Characteristics of Valdeobispo lake
With a capacity of 53 hm3 and a surface area of 357 hectares, the small Valdeobispo lake, located in the north of the province of Cáceres, is famous for its large and elusive black bass. Do you want to know its level in real time? Click here.
Very clear water reservoir, whose main use is the irrigation of adjacent crops, usually maintains a fairly stable level ranging normally between 46 and 51 hm3. Because its stability it’s a very “natural” lake, so it’s one of the most beautiful reservoirs in Extremadura.
Bottom composition and structures
Quite a dam in which the granite is the mother rock, its banks are quite steep and we can find some submerged islands. The main structures are the large granite balls that we find at different depths, as well as stone walls at different points of the reservoir.
Vegetation and cover
The level is quite stable so we find a lot of riverside vegetation on the same shore, offering a lot of shade and cover “outside” the water on the same shore.
We also found areas of reeds and some holm oak skeletons that were submerged after the construction of the reservoir. We also found weeds in certain areas, mainly in the creeks.
Main fish species
Although the density of predators is not excessively high, we can find good specimens of pike and especially black bass.
- Black Bass. The density of black bass is not particularly high, as the reservoir is very boxed in and there are not too many kilometres of shore… However, some specimens reach large sizes, with the largest specimens even reaching 3 kg.
Iberian barbel Valdeobispo - Barbel. There is a good population of both common and iberian barbels and occasionally they can be fished with lures.
- Pike. Like the black bass, there are not very high densities, but there is a notable population of medium-sized pike, with occasional large specimens being caught.
- Carp. The carp reach interesting sizes, although it is not an enclave to capture record specimens, we can capture specimens above 10 kg with some frequency.
Baitfish in Valdeobispo lake
It is one of the few reservoirs where the nase survives with interesting populations, despite the pressure of predators, the arrival of the bleak from Gabriel y Galán and the scarcity of spawning grounds are a series of threats.
There is also a lot of sunfish, crawfish and small barbels.
Access and navigation
Navigation is limited in much of lake during the first half of the year by the breeding of sensitive birds. In this reservoir the shore is very difficult to navigate due to the enclosure and the great density of the vegetation (bushes, oaks and other riverside trees) so except in very specific points, the float tube or the pontoon will be our best option.
Like the rest of the reservoirs in the Tajo basin, it is necessary to apply for a navigation permit.
