Lake Palestine
Smith County, TexasView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run well above the regional average.
↓ down from D at the last regrade
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · pH / acidity
- #4 of 5 in the county
- Public access
Lake Palestine in Smith County, Texas has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 48 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 56.5 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 2 ft
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 48 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 56.5 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Palestine
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Palestine in Smith 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 Palestine are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Lake Palestine
Prices for Sep 11–13, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Watch Lake Palestine’s letter
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Lake Palestine is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Smith County, Texas. Water quality is graded F 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 11 public boat landings. Compared to the 4 other monitored lakes in Smith County, Lake Palestine ranks #4 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, TCEQ, last sampled 2025-09-09. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Lake Palestine is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch11 documented ramps
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
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. Lake Palestine is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Very murky, less than 2 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 48 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 56.5 µg/L. TSI 66. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 48 µg/L | Fair |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 56.5 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 66 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Current Conditions
USGS snapshot Sep 7, 2026, 3:00 PM from gauge 08031400 (Lk Palestine nr Frankston, TX). Station page ↗ — a live reading replaces this snapshot when the gauge responds. Missing live data is not an all-clear.
→ Lake Palestine water level: the live USGS gauge reading
Recreation & Access
- Saline BayPublic
- Brookshire's Recreation ParkPublic
- Cherokee LandingPublic
- Beacon PointPublic
- Pinehaven Park DrivePublic
- Lakeway Harbor DrivePublic
Showing 6 of 11 documented landings from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory.
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Lake Palestine
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.1 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +1 µg/L/yr | 3 |
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Palestine 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-0605_11 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #4 of 5 lakes in Smith County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Lake Palestine holds Grade F. 2 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Smith County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Palestine
Where is Lake Palestine?
- Lake Palestine is a lake in Smith 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 Palestine?
- Lake Palestine in Smith County, Texas has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 48 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 56.5 µg/L.
Is Lake Palestine safe to swim in?
- The F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Lake Palestine is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water level at Lake Palestine?
- The USGS snapshot on this page for Lake Palestine is 343.69 ft of water-surface elevation, recorded Sep 7, 2026, 3:00 PM at gauge 08031400. 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 Palestine?
- Lake Palestine has 11 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Saline Bay, Brookshire's Recreation Park, Cherokee Landing, Beacon Point, among others. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Lake Palestine across LakeQuality
More Texas Lake Rankings
Other Grade F Lakes in Texas
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Texas
Where this data comes from
346 measurements from 13 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
TCEQMAIN246 samples · 2020–2025 - USGS Texas Water Science Center
USGS-TX100 samples · 2020–2023
Monitoring station identifiers (13)
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory