Lake Fryer
Ochiltree County, Texas90 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run well above the regional average.
- Hypereutrophic
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 14 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake Fryer in Ochiltree County, Texas has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 0.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 100 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 124 µg/L. Surface area: 90 acres.
- Clarity
- 0.7 ft
- Max depth
- ~14 ft est.
- Area
- 90 acres
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 100 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 124 µg/L
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- Yes
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Stays near Lake Fryer
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Fryer in Ochiltree 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 Fryer are listed below.
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Watch Lake Fryer’s letter
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Lake Fryer is a 90-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Ochiltree County, Texas with an estimated average depth of about 14 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 1 sampling years through 2026. Phosphorus level is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, TCEQ, last sampled 2026-01-07. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Lake Fryer is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
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 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 0.7 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 100 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 124 µg/L. TSI 77. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 0.7 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 100 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 124 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 77 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~14 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~8 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 90 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 Fryer.
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
- Lake FryerPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Lake Fryer
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | +0.004 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -17.16 µg/L/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +10.42 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Fryer is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Fryer Dam (completed 1939), built primarily for recreation on the Wolf Creek; earth-type dam, 40 ft tall and 2,650 ft long.
- Surface area
- 90 ac
- Normal storage
- 947 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 2,792 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 138 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- OCHILTREE COUNTY
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID TX03890 · Operator website
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Ochiltree County
Nearby Lakes in Ochiltree County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Fryer
Where is Lake Fryer?
- Lake Fryer is a lake in Ochiltree 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 Fryer?
- Lake Fryer in Ochiltree County, Texas has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 0.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 100 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 124 µg/L. Surface area: 90 acres.
Is Lake Fryer safe to swim in?
- The F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake Fryer?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Fryer, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 14 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 90 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Fryer?
- Lake Fryer has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Fryer. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Lake Fryer across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
38 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
TCEQMAIN38 samples · 2020–2026
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory