enjoy that. There are BBQ pits and tables near some nice fishing spots so that's nice also. I've slept there many of nights and I've seen the maintenance staff empty the trash cans in the early morning, and pick up trash here and there. Since it is a wide coverage area, there are still trash items in the grassy areas. For the most part I highly recommend this lake to fishing geeks, but I don't site it for family get aways; unless of course you're a fishing geek like myself. Oh yea, I believe both lakes have fishing contests for kids. If you want to catch catfish, easily; look up the Fisherman's Corner near Canyon Lake. I hope this info helps and good luck to you all!!! Thanks and sorry about the novel.

rookiefisherman

Hey guys!
I forgot to add to the novel that I have numerous pictures of Calaveras Lake. If you would like to see them, let me know. Thanks!!

Electric Water Boy

I have some issues with this...

1. "This lake is man-made and was constructed to cool a power plant."

True. It wouldn't be there otherwise. All lakes in Texas with the exception of Caddo are manmade.

2. "It used to have mercury in the water which is extrmely dangerous; especially in fish. They finally got the mercury levels down to make the fish edible."

There is still mercury there, but at levels far below any standards. Mercury is some bad stuff. If it were at levels above any standards, fishing would be cut off. Have to wonder about the getting the mercury levels down thing. That was done how?

3. "The water itself IS INDEED WASTEWATER! "

There's some truth to that. Water is pimped out of the San Antonio River into both Braunig and Calaveras. The river is used as a pipeline to get treated water from the treatment plants.

4. "The SA River Authority pumps treated wastewater into Calaveras to cool the plant."

No they don't. CPS Energy does.

5. "They save money this way "

Only in the sense that it isn't being pumped out of the aquifer. That'd be bad for all of us. And the water out of the river isn't free either.

6. For those of you that don't excatly know what waste water is; it is everything that goes down the drain and toilet bowls. They sipher it out, chlorinate it, and pump it to Calaveras and Braunig Lake. So all that water you see used to have fecies, detergents, urination, raw sewege, etc.....

There's more to it than that. But the water coming out of the treatment plants is CLEANER than what's already in the river. Even so, once it's in the lake, all the fish, snakes, birds, racoons, and turtles are using it as a bathroom too.

7. "That's why it is so dark."

Nope. It's dark now because of all the algae growing. It's somewhat dark the rest of the time, especially in the summer, because of evaporation. When the water evaoprates, all the stuff in it (algae, minerals, etc) are left behind. It concentrates. Only way to get rid rid of it is to open the dam gates and flush it out. Only time that happens is when there are big rains. Even so, it's like putting a bandaide on an amputation. To get rid of half the solids you'd half to drain a lot more than half the lake, and that ain't going to happen, at least not in any kind of timely manner.

Sorry f this seemed like an an attack, but I hear/see lots of statements made about the lakes that aren't true, but are repeated by people with good intentions. The only way to slow them down is to put out the truth.

rookiefisherman

I have some issues with this...

There is still mercury there, but at levels far below any standards. Mercury is some bad stuff. If it were at levels above any standards, fishing would be cut off. Have to wonder about the getting the mercury levels down thing. That was done how?

A: In order to remove any mercury components within a body of water, it is first partitioned into several segments and then the mercury is negated. This is a troublesome process and is extremely difficult to accomplish.

3. "The water itself IS INDEED WASTEWATER! "

There's some truth to that. Water is pimped out of the San Antonio River into both Braunig and Calaveras. The river is used as a pipeline to get treated water from the treatment plants.

4. "The SA River Authority pumps treated wastewater into Calaveras to cool the plant."

No they don't. CPS Energy does.

A: CPS is in charge of treating the wastewater and the SARA runs the transport session. CPS provides the water and SARA handles the transport. That is why we pay SARA to enter the lake, not CPS.


5. "They save money this way "

Only in the sense that it isn't being pumped out of the aquifer. That'd be bad for all of us. And the water out of the river isn't free either.

A: Definitely not free, but cheaper. (Saves money)

6. For those of you that don't excatly know what waste water is; it is everything that goes down the drain and toilet bowls. They sipher it out, chlorinate it, and pump it to Calaveras and Braunig Lake. So all that water you see used to have fecies, detergents, urination, raw sewege, etc.....

There's more to it than that. But the water coming out of the treatment plants is CLEANER than what's already in the river. Even so, once it's in the lake, all the fish, snakes, birds, racoons, and turtles are using it as a bathroom too.

A: Very true, but when was the last time a school of fish got together and did laundry?, or washed their car?, or changed their automotive oil? As gross as it sounds, processed fecies is indeed more sanitary than the other listed chemical makeup.


7. "That's why it is so dark."

Nope. It's dark now because of all the algae growing. It's somewhat dark the rest of the time, especially in the summer, because of evaporation. When the water evaoprates, all the stuff in it (algae, minerals, etc) are left behind. It concentrates. Only way to get rid rid of it is to open the dam gates and flush it out. Only time that happens is when there are big rains. Even so, it's like putting a bandaide on an amputation. To get rid of half the solids you'd half to drain a lot more than half the lake, and that ain't going to happen, at least not in any kind of timely manner.

A: (In a sense) There is also seaweed and algae in the Pacific, yet the water is blue and in certain locations, clear. For the record, out of treated wastewater, only 90 percent is actually treated. The other 10 percent is waste in its original format. According to CPS, their treatment cells cannot process 100 percent bacterial and chemical-free wastewater. 10 percent doesn't seem that big of an issue until you view the image that the lake consists of thousands of gallons treated wastewater; again which 10 percent is untreated. Also experts agree that the physical coloration of the topside water view, is actually a reflection of the sky above it. It doesn't matter to me because I still wade in it anyway. And if it makes anyone feel any better, I fell in a drop pocket unexpectedly and yes the water went in my mouth. Oh well, like I said I love going to Calaveras and as a matter of fact, I'm going tomorrow. I hope this helps guys, and as per my username; I'm still just an ametuer learning. Thanks for the posting!!

P.S. This information came from various websites which include CPS, TX Lake History, Wikipedia, howthingswork.com, answers.com, and a couple of others. Coming from accredited sources, it "seems" to be pretty truthful.

Sorry f this seemed like an an attack, but I hear/see lots of statements made about the lakes that aren't true, but are repeated by people with good intentions. The only way to slow them down is to put out the truth.

Electric Water Boy

"A: CPS is in charge of treating the wastewater and the SARA runs the transport session. CPS provides the water and SARA handles the transport. That is why we pay SARA to enter the lake, not CPS."

Just not true. CPS Energy is in the business of producing, selling, and distributing electricity and reselling and distributing gas. We don't treat waste water used by residents of San Antonio. We do buy it though. Not exactly sure what yopu mean by handling the transport. SAWS puts in the river. CPS Energy pumps it out and into the lakes. CPS Energy also maintains the pumps, the line, and the area of the river where the pumps are.

"According to CPS, their treatment cells cannot process 100 percent bacterial and chemical-free wastewater."

Post me a link to where this came from. CPS Energy may be telling you the process, but they're not treating the water that is being pumped into the lakes from the San Antonio River.

"That is why we pay SARA to enter the lake, not CPS."

SARA leases the land that makes up the parks from CPS Energy to run the parks. CPS Energy does run the parks because it's not our core business. It's not that we would be caoable, it's just not what we want to do. SARA isn't making any money running the parks. In fact, they're looking for more money. CPS Energy can not give money to SARA to operate the parks, but it can and has given money for improvements.

fishguy

Thanks for all the input about the lakes! Its nice to hear the truth about the lakes and not just the good stuff. I have a question though. How much mercury is in the fish? And has anyone tested it besides CPS? Do different fish have more mercury than others?

Also I had a friend who took home a Redfish to eat but he said it was full of worms. (Parasites?) Last year another friend caught a bass that was full of worms. And just last week I caught a catfish, about 2-3 pounds and it had worms.
I'm talking about in the filets! Gross! Whats the deal? (not sure I want to know)

rookie fisherman

Hey everyone. Ive never been out to this lake. So can someone please tell me the best fishing spots for red fish. I would like to take my girl friend out because she has never been fishing before and would love to go. Thanks!

fishguy

The easiest way to catch big fish at Braunig this time of year is to fish with live bait, near the bottom in 12-16 feet of water.
First use a cast net to catch some shad or small sunfish, or tilapia. the best size is about 3-4 inches long. Shad need to be kept in a live well or they will die. Sunfish or Tilapia will stay alive in a 5 gallon bucket for quite a while.
Use a good flexible rod like an ugly stick with a ambassador 6500 reel or equivilent. Minimum 12 pound line, up to 20 is ok but will have a lot of resistance and if the wind is blowing,it can be hard to keep near the bottom.
On the end of your line put a 1/2 oz egg sinker, and a swivel, then about a
18inch, 20 pound leader and then a 2/0 Kahle hook. Hook your bait right through the front of his eye socket. Drifting is fun and productive, the weight takes the bait down near the bottom and as you drift, the bait will follow and swim along. Everytime he struggles, its like ringing the dinner bell.
Leave the dock at Braunig and drive around to the far side of the jetty, and go toward the power plant. When you get to 16 feet of water stop and lower your lines to the bottom and then back up about a foot. Work the area toward the right but don't go to far from the power plant because it gets real shallow. Hold on to your rods or keep them in a good holder because the reds are averaging ten to 12 pounds. They will take a lot of line but don't horse them in. They will break you off if you do. Just play em and enjoy the fight, in and out for 5-10 minutes. Its all open water with very few hangups so let the fish run and keep your drag light.
If you don't have a boat you can rent one there. Any thing that floats will work for this kind of fishing, which is best from 6:30 am-11:00 am.
You can also troll crankbaits up and down the jetty early but there are lot of snags. Go to the far side again and don't drop your line till you get to the
3rd light pole. Then fish as close to the rocks as you can.
You can fish to the right of the spill way on the dam for a long stretch but the depth contours go in and out and its hard to stay at a certain depth.
If you want to go all out and fish with down riggers, just get a couple of manual down riggers, some #13 Tony Acetta spoons , Gold Or Silver, lower them down 11 or 12 feet and take off. Along the dam. and any where on the far side of the jetty is good. If you can't get a boat, the only way to fish is with a surf rod at dead tree point. There are some big fish caught there but you have to be patient. If you go on a Saturday, I'm in the big white boat,"Sumthin Fishy" be sure & say hi! Good luck!

rookie fisherman

Hey thanks! However, i wasnt planning on going to braunig. I was planning on Calaveras. Oh, and where is a good place to cath the bait? Can i just buy it there because i dont have a cast net or anything.

fishguy

I don't fish Calaveras but the same methods will work there too. I would look for the 12-16 foot of water near the "inlets" and try the same things. There is a place called the crapppie wall where a lot of people fish but you need good bumpers for your boat. Try a web site called Alamo Area Anglers for more local info on Cali. Also I would buy a cast net because you won't be able to buy anything but minnows and crawfish. Try Academy.

Marcos

I fished Calaveras Saturday night. I caught a 23in redfish and about 10 catfish. Was out again this morning (10/8/07) with my son from 7am-11am we caught 7 catfish. We fished with dead shrimp off the bottom. I was told to use Danny kings punch bait with a bobber. Tried it but caught a lot of little catfish. I tried free- lining live bait off the bottom with no luck. I was fishing shallow. I Anchored at 4.6 ft water depth and casted towards the bank. Evening and earlier morning are the best times to fish either Calaveras or Brauning. I have not had much luck at Brauning. I always go to Calaveras, I fish out of a boat. You can rent a jon boat with 5hp motor at either lake for $15 hr or $99.00 8am to 5pm. I never fish the crappie wall because there are always too many boats.

fishguy

I don't fish for Catfish, but the guys I know who do it successfully usually bait their spots, or (pre chum them) by using some sour grain or maze. Sprinkle it out in the area you fish, the night before, and then when you get there. It can get you into some non-stop action.