Sugar Land Area Kayaking??

[Doc J]

Does anyone know of any places to kayak in the Sugar Land area? Fishing not essential, but it would be nice. Thanks

[greyloon]

Check out this link on Oyster Creek:

http://www.bayoupreservation.org/projwateraccess.html

Earlier postings on TKF didn't hold out much hope for good access to the Brazos. You may also want to take a look at Houston Canoe Club's website, sorry, don't have the link. HCC has a section on places to paddle around Houston and may have some more possibilities.

[Night Wing]

I just happen to have the Houston Canoe Club link.

http://www.houstoncanoeclub.org/

[MADMAN]

I used to go to this park when I was in the area. It is a great place to do some paddling, and has a decent bass and catfish population. I never caught anything big, but it was fun.

http://www.ci.mocity.tx.us/depts/parks/parks/indepen.htm

[Tyak]

That's a nice park, but be sure you are loaded up way before dark! I'm a police officer and you could get "Jacked" for your yak in that area

[greyloon]

Unfortunately, that can happen anywhere. I left my truck a boat launch, came back and had a broken window, goodbye child safety seat and a fly rod/reel. I'll go back to that fishing spot, but no longer take a car seat with me and always fold down my seats so they can see nothing is there. Its a pretty low sumbitch that'll take a child's car seat.

[MJ]

Why yes Doc J - right out of my back yard.

[Doc J]

Thanks guys. This should keep me busy for a while. With gas prices what they are getting to the saltwater will be less frequent.

Great pictures MJ Thanks.

[Backcast]

I canoed Oyster Creek by putting in at Hwy 6 just north of Hull Field. We went toward the prison land and paddled by some prisoners. Interesting trip.

there is a place to put in Sugar Wood subdivision by their tennis courts. There is a small bridge there that crosses Oyster Creek going to a cementary. I put in there and parked at the Tennis Courts. Haven't been there in a while.

My office is in the HCA complex at Oyster Creek and Creekbend. You could put in behind the Surgery Center say after 5:00PM. There is a picnic deck on the creek and you can drive around to the back employee parking lot which is right by the creek. You would be looking at the Creekbend bridge that crosses the creek.

Sugar Land Parks Department will be making a canoe put in/take out on Brazos River in a Park that will be coming in near future at Hwy 59 and Brazos River. Will be on the South side of Hwy 59.
Joe

[Bassass]

Tell me more about Oyster Creek in the Sugarland area. I've heard that there are numerous spillway dams in this area, but don't know if that's so or not. I've paddled in Cleveland Lake in Sugarland, which flows into Oyster Creek. This lake is immediately North of 90A, West of Eldridge Road. Caught a few nice Bass (about 3-4 lbs) and lots of Crappie. The lake is a consistent 10-12 feet deep and is probably about 100 acres.

[Kelly Watson]

I grew up there and I know if you are real adventureous you can put in Oyster Ck way upstream, behind Pecan Grove and float it through the prison. It is much narrower and somewhat faster. I have never done it, but if you do your sat pic homework it can be done. I have fished pretty much every subdivision lake mentiond. Cleveland, Sugar Ck, Cleveland, the sandpits in Stafford. Cleveland is the best fishing. If you are up for a drive, Bessies creek near Brookshire is an available paddle. Upper Buffalo bayou is a possibility too.

[Backcast]

I did paddle down stream via canoe from Hwy 6 back toward the Sugar Mill. I remember going around some dams. I must have paddled back as I can't remember taking out.

One time I put in Oyster Creek off of Burney Road. There was a wide area to the right coming from Hwy 90A. Did this on the weekend. Seems we paddled near the Sugar Mill (Imperial).

Joe

[Doc J]

Thanks again!! -- more good information. I can see it is going to take me a while to check all of this out. I work at the prisons. As long as you don't stop to talk to the prisoners there is not much to worry about. I would recommend staying on the opposite side from them. Most of the have seen large gar in the creek and are somewhat afraid to get into the water.

[BENNY]

Doc,
There is a put in by my house in Sugar Lakes too. Really nice place to paddle. I think its suppose to be just for residents, but I don't think its enforced.

Joe, that paddle through the prison sounds cool, lets get a group and make the float.

[MJ]

Count me in. If the debris is gone from the railroad bridge at the Sugar Plant (Haven't paddled there in awhile) It should be a good ride.

[Flat Fish]

I'ne seen a lot of people launch at the Hwy 6 entrance to Fluor. It's just a short haul of the yak.

[Budwhyzuur]

Count me in as well. I've paddled Misty Lake, where I live, but never anywhere else in the area. Sound like good paddle without the long drive to get there.

[Doc J]

I would like to do a paddle, and the prison is not a problem. A frind of mine says there are some big gar in that area if any is interested.

[Doc J]

Jim Winton,

Where do you put in on Cleveland Lake? Do you know anything about Eldridge lake? It is gust south of 90A and West of Eldridge. Thanks.

[Bassass]

Since they've just this week erected a fence along Wood Street, the next best place would probably be from the small park on the North side of the lake on Wood St. You can launch under the bridge from there. It won't be easy (very narrow path), but it can be done.

I'm not familiar with the other lake you mention, but I assume it's private for property owners only.

Have you ever tried the lakes in Missouri City where Lexington turns into Court Road? This is part of the M.O. City Parks Dept., and is called Independence Park. Unfortunately, the park is now closed due to construction on the road, but I've been launching by going around to the back side from a 2-rut road off Lexington. This lake has lots of catfish, a few bass and crappie. It's about 23 feet in the deepest part, but the entire middle is very shallow (less than one foot). I'll be there tomorrow morning (Saturday). I'll have my Tarpon 140 there, but my primary duties will be assisting the "kids" baiting hooks etc.

Another good place to paddle is the old gravel pits on Buffalo Run, off Texas Parkway & just East of Thurgood Marshall H.S. Not much good fishing here, but it's a great paddle. These pits are deep (up to 33 feet) in places and quite a varied contour & structure for sightseeing. Launching here is easy & obvious. If you get there, you'll see just how & where.

[Doc J]

JW,

Thanks again. I think I'll try to find it in the morning and see if I can get in a little water time. For now fishing is secondary, I just want to get out and on the water in my yak.

[shoffer]

I know I am reviving a really old post, but I wanted to update this post. On 12/31/18, I made a trek up a section of Oyster Creek from the SugarWoods launch all the way to Sugar Lakes Drive just to try out my new fish finder. I did the four-mile trip in two hours on a leisurely pace, while stopping to fish fishy looking water with a topwater frog, a topwater Spook and a shallow diving crank here and there:

Results: I did not get one bite and did not see a fish on the fishfinder. I saw a couple of small gars gulp some air on the surface, maybe 4-5 turtles, and a bunch of herons, Roseate Spoonbills, ducks and other birds. I had no problems traversing under any of the bridges but I did have to pull down my rods while going under the 59/69 bridge.

The water is brown with maybe 3 inches of visibility and is 3-5 feet deep in most areas with a 7-8 foot section here and there. In my view, a nice quick place to get your kayaking fix on, but not a good place for fishing. I really wanted to try out Horseshoe Lake, but there is not really any place to park and there is a no trespassing sign that says it is a private lake for residents so I did not want to risk it:

Capture2.JPG (13.38 KiB) Viewed 7247 times

The search for a good, quick, urban bass spot continues...