How many of the lakes in Texas are man-made?

What about the other lakes in Texas? There are 187 man-made water supply reservoirs, which look an awful lot like natural lakes, larger than 5,000 acres in Texas, according to the Texas Water Development Board. A man-made lake is created when a dam is built on a creek or river channel, trapping the water behind it.



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The truth is that Texas has hundreds of natural lakes, most of which are, unlike Caddo, of the little oxbow variety, remnants of rivers that have shifted course over time. (In the Rio Grande Valley, such lakes are known as resacas.)

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Water School Natural lakes have been a rare commodity in Texas. In fact, the state had only one natural lake, Caddo Lake in East Texas, that was formed by a log jam. A permanent dam was installed at the lake in the early 20th century.

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But did you know that the Lone Star State is also home to several crystal clear lakes? While Texas boasts numerous fishing sites, its clear swimming waters are gems the state prides itself on. Below, we list eight of the clearest lakes in Texas and where to find them.

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Caddo Lake - Largest Natural Lake Caddo Lake is the largest natural lake in Texas. Located in the eastern part of Texas, this lake is a unique wonder that deserves to be preserved for generations to come.

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The Toledo Bend Reservoir, the largest reservoir in Texas, is formed by the Toledo Bend Dam which is about eighty miles northeast of Beaumont, Texas on the Sabine River.

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The oldest man-made lake in Texas is Lake Austin. It was created in 1893 when a dam was built on the Colorado River, though the first dam failed in 1900. It is a thin lake that appears riverine on a map. It's maintained at a constant level by the outflows of other reservoirs along the same river system.

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All three lakes are manmade reservoirs, Lady Bird and Lake Austin are flow-through reservoirs on the Colorado River, and Lake Long is a cooling reservoir for the Decker Creek Power Station.

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Bois d'Arc Lake is the first new major reservoir in Texas in nearly 30 years.

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Most of the lakes in Texas are artificial and created by damming rivers and streams. Artificial lakes are typically reservoirs, and people create them by damming rivers or streams and flooding the surrounding floodplain.

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The great news is, swimming in Texas lakes is just as safe as swimming in any natural body of water, taking into account the possible risks outlined above.

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Outside Lake Lewisville, you can find alligators in Lake Worth, Caddo Lake, and Eagle Mountain Lake. If you're afraid of having a close encounter with an alligator at one of these lakes, you shouldn't be. For most of the alligator-infested lakes in Texas, sightings are few and far between.

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Texas has some great lakes to live on throughout all regions of the state, including the DFW area in North Texas, Greater Houston, and the Highland Lakes chain on the Colorado River upstream of Austin. There's no shortage of premium Texas real estate near the water.

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The only state in the US with no natural lakes is Maryland. Although Maryland has rivers and other freshwater ponds, no natural body of water is large enough to qualify as a lake.

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The deepest lake in Texas is Lake Amistad. The Amistad National Recreation Area which covers 57,292 acres of land is on the northern side of the lake providing a habitat for a variety of animals including 50 documented species of fish!

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