When I fell in I immediately saw a giant, enormous alligator. Like maybe 15 ft long, 3 ft wide head pointed straight at me. He was submerged underwater. I glanced around quickly looking for a way out and saw another one down the creek trailing towards me. I screamed for my father, summoning him. He came out from behind a tree and started running towards me, almost in slow motion. When he came over I didn't say anything, I think just expecting him to help me
That's a cool dream. Animals can very often be used as a clue that one is dreaming. I like to use the mantra "I see an animal, I realize that I am dreaming" and repeat this throughout the day. One can also be on the lookout for animals when doing daily ADA and RC when seeing one. I liked how you summoned your dad to help you. This is exactly how we do it in lds too. One can learn a lot even from non-lds.

I've been going to bed at 10:30 or 11:00 usually.
Alright, so depending on how much time you've got available for sleep, you might consider moving the wbtb a bit later. 3-4 am maybe?

Also: My recall is sketchy
Recall tends to fluctuate,so don't be disappointed if you can't recall your dreams every single day. At any rate, do you best to write down anything that comes to mind and be positive about it. I posted an answer to that question in the link as well.