The Ranch at Hills Creek - Burleson County, Rockdale, TX
The Ranch at Hills Creek is located in northwest Burleson County. As you enter the ranch, you are greeted by rolling topography and scattered post-oak trees. You are welcomed by the ranch home on a hill that overlooks the spring-fed 14-acre lake as you reach the end of the drive. The lake is managed for fantastic bass and crappie fishing. The lake is surrounded by towering water oaks, pecans, and sweetgums. The sweetgums give the lake a flare in the fall, with leaves glowing red, orange, and yellow. Around the lake, you will find a network of trails and bumbling springs for hours of exploring with the family.
Key Attributes
Location
The ranch is located 7 miles southeast of Rockdale, Texas, in Burleson County. The ranch has road frontage on CR 311. CR 311 is a small two-mile loop that is a quarter mile off FM 908, making it feel very private but easy to access.
Topography, Rangeland & Habitat
A majority of the woods on the property are large stands of post oak trees, with scattered water oaks, blackjack oaks, Sweetgum, and a lone pecan tree. There is great rolling terrain throughout the property. A stand of towering pine trees in the southwestern corner of the ranch gives that section of the ranch a unique feel. Trails have been cut throughout the ranch for easy driving under the shade of the large tree canopies.
Wildlife
The white-tailed deer population is abundant across the ranch. Hills Creek runs through the ranch, which creates excellent conditions for deer and other game on the ranch. There is also Rio Grande turkey in the area. During certain times of the year, the lake is home to several ospreys, and from time to time, an eagle can be spotted from the back porch. Ducks also use the lake in the wintertime. Several pairs of wood ducks were spotted on the lake and in the creek during our last visit.
Improvements
The 4,050 sq. ft. home is tucked under a canopy of post oak trees on a hill overlooking the 14-acre lake. The primary bedroom has outstanding views of the lake from the bed. A cozy fireplace and his’ and hers’ bathrooms are in the primary bedroom. The main floor has another bedroom, office, formal dining room, breakfast nook, living room, kitchen, and garage. On the second floor are two bedrooms with a jack and Jill bathroom. A large game room sits at the top of the stairs with bunkbeds for overflow guests. There is a 40×50 equipment barn with a slab floor. Next to the lake, there is a storage shed for fishing gear and swimming floats. Under the shed is a fish tank for baitfish and a cleaning station. There is a wooden dock for parking boats and an excellent place for the kids to fish. Along the lakeshore is a fire ring for evening fires with your guests. Additionally, on the dam, there is a giant rope swing for launching into the cool waters along the dam in the summertime.
Water
The gem of the property is the well-managed 14-acre bass lake. It has outstanding fishing with mature bass, crappie, sunfish, and bluegill. The lake bass record is just north of 11 lbs. The lake has a primary spillway with several pipes that flow through the dam. They allow excess water to flow south into Hills creek. They also allow you to draw down the lake several feet when desired for shoreline vegetation management. Several springs on the property have been flowing through the recent drought; one flows into the lake and the other into Hills Creek. The lake level held very strong through the drought. The lake carries a 6-8 ft depth across most of the main lake; near the dam, it drops to 10-14ft. On the northeast side, the lake depth tapers to more shallow waters, great for spawning in the spring and wintering ducks in the fall.