Lake Jacksonville
Cherokee County, Texas1,325 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
↑ up from B at the last regrade
- Mesotrophic
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 55 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake Jacksonville in Cherokee County, Texas has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 7.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 22.6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.6 µg/L. Surface area: 1325 acres.
- Clarity
- 7.4 ft
- Max depth
- ~55 ft est.
- Area
- 1,325 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 22.6 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 5.6 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Lake Jacksonville’s letter
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Lake Jacksonville is a 1,325-acre mesotrophic lake in Cherokee County, Texas with an estimated average depth of about 55 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 1 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 2025-09-30. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Lake Jacksonville is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Big water1,325 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 A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.4 ft. Phosphorus 22.6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.6 µg/L. TSI 48. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 7.4 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 22.6 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 5.6 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 48 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~55 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 1,325 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 Jacksonville.
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
- FM 3119Public
- Southshore ParkPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Lake Jacksonville
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.149 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +2.55 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.17 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Jacksonville is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Buckner Dam (completed 1957), built primarily for water supply on the Gum Creek; earth-type dam, 75 ft tall and 2,700 ft long.
- Surface area
- 1,325 ac
- Normal storage
- 25,670 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 49,500 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 41 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- CITY OF JACKSONVILLE
All listed purposes: Water Supply;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID TX00583 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.21 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Cherokee County
Nearby Lakes in Cherokee County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Jacksonville
Where is Lake Jacksonville?
- Lake Jacksonville is a lake in Cherokee County, Texas. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Lake Jacksonville?
- Lake Jacksonville in Cherokee County, Texas has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 7.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 22.6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.6 µg/L. Surface area: 1325 acres.
Is Lake Jacksonville safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake Jacksonville?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Jacksonville, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 55 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 1325 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Jacksonville?
- Lake Jacksonville has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include FM 3119, Southshore Park. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Lake Jacksonville across LakeQuality
More Texas Lake Rankings
Other Grade A Lakes in Texas
Mesotrophic Lakes in Texas
Where this data comes from
45 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
TCEQMAIN45 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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory