Choke Canyon Reservoir

Choke Canyon Reservoir is a reservoir in South Texas, United States. The lake and the dam that creates it are owned by the United States Bureau of Reclamation and managed by the City of Corpus Christi.

Choke Canyon Reservoir
Alligator at Choke Canyon
Choke Canyon Reservoir Choke Canyon Reservoir
area map
Location	Live Oak / McMullen counties, Texas, United States
Coordinates	28°30.00′N 98°21.00′W
Type	Water supply reservoir
Primary inflows	Frio River
Primary outflows	Frio River
Basin countries	United States
Surface area	25,670 acres (10,390 ha)
Max. depth	95.5 ft (29.1 m)
Water volume	695,000 acre⋅ft (857,000,000 m3)
Surface elevation	220.5 ft (67.2 m)

Geography

Location in Texas

Choke Canyon Reservoir is 4 miles (6 km) west of the town of Three Rivers and about 65 miles (105 km) south of the city of San Antonio. It impounds water from the Frio River shortly before the river's confluence with the Nueces River. The reservoir covers 25,670 acres (103.9 km²) in Live Oak and McMullen counties, and has a capacity of more than 695,000 acre-feet (857,000,000 m³) of water.

Uses

Choke Canyon Reservoir provides drinking water for the city of Corpus Christi. The reservoir also provides good fishing opportunities, especially for largemouth bass and catfish. Choke Canyon State Park, located in two places on the south shore of the lake, provides access to the lake and a number of other recreational activities.

Fish and plant life

Choke Canyon Reservoir has been stocked with species of fish intended to improve the utility of the reservoir for recreational fishing. Fish present in Choke Canyon Reservoir include alligator gar, white bass, white crappie, catfish, and largemouth bass, sunfish, and bluegill. Plant life in the lake includes American pondweed, coontail, water stargrass, rushes, cattail, and hydrilla.

It is also the westernmost range of the American Alligator.

The site hosted a rare bird, a Spotted Rail, in December 2020, attracting hundreds of birdwatchers. The record represents the 3rd record of the species for Texas, and the 4th for the United States.

External links

• Texas Parks & Wildlife Department pages for Choke Canyon Reservoir and Choke Canyon State Park
• Choke Canyon Reservoir at recreation.gov
• USBR page