Rains County, Texas · Water Quality Report Card
Lake Fork Reservoir
Lake Fork Reservoir in Rains County, Texas is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 1.7 ft visibility.
- Clarity
- 1.7 ft
- Mean depth
- ~46 ft est.
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
Lake Fork Reservoir is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Rains County, Texas with an estimated average depth of about 46 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, TCEQ, last sampled 2020-10-14. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake
Water Quality Grade: Not rated
Very murky, less than 1.7 ft of visibility. Trophic State Index: 69.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.7 ft | |
| Phosphorus | No data | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 69 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Average Depth | ~46 ft est. |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled estimate from HydroLAKES, not a measured survey. Texas has not published bathymetry for Lake Fork Reservoir.
Where to stay near Lake Fork Reservoir
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Fishing Lake Fork Reservoir
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.057 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +8.25 µg/L/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | → Stable | -0.93 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Location
Nearby Lakes in Rains County
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Eutrophic Lakes in Texas
More records, surveys & data sources
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.
Where this data comes from
5 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- USGS Texas Water Science Center
USGS-TX5 samples · 2020
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds come from the U.S. EPA National Lakes Assessment 2022 Technical Support Document (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated.
Data Sources
Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion
Most recent sample: 2020-10-14
Monitoring stations: 1