Pat Cleburne Reservoir
Johnson County, Texas1,550 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run well above the regional average.
↓ down from D at the last regrade
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 41 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Pat Cleburne Reservoir in Johnson County, Texas has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 2.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 50 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 46.9 µg/L. Surface area: 1550 acres.
- Clarity
- 2.4 ft
- Max depth
- ~41 ft est.
- Area
- 1,550 acres
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 50 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 46.9 µg/L
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- Yes
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Stays near Pat Cleburne Reservoir
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Pat Cleburne Reservoir in Johnson 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 Pat Cleburne Reservoir are listed below.
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Pat Cleburne Reservoir is a 1,550-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Johnson County, Texas with an estimated average depth of about 41 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2026. Water clarity 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 2026-03-02. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Pat Cleburne Reservoir is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch3 documented ramps
- Big water1,550 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 F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Pat Cleburne Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Very murky, less than 2.4 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 50 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 46.9 µg/L. TSI 64. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2.4 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 50 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 46.9 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 64 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Current Conditions
USGS snapshot Sep 7, 2026, 3:00 PM from gauge 08091900 (Lk Pat Cleburne nr Cleburne, TX). Station page ↗ — a live reading replaces this snapshot when the gauge responds. Missing live data is not an all-clear.
→ Pat Cleburne Reservoir water level: the live USGS gauge reading
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~41 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 1,550 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 Pat Cleburne Reservoir.
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
- Lake Pat Cleburne (West)Public
- Lake Pat Cleburne (East)Public
- Kirtley ParkPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Pat Cleburne Reservoir
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.072 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | 0 µg/L/yr | 3 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +1.65 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Pat Cleburne Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Pat Cleburne Dam (completed 1964), built primarily for water supply on the Nolan River; earth-type dam, 78 ft tall and 5,190 ft long.
- Surface area
- 1,550 ac
- Normal storage
- 25,730 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 66,700 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 100 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- CITY OF CLEBURNE
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID TX03594 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Pat Cleburne Reservoir 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-1228_01 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Johnson County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Pat Cleburne Reservoir holds Grade F. One nearby lake has a higher nutrient-and-algae grade — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
Nearby Lakes in Johnson County
Frequently asked questions about Pat Cleburne Reservoir
Where is Pat Cleburne Reservoir?
- Pat Cleburne Reservoir is a lake in Johnson County, Texas. LakeQuality grades it F for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Pat Cleburne Reservoir?
- Pat Cleburne Reservoir in Johnson County, Texas has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 2.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 50 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 46.9 µg/L. Surface area: 1550 acres.
Is Pat Cleburne Reservoir safe to swim in?
- The F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Pat Cleburne Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Pat Cleburne Reservoir?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Pat Cleburne Reservoir, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 41 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 1550 acres.
What is the water level at Pat Cleburne Reservoir?
- The USGS snapshot on this page for Pat Cleburne Reservoir is 731.42 ft of water-surface elevation, recorded Sep 7, 2026, 3:00 PM at gauge 08091900. 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 Pat Cleburne Reservoir?
- Pat Cleburne Reservoir has 3 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Pat Cleburne (West), Lake Pat Cleburne (East), Kirtley Park. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Pat Cleburne Reservoir across LakeQuality
More Texas Lake Rankings
Other Grade F Lakes in Texas
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Texas
Where this data comes from
56 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
TCEQMAIN56 samples · 2020–2026
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