Lake Coleman
Coleman County, Texas1,886 acresView mapDirections
TCEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Coleman. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- 61 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake Coleman in Coleman County, Texas has water-quality measurements published by TCEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.6 µg/L. Surface area: 1886 acres.
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 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. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Lake Coleman is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch3 documented ramps
- Big water1,886 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. Lake Coleman is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake Coleman 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 Coleman
These are the measurements TCEQ publishes for Lake Coleman, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 3.9 ft. Phosphorus 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 9.6 µg/L. TSI 52.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 20µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 9.6µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 52 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Lake Coleman
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
→ Lake Coleman water level: the live USGS gauge reading
Lake Details
Max depth
~61 ft est.
Surface area
1,886 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by TCEQ
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
Watershed (drainage) area
301 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
9.9 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,706 ft
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
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Coleman
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Top-rated places to stay near Lake Coleman
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Fishing Lake Coleman
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving6 years
Phosphorus
Stable0 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+1.44 µg/L/yr4 years
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
Designated uses not supporting: Other.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit TX-1419_01 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Coleman County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Coleman
Where is Lake Coleman?
- Lake Coleman is a lake in Coleman County, Texas. Its water-quality measurements are published by TCEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lake Coleman?
- Lake Coleman in Coleman County, Texas has water-quality measurements published by TCEQ, shown here as reported. 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?
- Nutrient and algae readings are 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.
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.
Can I fish at Lake Coleman?
- Lake Coleman has 3 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. 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.
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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)
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.
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