Lake Graham
Young County, Texas1,900 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
↓ down from C at the last regrade
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 49 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake Graham in Young County, Texas has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 3.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 40 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 16.4 µg/L. Surface area: 1900 acres.
- Clarity
- 3.6 ft
- Max depth
- ~49 ft est.
- Area
- 1,900 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 40 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 16.4 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Stays near Lake Graham
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Graham in Young 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 Graham are listed below.
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Watch Lake Graham’s letter
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Lake Graham is a 1,900-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Young County, Texas with an estimated average depth of about 49 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, TCEQ, last sampled 2025-08-13. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Lake Graham is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Big water1,900 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 D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Lake Graham is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Murky, only visible to about 3.6 ft. Phosphorus 40 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 16.4 µg/L. TSI 58. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3.6 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 40 µg/L | Fair |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 16.4 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 58 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Current Conditions
USGS snapshot Sep 7, 2026, 3:00 PM from gauge 08088400 (Lk Graham nr Graham, TX). Station page ↗ — a live reading replaces this snapshot when the gauge responds. Missing live data is not an all-clear.
→ Lake Graham water level: the live USGS gauge reading
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~49 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 1,900 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 Graham.
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
- Graham SouthPublic
- McKinley LanePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Lake Graham
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.109 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +5 µg/L/yr | 3 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.98 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Graham is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Graham Dam (completed 1959), built primarily for water supply on the Salt Creek; earth-type dam, 82 ft tall and 4,300 ft long.
- Surface area
- 1,900 ac
- Normal storage
- 39,000 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 105,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 42 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- CITY OF GRAHAM
All listed purposes: Water Supply;Other.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID TX03945 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Graham 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-1231_01 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Young County
Nearby Lakes in Young County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Graham
Where is Lake Graham?
- Lake Graham is a lake in Young County, Texas. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Lake Graham?
- Lake Graham in Young County, Texas has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 3.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 40 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 16.4 µg/L. Surface area: 1900 acres.
Is Lake Graham safe to swim in?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Lake Graham is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake Graham?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Graham, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 49 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 1900 acres.
What is the water level at Lake Graham?
- The USGS snapshot on this page for Lake Graham is 1068.33 ft of water-surface elevation, recorded Sep 7, 2026, 3:00 PM at gauge 08088400. 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 Graham?
- Lake Graham has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Graham South, McKinley Lane. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Lake Graham across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
35 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
TCEQMAIN35 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