Kirby Lake
| Kirby Lake | |
|---|---|
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| Location | Abilene, Texas |
| Coordinates | 32°22′35.34″N 99°44′4.46″W / 32.3764833°N 99.7345722°W |
| Type | reservoir |
| Built | 1928 |
| Surface area | 740 acres (300 ha) |
| Max. depth | 16 ft (4.9 m) |
Kirby Lake is a 740-acre man-made reservoir located on the south side of Abilene, Texas, just east of Highway 83, in the north-eastern portion of Taylor County. Management is under the City of Abilene.
It was impounded in 1928 and has a maximum depth of 16 feet. The surrounding area is mainly prairies with loamy soil. The lake is part of the Colorado River Basin (Texas), Brazos forks.
Kirby Lake is a popular lake for fishing, in particular blue or other catfishes, as well as bluegill. Like most lakes in the region, there are also largemouth bass, carp, white crappie and other fishes living in the waters. Most people fish directly from the banks rather than using a boat.
The lake is known for a number of bird species, including pectoral sandpiper, cactus wren, Baird's sandpiper and the more rare long-tailed jaeger, red knot and red phalarope, as well as others. Pyrrhuloxia, scarlet tanager and various waterfowl can also be seen in the spring and fall migrations.
The entire region is known for its diversity in butterflies and the greatest variety can be found at Kirby Lake. Pipevine swallowtail, sleepy orange, Reakirt's blue, Horace's duskywing, tawny emperor, common buckeye, sachem and others.
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