Lake Gilmer
Upshur County, Texas895 acresView mapDirections
TCEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Gilmer. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Public access
Lake Gilmer in Upshur County, Texas has water-quality measurements published by TCEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 38 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 24.9 µg/L. Surface area: 895 acres.
Lake Gilmer is a 895-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Upshur County, Texas. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Upshur County, Lake Gilmer ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, TCEQ, last sampled 2025-09-29. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Lake Gilmer is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
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 Gilmer 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 Gilmer
These are the measurements TCEQ publishes for Lake Gilmer, 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 3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 38 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 24.9 µg/L. TSI 60.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 38µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 24.9µg/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. | 60 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Lake Gilmer
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
895 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by TCEQ
No bathymetric survey has been published for Lake Gilmer, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Lake Gilmer PublicPublic
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 Gilmer
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Gilmer in Upshur 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Lake Gilmer
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 Gilmer’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Lake Gilmer
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+1.74 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+1.21 µg/L/yr4 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Gilmer is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Gilmer Dam (completed 1996), built primarily for water supply on the Kelsey Creek; earth-type dam, 43 ft tall and 2,200 ft long.
- Surface area
- 895 ac
- Normal storage
- 12,720 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 26,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 35.6 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- CITY OF GILMER
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID TX06485 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Upshur County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Gilmer
Where is Lake Gilmer?
- Lake Gilmer is a lake in Upshur County, Texas. Its water-quality measurements are published by TCEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lake Gilmer?
- Lake Gilmer in Upshur County, Texas has water-quality measurements published by TCEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 38 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 24.9 µg/L. Surface area: 895 acres.
Is Lake Gilmer safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Gilmer?
- Lake Gilmer has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Gilmer Public. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lake Gilmer?
- Lake Gilmer has 1 documented boat landing 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.
Explore Lake Gilmer across LakeQuality
More lakes in Texas
Other Lakes in Texas
Eutrophic Lakes in Texas
Where this data comes from
130 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
TCEQMAIN130 samples · 2020–2025
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory