Lake Nocona's east shore, twenty years after the boat ramp closed.

The boat ramp on the east shore of Lake Nocona closed in 2004 when the county stopped maintaining the access road. In the twenty years since, the half-mile of shoreline it served has grown back into something between a fishing spot and a nature corridor — quieter than the developed west shore, harder to reach, and worth the drive if you know where to turn.

The lake itself was built in 1959, a 1,470-acre impoundment of Farmers Creek and several smaller tributaries. The west shore development came first: boat ramps, a fishing pier, a small RV park that still operates. The east shore was always the plain side of the lake — no amenities, a maintenance road, a county ramp that saw moderate use on weekends.

When the county stopped grading the access road after a 2003 budget cut, use dropped immediately. By 2006, most recreational boaters had stopped using the ramp entirely. What remained were a small number of bank fishermen and, later, birdwatchers who found that the undisturbed shoreline had attracted a more diverse population of wading birds than the busier west shore.

A Nocona birding group now runs informal guided walks along the east shore twice a year, in April and October. The April walk typically records 40 to 55 species, including great blue herons, snowy egrets, and, in good years, the roseate spoonbill — which the group first recorded on the lake in 2019. The county road to the east shore is passable in dry weather in a standard vehicle. In wet weather, a high-clearance vehicle is advisable.