Buffalo Springs Lake
Lubbock County, Texas200 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run well above the regional average.
- Hypereutrophic
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 26 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Buffalo Springs Lake in Lubbock County, Texas has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 2.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 110 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 83.3 µg/L. Surface area: 200 acres.
- Clarity
- 2.4 ft
- Max depth
- ~26 ft est.
- Area
- 200 acres
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 110 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 83.3 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Buffalo Springs Lake in Lubbock County, Texas — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water. The water-quality grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Buffalo Springs Lake are listed below.
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Watch Buffalo Springs Lake’s letter
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Buffalo Springs Lake is a 200-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Lubbock County, Texas with an estimated average depth of about 26 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, TCEQ, last sampled 2025-11-03. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Buffalo Springs Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
The F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Very murky, less than 2.4 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 110 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 83.3 µg/L. TSI 70. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2.4 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 110 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 83.3 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 70 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~26 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~18 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 200 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Texas has not published bathymetry for Buffalo Springs Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Recreation & Access
- Buffalo Springs LakePublic
- Buffalo Bay MarinaSemi-private
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Buffalo Springs Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | +0.005 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +140.52 µg/L/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +11.48 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Buffalo Springs Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Mcmillan Dam (completed 1959), built primarily for water supply on the Double Mountain Fork Brazos R; earth-type dam, 76 ft tall and 1,600 ft long.
- Surface area
- 200 ac
- Normal storage
- 4,200 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 8,280 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 236 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- LUBBOCK COUNTY WCID 1
All listed purposes: Water Supply;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID TX04027 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.02 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Lubbock County
Nearby Lakes in Lubbock County
Frequently asked questions about Buffalo Springs Lake
Where is Buffalo Springs Lake?
- Buffalo Springs Lake is a lake in Lubbock County, Texas. LakeQuality grades it F for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Buffalo Springs Lake?
- Buffalo Springs Lake in Lubbock County, Texas has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 2.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 110 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 83.3 µg/L. Surface area: 200 acres.
Is Buffalo Springs Lake safe to swim in?
- The F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Buffalo Springs Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Buffalo Springs Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 26 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 200 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Buffalo Springs Lake?
- Buffalo Springs Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Buffalo Springs Lake, Buffalo Bay Marina. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Buffalo Springs Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
47 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
TCEQMAIN47 samples · 2020–2025
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory