Most of Cedar Creek Lake's shoreline is somebody's backyard, which leaves winter birders only a few public places to go. The Tarrant Regional Water District says most of the shoreline is privately owned, and it names one public day-use waterfront park, Tom Finley Park. The birding records follow the same lines. On eBird, the lake's winter sightings cluster at three named hotspots: the spillway, the TX 334 bridge at West Cedar Island, and Tom Finley Park.
The largest dated counts at those hotspots this year came on January 7 and March 8, and a flock was still at the bridge on March 28. If you live here, the season runs from the duck opener into spring.
The biggest counts came after the holidays
All three hotspots have long species lists. As of late October 2026, eBird's all-years totals are 70 species at the spillway, 72 at the TX 334 bridge and 88 at Tom Finley Park. These are live totals, so they rise as more people turn in checklists.
The dated sightings show the timing:
| Hotspot | All-years species count | Dated 2026 sighting |
|---|---|---|
| Cedar Creek Reservoir–Spillway | 70 | Jan. 7: 33 American White Pelicans, 8 Common Loons, 7 Ring-billed Gulls |
| Cedar Creek Reservoir–Tom Finley Park | 88 | Mar. 8: 35 American White Pelicans |
| Cedar Creek Reservoir–TX334 bridge / W Cedar I. | 72 | Mar. 28: 15 American White Pelicans |
Look at the January 7 checklist from the spillway. Loons, pelicans and gulls were all on the same stretch of water on one winter day. The spillway's eBird bird list also includes Osprey and Bald Eagle. Then, two months later, the biggest single pelican count on the table came from Tom Finley Park, the one spot TRWD lists as open to the public for day use. The sightings are a record of past winters, not a forecast for this one. Still, they cover the core of the season: from the first cold fronts through mid-March.
Tom Finley Park is the anchor, and the ramps fill in
TRWD describes Tom Finley Park as a public day-use waterfront park with an ADA boat ramp, picnic spots, a swimming area and fishing. Friends of Cedar Creek Lake manages it, and TRWD says a "small admission charge is required." Before a winter visit, call or check with the park directly for the current entry fee and winter hours.
The spillway and the TX 334 bridge are names eBird uses for its hotspots. They are not parks, so look into access before you plan a stop at either one.
If you own a boat, the public ramps are another way out. Texas Parks and Wildlife's Cedar Creek access page lists the Chamber Island Ramp with free park entry, a requested donation for launching, parking for 75 vehicles and year-round access. It lists the Henderson County ramp with 40 parking spaces, no fee and year-round access.
The lake is starting this winter well below normal. On October 29, 2026, Water Data for Texas showed Cedar Creek Reservoir at 315.89 feet, 6.11 feet under its 322-foot conservation pool. The USGS gauge showed the same 315.89 feet that night. Both agencies mark these readings as provisional. Ramps, coves and shallow flats look different at that level than they did in spring, so ramp conditions are worth checking before you hitch up.
November 7 is when hunters share the season
Birders aren't the only ones counting the days on the winter bird calendar. Cedar Creek Lake is in Henderson and Kaufman counties, which puts it in Texas Parks and Wildlife's North Duck Zone. TPWD's 2026–27 season dates set it up like this:
- Nov. 7–8, 2026: North Zone youth and veterans/active-duty military duck days, which share the same dates
- Nov. 14–29, 2026: first split of the regular North Zone duck season
- Dec. 5, 2026 – Jan. 31, 2027: second split
- Nov. 7, 2026 – Jan. 31, 2027: Eastern Zone dark geese
- Nov. 7, 2026 – Feb. 19, 2027: Eastern Zone light geese
TPWD's duck rules set shooting hours from one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.
The state calendar is only half of the rule on this lake. Cedar Creek Reservoir is District water, so TRWD's General Ordinance, which the board adopted on December 16, 2025, also applies. Section 25.01 says no hunting is allowed on District land or water without the General Manager's prior written permission. Section 25.03 adds:
"The use of shotguns is only allowed when used in the hunting of waterfowl during the season open to such hunting and only upon District Land and District Waters expressly designated for such public hunting by the District and located below the Spillway Elevation at each Reservoir. When the use of shotguns is allowed, only steel shot may be used. Lead shot is prohibited at all times on any District Land and District Water."
Section 10 lets the General Manager designate public waterfowl hunting areas and says any designated areas will be shown on a map at the appropriate District department or on TRWD's website. If you have questions about a specific cove, take them to TRWD. Treat this section as general information, not legal advice, and confirm your own situation with the District or a qualified professional.
Purtis Creek hosts the season's one ranger-led walk
For a guided morning, the closest option is just beyond the lake. Purtis Creek State Park has a ranger-led program called Backyard Birding on Friday, November 20, 2026, from 9 to 10 a.m. TPWD's listing invites visitors to "explore the park with a ranger and become a backyard birder!" The contact is Jenna Lombard at (903) 425-2332. The group meets at the Day Use Area playground. The walk is free with park admission, which the event page lists as $5 per person age 13 and older.
On TPWD's Purtis Creek page, the gates are open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, and children 12 and under get in free. The park often fills up, so TPWD recommends reserving day-use entry ahead of time.
Purtis Creek also has hunts on its own calendar. The park's alert page lists closures of the primitive area and Beaver Slide Trail from 10 p.m. on Jan. 8 to noon on Jan. 9, and from 10 p.m. on Jan. 22 to noon on Jan. 23. Only permitted hunters may enter during those windows. If you're planning a January walk there, check the alert page first.
The winter, laid out
Put the duck calendar, the park schedule and last winter's sightings together and the season looks like this:
- Nov. 7–8: Youth and veterans duck days open the North Zone, and Eastern Zone goose season starts.
- Nov. 14: The regular duck season opens. TRWD's ordinance governs shotgun use on the lake itself.
- Nov. 20: Backyard Birding at Purtis Creek State Park, 9 to 10 a.m.
- Jan. 7, 2026, for reference: 33 pelicans, 8 Common Loons and 7 Ring-billed Gulls on one spillway checklist.
- Jan. 8–9 and Jan. 22–23: Purtis Creek primitive area and Beaver Slide Trail open only to permitted hunters.
- Jan. 31: North Zone duck season and Eastern Zone dark goose season close.
- Mar. 8 and Mar. 28, 2026, for reference: 35 pelicans at Tom Finley Park, then 15 at the TX 334 bridge.
If last winter's records hold, the two March counts mean the pelicans stick around for weeks after duck season closes.
At Debbie French Real Estate Group, the winter lake is part of the lake lifestyle we love sharing with neighbors, from a January morning at the spillway to a March picnic at Tom Finley Park. If you'd like to know which stretches of shoreline face open water and which tuck into quiet coves, we're happy to talk it over. Start Living the Lake Lifestyle and Request Your Free Home Valuation.
