Lake Palo Pinto
Palo Pinto County, Texas2,661 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
↓ down from C at the last regrade
- Eutrophic
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 46 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake Palo Pinto in Palo Pinto County, Texas has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 13.6 µg/L. Surface area: 2661 acres.
- Clarity
- 3.9 ft
- Max depth
- ~46 ft est.
- Area
- 2,661 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 30 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 13.6 µg/L
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- Yes
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Stays near Lake Palo Pinto
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Watch Lake Palo Pinto’s letter
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Lake Palo Pinto is a 2,661-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Palo Pinto County, Texas with an estimated average depth of about 46 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Phosphorus level is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 3 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, TCEQ, last sampled 2025-10-22. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Lake Palo Pinto is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch3 documented ramps
- Big water2,661 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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Murky, only visible to about 3.9 ft. Phosphorus 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 13.6 µg/L. TSI 56. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3.9 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 30 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 13.6 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 56 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Current Conditions
USGS snapshot Sep 7, 2026, 3:15 PM from gauge 08090300 (Lk Palo Pinto nr Santo, TX). Station page ↗ — a live reading replaces this snapshot when the gauge responds. Missing live data is not an all-clear.
→ Lake Palo Pinto water level: the live USGS gauge reading
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~46 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 2,661 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 Palo Pinto.
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 2692Public
- Love Ramp RoadPublic
- FM 3137Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Lake Palo Pinto
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | -0.013 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -2.14 µg/L/yr | 3 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +1.7 µg/L/yr | 4 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Palo Pinto is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Palo Pinto Dam (completed 1964), built primarily for water supply on the Palo Pinto Creek; earth-type dam, 96 ft tall and 1,255 ft long.
- Surface area
- 2,661 ac
- Normal storage
- 44,100 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 186,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 471 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- CITY OF MINERAL WELLS;PALO PINTO COUNTY MWD 1
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID TX03845 · Operator website
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Palo Pinto County
Nearby Lakes in Palo Pinto County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Palo Pinto
Where is Lake Palo Pinto?
- Lake Palo Pinto is a lake in Palo Pinto 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 Palo Pinto?
- Lake Palo Pinto in Palo Pinto County, Texas has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 13.6 µg/L. Surface area: 2661 acres.
Is Lake Palo Pinto safe to swim in?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake Palo Pinto?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Palo Pinto, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 46 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 2661 acres.
What is the water level at Lake Palo Pinto?
- The USGS snapshot on this page for Lake Palo Pinto is 864.56 ft of water-surface elevation, recorded Sep 7, 2026, 3:15 PM at gauge 08090300. 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 Palo Pinto?
- Lake Palo Pinto has 3 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include FM 2692, Love Ramp Road, FM 3137. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Lake Palo Pinto across LakeQuality
More Texas Lake Rankings
Other Grade D Lakes in Texas
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Where this data comes from
54 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
TCEQMAIN54 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