Cedar Creek Lake, Texas, USA

Also known as:  Cedar Creek Reservoir

Cedar Creek Lake (also known as Cedar Creek Reservoir) is located an hour southeast of Dallas in the Prairie and Lakes region of Texas. Created in 1965 as a water reservoir for the Fort Worth area, it is one of the few lakes in northeast Texas that allows lakefront property ownership. This 32,623-acre lake is 18 miles long and offers 320 miles of shoreline, making it one…
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    • All About Cedar Creek Lake, TX

    Lake Locations: USA - US Southwest Region - Texas - Prairies and Lakes Region, TX -

    Cedar Creek Lake (also known as Cedar Creek Reservoir) is located an hour southeast of Dallas in the Prairie and Lakes region of Texas. Created in 1965 as a water reservoir for the Fort Worth area, it is one of the few lakes in northeast Texas that allows lakefront property ownership. This 32,623-acre lake is 18 miles long and offers 320 miles of shoreline, making it one of the best lakes in the area for boating, swimming, and fishing. Weekenders from the Dallas area flock to Cedar Creek Lake during the hot Texas summers to take advantage of the water activities and beautiful scenery.

    Managed by the Tarrant Regional Water District, Cedar Creek Lake is the fourth largest lake in Texas. Cedar Creek, which is a tributary to the Trinity River, was dammed with Cedar Creek Dam located at the south end of the lake near the town of Malakoff. On the west side of Cedar Creek Reservoir is a spillway that lets water into a canal to the Trinity River. Caney Creek, Clear Creek, and King’s Creek also contribute to the inflow of water into the lake. Water levels fluctuate, on average, within a four-foot range.

    Towns near Cedar Creek Lake include Kemp, Mabank, Gun Barrel City, Payne Springs, Enchanted Oaks, Eustace Caney City, Star Harbor, Trinidad, Tool, and Seven Points.

    Texas Parks and Wildlife Department maintains three islands in Cedar Creek Lake as a Wildlife Management Area for aquatic birds. Totaling 160 acres, these islands help protect the birds, offering great opportunities for birding and wildlife watching. Tom Finley Park, located on the Causeway on Texas Route 334, is a day use waterfront park that offers a boat ramp and picnic areas. From Thanksgiving to New Years, Tom Finley Park becomes a Christmas Island with wonderful light displays during the Holiday Season. Boat storage can be found all around the lake along with boat slip rentals with an electric lift at a local marina.

    Rated as one of the top fishing lakes in Texas, Cedar Creek Lake’s predominant fish species are largemouth bass, blue, channel and flathead catfish, white and hybrid striped bass, and crappie. All fishing is managed under statewide regulations, so check all legal limits and regulations before fishing. Largemouth bass fishing is best in the southern portion of the lake where the water is clearer. Catfish can be found everywhere with more blues than channel catfish in the legal size range. Hybrid striped bass are stocked annually with the lake record weighting in at just over 13 pounds. Because of the numerous creeks, run-offs, and streams flowing into the lake, Cedar Creek Lake is a good catfish fishing lake. Texas Parks and Wildlife has rated the fishing for white and hybrid striped bass as excellent and largemouth bass, catfish, and crappie as good.

    Because the pace of lake life is slower than in the city, vacationing, living, or retiring to rural Cedar Creek Lake offers a life filled with water fun, relaxing scenery, and a full life. Vacation Rentals are readily available and include waterfront homes, cottages, and lake view cabins. The small towns around the lake offer a variety of dining and shopping with the big city of Dallas only an hour away. What a great place to get away from it all while still being close enough to stay in touch.

    Things to Do at Cedar Creek Lake

    These are some activities in the Cedar Creek Lake, TX area visitors can enjoy:

    • Vacation Rentals
    • Fishing
    • Boating
    • Swimming
    • Picnicking
    • Cabin Rentals
    • Wildlife Viewing
    • Birding
    • Shopping

    What Kind of Fish Are in Cedar Creek Lake?

    Cedar Creek Lake has been known to have the following fish species:

    • Bass
    • Black Bass
    • Catfish
    • Channel Catfish
    • Crappie
    • Flathead Catfish
    • Largemouth Bass
    • Striped Bass
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    Find Places to Stay at Cedar Creek Lake

    If you’re considering a Cedar Creek Lake lake house rental or hotel, we’ve made it super easy to find the best rates and compare vacation accommodations at a glance. Save time using this interactive map below.

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    More Sites to Book a Cedar Creek Lake Vacation

    Our interactive Cedar Creek Lake lodging map above is an easy tool for comparing VRBO rental homes and nearby hotels with Booking.com, but there could be times when you need to expand your search for different types of accommodations. Here are some other lake lodging partners we recommend:

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    Cedar Creek Lake Statistics & Helpful Links

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    Lake Type: Artificial Reservoir, Dammed

    Water Level Control: Tarrant Regional Water District

    Surface Area: 32,623 acres

    Shoreline Length: 220 miles

    Normal Elevation (Full Pond): 322 feet

    Minimum Elevation (Min Pond): 315 feet

    Maximum Elevation (Max Pond): 323 feet

    Average Depth: 20 feet

    Maximum Depth: 53 feet

    Water Volume: 644,785 acre-feet

    Completion Year: 1965

    Lake Area-Population: 5,800

    Drainage Area: 1,007 sq. miles

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    Lake Water Level
    Local Weather Forecast

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