Fish Kill, Risky Ramp, Bait Shop Closed

[MajorH]

7 May 2014. Lake Sweetwater has dropped to 25 feet below the spillway after four years of drought and semi-drought. There is local speculation that a Golden Algae bloom that lasted from January through March of 2014 killed virtually all of the sport fish in the lake, but TPWD has not confirmed that.

The public boat ramp has been reduced to a somewhat risky, single lane of dirt and gravel.

The bait shop has closed. Still open are the golf course, the public swimming beach, and the camping area below the dam.

I called the TPWD Abilene office this morning, asking if the fish kill category had been updated since their January description of it as a "mild kill". I didn't get a useful answer to that. However, the rep did say that a recent test indicated that the water was no longer toxic to fish and that restocking will occur when the lake refills.