Soil Conservation Service Site 17 Reservoir Fishing near Thorndale, Texas

• Overview

  Williamson County in Texas is where Soil Conservation Service Site 17 Reservoir sits. The surroundings are scrub and brush. Surface area is around 32 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. Nearest town is Thorndale, 7.2 miles off. Taylor is 10 miles away, with Elgin at 14 miles. It sits near the edge of the county, so check which rules apply.

• Where to Fish on Soil Conservation Service Site 17 Reservoir

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Public wildlife records from this area list channel catfish, bluegill, gizzard shad and largemouth bass. It is a record of sightings and surveys, so use it as a guide. At this water the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 84°F in August and bottoms out near 49°F in January. Heat, not cold, decides when to be on the water. Late winter and spring fish steadiest here. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. That is the shape of the year on this water.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Soil Conservation Service Site 21 Reservoir, 1.8 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm access to this water locally before you travel.