Red Bluff Reservoir
Reeves County, Texas7,337 acresView mapDirections
TCEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Red Bluff Reservoir. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Public access
- Limited data
Red Bluff Reservoir in Reeves County, Texas has water-quality measurements published by TCEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 16.8 µg/L. Surface area: 7337 acres.
Red Bluff Reservoir is a 7,337-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Reeves County, Texas. Water clarity 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 2025-09-08. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Red Bluff Reservoir is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Big water7,337 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Red Bluff Reservoir is safe to swim in today is a call for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Red Bluff Reservoir
These are the measurements TCEQ publishes for Red Bluff Reservoir, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 1.9 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 16.8 µg/L. TSI 58.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 20µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 16.8µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 58 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Red Bluff Reservoir
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
→ Red Bluff Reservoir water level: the live USGS gauge reading
Lake Details
Surface area
7,337 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by TCEQ
No bathymetric survey has been published for Red Bluff Reservoir, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Red Bluff Dam ParkPublic
- Red Bluff ReservoirPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Red Bluff Reservoir
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Red Bluff Reservoir in Reeves 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 readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Red Bluff Reservoir are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Red Bluff Reservoir
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Fishing Red Bluff Reservoir
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2022–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening4 years
Phosphorus
Stable0 µg/L/yr3 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-1.4 µg/L/yr3 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Red Bluff Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Red Bluff Dam (completed 1936), built primarily for irrigation on the Pecos River; earth-type dam, 106 ft tall and 9,320 ft long.
- Surface area
- 7,337 ac
- Normal storage
- 151,000 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 516,785 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 2,869 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- RED BLUFF WATER POWER CONTROL DISTRICT
All listed purposes: Irrigation;Other.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID TX02312 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Reeves County
Frequently asked questions about Red Bluff Reservoir
Where is Red Bluff Reservoir?
- Red Bluff Reservoir is a lake in Reeves County, Texas. Its water-quality measurements are published by TCEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Red Bluff Reservoir?
- Red Bluff Reservoir in Reeves County, Texas has water-quality measurements published by TCEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 16.8 µg/L. Surface area: 7337 acres.
Is Red Bluff Reservoir safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Red Bluff Reservoir?
- Red Bluff Reservoir has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Red Bluff Dam Park, Red Bluff Reservoir. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Red Bluff Reservoir?
- Red Bluff Reservoir has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Texas's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
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Where this data comes from
27 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
TCEQMAIN27 samples · 2020–2025
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory