Sam Rayburn Lake
Nacogdoches County, TexasView mapDirections
TCEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Sam Rayburn Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Public access
- Limited data
Sam Rayburn Lake in Nacogdoches County, Texas has water-quality measurements published by TCEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 0.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 130 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 10.2 µg/L.
Sam Rayburn Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Nacogdoches County, Texas. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Nacogdoches County, Sam Rayburn Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, TCEQ, last sampled 2026-01-20. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
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 Sam Rayburn Lake 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 Sam Rayburn Lake
These are the measurements TCEQ publishes for Sam Rayburn Lake, 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 0.8 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 130 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 10.2 µg/L. TSI 69.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 0.8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 130µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 10.2µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 69 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
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Fishing Sam Rayburn Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2021–2025).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
Phosphorus
Improving-21.07 µg/L/yr3 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-1.89 µg/L/yr3 years
Nearby Lakes in Nacogdoches County
Frequently asked questions about Sam Rayburn Lake
Where is Sam Rayburn Lake?
- Sam Rayburn Lake is a lake in Nacogdoches County, Texas. Its water-quality measurements are published by TCEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Sam Rayburn Lake?
- Sam Rayburn Lake in Nacogdoches County, Texas has water-quality measurements published by TCEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 0.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 130 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 10.2 µg/L.
Is Sam Rayburn Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Can I fish at Sam Rayburn Lake?
- Public access to Sam Rayburn Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. 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
59 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
TCEQMAIN59 samples · 2020–2026
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.