I'm heading up to explore Elmer Thomas this Friday...anybody want to come with?
Elmer Thomas this Friday...
- Thread starter psiborg1812
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Never been there myself, but I understand from those whom have that the deeper spots are near the dam area. I would go probaly Fri, to meet and dive with you but have a Dr. appt. in Dallas Friday.
OP
Yeah, i'm thinking about hitting up the dam area, does anybody have an underwater map of the area? Any good places to eat at afterwards?
Ask GUBA//Bill I bet he knows that area well enough to help.
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Guba
Contributor
Yup, I've got a few idea...
The best place to start is the dam. There is parking, and the hike to the water is relatively short. There are several adequate places to get into the water.
There are a couple of things you might want to know about the underwater topography. First, the dam you see is actually the SECOND to be constructed, and the first one is still underwater about 40 yards upriver. It was a stone dam, and it trapped decades of silt behind it. Therefore, when you enter the water, try to locate the old dam (lots of rocks) and about 25 feet down, and you will be able to follow it all the way across the lake to the other side. However, remember that the water between the two dams is nearly 100 feet deep (at the deepest point). The old dam does make a pretty good wall dive, if you can stand the theremoclines, which tend to be pretty sharp and extreme in this little lake. Oh, and one other note...about halfway across the old dam your compass will go wacko...evidently there is some metal or other magnetic anomaly that will throw it WAY off. Once you get to the other side, follow the shore to the right and there are some pretty good walls and what we now call the "clear valley". Get under the thermocline, and the vis opens up a LOT...we were able to see about 50 feet on our last visit there, and that was during a pretty murky algae bloom.
If you follow the shore to your right upon entering, you'll pretty much follow a shallow wall and eventually run into "the forest"...just water plants, but they home for a LOT of fish.
Toward the middle of the lake, the bottom is pretty silty and tends to be about 20-30 feet deep, pretty flat, but sometimes you see some good fish.
After your dives, you might want to visit the Meers Store, which is actually a pretty interesting cafe. Try the buffalo burger...very good! To get there, go on into the wildlife refuge and take the cutoff for Meers (there is no town...the cafe is the only thing there).
Have fun! I sure wish I could go, but alas...work. Let me know how it goes and perhaps we'll be able to dive there together sometime.
Bill
The best place to start is the dam. There is parking, and the hike to the water is relatively short. There are several adequate places to get into the water.
There are a couple of things you might want to know about the underwater topography. First, the dam you see is actually the SECOND to be constructed, and the first one is still underwater about 40 yards upriver. It was a stone dam, and it trapped decades of silt behind it. Therefore, when you enter the water, try to locate the old dam (lots of rocks) and about 25 feet down, and you will be able to follow it all the way across the lake to the other side. However, remember that the water between the two dams is nearly 100 feet deep (at the deepest point). The old dam does make a pretty good wall dive, if you can stand the theremoclines, which tend to be pretty sharp and extreme in this little lake. Oh, and one other note...about halfway across the old dam your compass will go wacko...evidently there is some metal or other magnetic anomaly that will throw it WAY off. Once you get to the other side, follow the shore to the right and there are some pretty good walls and what we now call the "clear valley". Get under the thermocline, and the vis opens up a LOT...we were able to see about 50 feet on our last visit there, and that was during a pretty murky algae bloom.
If you follow the shore to your right upon entering, you'll pretty much follow a shallow wall and eventually run into "the forest"...just water plants, but they home for a LOT of fish.
Toward the middle of the lake, the bottom is pretty silty and tends to be about 20-30 feet deep, pretty flat, but sometimes you see some good fish.
After your dives, you might want to visit the Meers Store, which is actually a pretty interesting cafe. Try the buffalo burger...very good! To get there, go on into the wildlife refuge and take the cutoff for Meers (there is no town...the cafe is the only thing there).
Have fun! I sure wish I could go, but alas...work. Let me know how it goes and perhaps we'll be able to dive there together sometime.
Bill
How did your diving go at ET???
I might try to make it up on Sunday for the first time with Bill's suggestion list.
I might try to make it up on Sunday for the first time with Bill's suggestion list.
OP
The lake itself was great, but getting there was insane! I must have driven through Fort Still 3 times asking for "Lake ELmer Thomas dam" before somebody told me that you have to leave the fort to get to the dam. As a result i got to the site at 5 when i was planning to get there at 3. I was only able to do one dive, since i had a long drive ahead of me, but the one dive was nice! great visibility, saw several pretty fish. However, there wasn't a lot of things to see other than rocks, fish, and the dam wall. After 60 feet it began to get cold and smell really bad, so i tended to stay above the thermocline. I dunno, i have mixed feelings about the lake, i might go back if i can carpool with somebody, it's a lot of gas for just one person to go up there. Also, i'm not a big fan of Oklahoma.
TROGDOR
Registered
just don't drive all the way out to Meers on Tuesday.....Closed. Learned that the hard way
Guba
Contributor
Sorry, psiborg, I feel I dropped the ball on this one. I should have told you that you had to use the road to the Wildlife Refuge to find that little turnoff to the dam! My apologies!
psi----- now go easy, when your speaking about my proud and great home state of Oklahoma!!!
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