Shallow Prong Lake
Jefferson County, TexasView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Oxygen depletion (low DO)
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 40 ft max depth
- Limited data
Shallow Prong Lake in Jefferson County, Texas has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 1.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 80 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 43.1 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 1.3 ft
- Max depth
- ~40 ft est.
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 80 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 43.1 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
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Stays near Shallow Prong Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Shallow Prong Lake in Jefferson 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 Shallow Prong Lake are listed below.
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Watch Shallow Prong Lake’s letter
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Shallow Prong Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Jefferson County, Texas with an estimated average depth of about 40 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 1 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, TCEQ, last sampled 2025-05-12. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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 D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Shallow Prong Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Very murky, less than 1.3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 80 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 43.1 µg/L. TSI 69. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.3 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 80 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 43.1 µg/L | Not graded |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 69 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~40 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~6 ft est. |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Texas has not published bathymetry for Shallow Prong Lake.
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.
Fishing Shallow Prong Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.025 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -20 µg/L/yr | 3 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -11.3 µg/L/yr | 2 |
EPA Impairment Status
Shallow Prong Lake 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-0701D_01 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Jefferson County
Nearby Lakes in Jefferson County
Frequently asked questions about Shallow Prong Lake
Where is Shallow Prong Lake?
- Shallow Prong Lake is a lake in Jefferson County, Texas. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Shallow Prong Lake?
- Shallow Prong Lake in Jefferson County, Texas has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 1.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 80 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 43.1 µg/L.
Is Shallow Prong Lake safe to swim in?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Shallow Prong Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Shallow Prong Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Shallow Prong Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 40 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Explore Shallow Prong Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
49 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
TCEQMAIN49 samples · 2020–2025
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)