Sam Rayburn Reserv Lake
Nacogdoches County, TexasView mapDirections
TCEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Sam Rayburn Reserv Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Limited data
Sam Rayburn Reserv Lake in Nacogdoches County, Texas has water-quality measurements published by TCEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 0.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 160 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.9 µg/L.
Sam Rayburn Reserv Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Nacogdoches County, Texas. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Nacogdoches County, Sam Rayburn Reserv Lake ranks #2 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 Reserv 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 Reserv Lake
These are the measurements TCEQ publishes for Sam Rayburn Reserv 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 0.7 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 160 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.9 µg/L. TSI 69.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 0.7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 160µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 5.9µg/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 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
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Fishing Sam Rayburn Reserv 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 Reserv Lake
Where is Sam Rayburn Reserv Lake?
- Sam Rayburn Reserv 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 Reserv Lake?
- Sam Rayburn Reserv Lake in Nacogdoches County, Texas has water-quality measurements published by TCEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 0.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 160 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.9 µg/L.
Is Sam Rayburn Reserv Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Explore Sam Rayburn Reserv Lake across LakeQuality
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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.