Lake Amon G Carter
Montague County, Texas1,540 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run well above the regional average.
↓ down from D at the last regrade
- Hypereutrophic
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 52 ft max depth
- Public access
Lake Amon G Carter in Montague County, Texas has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 2.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 40 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 40.1 µg/L. Surface area: 1540 acres.
- Clarity
- 2.3 ft
- Max depth
- ~52 ft est.
- Area
- 1,540 acres
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 40 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 40.1 µg/L
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- Yes
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Stays near Lake Amon G Carter
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Amon G Carter in Montague 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 Lake Amon G Carter are listed below.
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Watch Lake Amon G Carter’s letter
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Lake Amon G Carter is a 1,540-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Montague County, Texas with an estimated average depth of about 52 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Phosphorus level 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 2025-08-06. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Lake Amon G Carter is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Big water1,540 acres
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
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 2.3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 40 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 40.1 µg/L. TSI 63. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2.3 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 40 µg/L | Fair |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 40.1 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 63 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Current Conditions
USGS snapshot Sep 7, 2026, 3:00 PM from gauge 08043700 (Lk Amon G Carter nr Bowie, TX). Station page ↗ — a live reading replaces this snapshot when the gauge responds. Missing live data is not an all-clear.
→ Lake Amon G Carter water level: the live USGS gauge reading
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~52 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~42 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 1,540 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 Lake Amon G Carter.
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
- Selma ParkPublic
- Big Sandy CreekPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Lake Amon G Carter
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | +0.005 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +4.32 µg/L/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -2.83 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Amon G Carter is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Amon G Carter Dam (completed 1956), built primarily for water supply on the Big Sandy Creek; earth-type dam, 80 ft tall and 1,750 ft long.
- Surface area
- 1,540 ac
- Normal storage
- 28,600 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 102,250 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 100 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- CITY OF BOWIE
All listed purposes: Water Supply;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID TX00699 · Operator website
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Montague County
Nearby Lakes in Montague County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Amon G Carter
Where is Lake Amon G Carter?
- Lake Amon G Carter is a lake in Montague County, Texas. LakeQuality grades it F for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Lake Amon G Carter?
- Lake Amon G Carter in Montague County, Texas has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 2.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 40 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 40.1 µg/L. Surface area: 1540 acres.
Is Lake Amon G Carter safe to swim in?
- The F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake Amon G Carter?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Amon G Carter, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 52 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 1540 acres.
What is the water level at Lake Amon G Carter?
- The USGS snapshot on this page for Lake Amon G Carter is 916.71 ft of water-surface elevation, recorded Sep 7, 2026, 3:00 PM at gauge 08043700. Current Conditions hydrates a live NWIS reading from that same station when the gauge responds. A missed live fetch is not an all-clear.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Amon G Carter?
- Lake Amon G Carter has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Selma Park, Big Sandy Creek. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Lake Amon G Carter across LakeQuality
More Texas Lake Rankings
Other Grade F Lakes in Texas
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Where this data comes from
70 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
TCEQMAIN70 samples · 2020–2025
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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