Ray Roberts Lake
Cooke County, Texas29,350 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
↓ down from C at the last regrade
- Eutrophic
- #1 of 1 in the county
- Public access
Ray Roberts Lake in Cooke County, Texas has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 2.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 15 µg/L. Surface area: 29350 acres.
- Clarity
- 2.6 ft
- Area
- 29,350 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 30 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 15 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Stays near Ray Roberts Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Ray Roberts Lake in Cooke 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 Ray Roberts Lake are listed below.
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Watch Ray Roberts Lake’s letter
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Ray Roberts Lake is a 29,350-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Cooke County, Texas. Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2024. 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 2024-03-06. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Ray Roberts Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Big water29,350 acres
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 D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Very murky, less than 2.6 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 15 µg/L. TSI 58. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2.6 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 30 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 15 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 58 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 29,350 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Ray Roberts Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Lake Ray Roberts State Park - Pecan CreekPublic
- Lake Ray Roberts State Park - JordanPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Ray Roberts Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.08 m/yr | 4 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Ray Roberts Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Ray Roberts Dam (completed 1986), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Elm Fork of The Trinity River; earth-type dam, 141 ft tall and 14,980 ft long.
- Surface area
- 29,350 ac
- Normal storage
- 799,600 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,931,900 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 692 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- USACE - Fort Worth District
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Fish and Wildlife Pond;Recreation;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID TX08008 · Operator website
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Cooke County
Nearby Lakes in Cooke County
Frequently asked questions about Ray Roberts Lake
Where is Ray Roberts Lake?
- Ray Roberts Lake is a lake in Cooke County, Texas. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Ray Roberts Lake?
- Ray Roberts Lake in Cooke County, Texas has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 2.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 15 µg/L. Surface area: 29350 acres.
Is Ray Roberts Lake safe to swim in?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Ray Roberts Lake?
- Ray Roberts Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Ray Roberts State Park - Pecan Creek, Lake Ray Roberts State Park - Jordan. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Ray Roberts Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
1,075 measurements from 16 monitoring stations, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- USGS Texas Water Science Center
USGS-TX1,075 samples · 2020–2024
Monitoring station identifiers (16)
- USGS-332853096585501
- USGS-332504097004501
- USGS-332241097061500
- USGS-332758097063301
- USGS-332138097024101
- USGS-332904096564701
- USGS-332239097020000
- USGS-332840097061701
- USGS-332301097050601
- USGS-332411097001600
- USGS-332646096552601
- USGS-332546097062000
- USGS-332430097030400
- USGS-332616097074501
- USGS-332608096592001
- USGS-332155097031901
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory