Lake Coleman
Coleman County, Texas1,886 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae sit mid-range for this region.
↓ down from B at the last regrade
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- #2 of 2 in the county
- 61 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake Coleman in Coleman County, Texas has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.6 µg/L. Surface area: 1886 acres.
- Clarity
- 3.9 ft
- Max depth
- ~61 ft est.
- Area
- 1,886 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 20 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 9.6 µg/L
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Lake Coleman’s letter
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Lake Coleman is a 1,886-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Coleman County, Texas with an estimated average depth of about 61 feet. Water quality is graded C based on 1 sampling years through 2025. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 3 public boat landings. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Coleman County, Lake Coleman ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, TCEQ, last sampled 2025-11-17. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Lake Coleman is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch3 documented ramps
- Big water1,886 acres
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 C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Lake Coleman is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)
Murky, only visible to about 3.9 ft. Phosphorus 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 9.6 µg/L. TSI 52. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3.9 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 20 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 9.6 µg/L | Fair |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 52 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Current Conditions
USGS snapshot Sep 7, 2026, 3:30 PM from gauge 08140770 (Lk Coleman nr Novice, TX). Station page ↗ — a live reading replaces this snapshot when the gauge responds. Missing live data is not an all-clear.
→ Lake Coleman water level: the live USGS gauge reading
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~61 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 1,886 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 Coleman.
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
- Quail Creek RV ParkPublic
- Press Morris ParkPublic
- Playin Hooky MarinaSemi-private
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Lake Coleman
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.054 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | 0 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +1.44 µg/L/yr | 4 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Coleman is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Coleman Dam (completed 1966), built primarily for irrigation on the Jim Ned Creek; earth-type dam, 90 ft tall and 4,700 ft long.
- Surface area
- 1,886 ac
- Normal storage
- 38,846 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 91,680 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 299 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- CITY OF COLEMAN
All listed purposes: Irrigation;Other;Recreation;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID TX02152 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Coleman is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit TX-1419_01 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 2 lakes in Coleman County
Nearby Lakes in Coleman County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Coleman
Where is Lake Coleman?
- Lake Coleman is a lake in Coleman County, Texas. LakeQuality grades it C for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Lake Coleman?
- Lake Coleman in Coleman County, Texas has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.6 µg/L. Surface area: 1886 acres.
Is Lake Coleman safe to swim in?
- The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Lake Coleman is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake Coleman?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Coleman, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 61 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 1886 acres.
What is the water level at Lake Coleman?
- The USGS snapshot on this page for Lake Coleman is 1713.12 ft of water-surface elevation, recorded Sep 7, 2026, 3:30 PM at gauge 08140770. 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 Coleman?
- Lake Coleman has 3 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Quail Creek RV Park, Press Morris Park, Playin Hooky Marina. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Lake Coleman across LakeQuality
More Texas Lake Rankings
Other Grade C Lakes in Texas
Eutrophic Lakes in Texas
Where this data comes from
39 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
TCEQMAIN39 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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory