Lake Brownwood
Brown County, Texas7,300 acresView mapDirections
TCEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Brownwood. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Public access
Lake Brownwood in Brown County, Texas has water-quality measurements published by TCEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 45 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 22.6 µg/L. Surface area: 7300 acres.
Lake Brownwood is a 7,300-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Brown County, Texas. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Brown County, Lake Brownwood ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, TCEQ, last sampled 2025-10-14. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
At about 7,300 acres, Lake Brownwood is large enough that where you stay decides which shore you see most of. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Lake Brownwood, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Lake Brownwood is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Big water7,300 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyAlgae risk
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake Brownwood is safe to swim in today is a call for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Lake Brownwood
These are the measurements TCEQ publishes for Lake Brownwood, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 1.8 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 45 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 22.6 µg/L. TSI 63.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 45µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 22.6µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 63 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Lake Brownwood
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
7,300 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by TCEQ
No bathymetric survey has been published for Lake Brownwood, so its depth is not documented here.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Brownwood
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Brownwood in Brown 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 readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Lake Brownwood are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Lake Brownwood
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Texas’s top lakes →
Follow Lake Brownwood’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Lake Brownwood
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Brownwood is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Brownwood Dam (completed 1933), built primarily for water supply on the Pecan Bayou; earth-type dam, 120 ft tall and 1,580 ft long.
- Surface area
- 7,300 ac
- Normal storage
- 131,429 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,011,829 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 1,544 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- BROWN COUNTY WID 1
All listed purposes: Water Supply;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID TX02789 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Brown County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Brownwood
Where is Lake Brownwood?
- Lake Brownwood is a lake in Brown County, Texas. Its water-quality measurements are published by TCEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lake Brownwood?
- Lake Brownwood in Brown County, Texas has water-quality measurements published by TCEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 45 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 22.6 µg/L. Surface area: 7300 acres.
Is Lake Brownwood safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Can I fish at Lake Brownwood?
- Public access to Lake Brownwood is listed as yes on the lake record. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Texas's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Lake Brownwood across LakeQuality
More lakes in Texas
Other Lakes in Texas
Eutrophic Lakes in Texas
Where this data comes from
109 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
TCEQMAIN109 samples · 2020–2025
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.