Upper Lake Palestine
Smith County, TexasView mapDirections
TCEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Upper Lake Palestine. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · pH / acidity
- Public access
Upper Lake Palestine in Smith County, Texas has water-quality measurements published by TCEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 80 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 61.6 µg/L.
Upper Lake Palestine is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Smith County, Texas. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 4 public boat landings. Compared to the 4 other monitored lakes in Smith County, Upper Lake Palestine ranks #5 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, TCEQ, last sampled 2025-09-09. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Upper Lake Palestine is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch4 documented ramps
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyAlgae risk
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. Upper Lake Palestine is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Upper Lake Palestine 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 Upper Lake Palestine
These are the measurements TCEQ publishes for Upper Lake Palestine, 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 1.6 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 80 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 61.6 µg/L. TSI 69.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 80µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 61.6µg/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. | 69 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Upper Lake Palestine
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Recreation & Access
- Kickapoo (FM 315 Bridge)Public
- Chandler River ParkPublic
- Westberry Landing & RV ParkSemi-private
- Village MarinaSemi-private
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Upper Lake Palestine
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Upper Lake Palestine in Smith 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 Upper Lake Palestine are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Upper Lake Palestine
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
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Fishing Upper Lake Palestine
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+8.4 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+7.86 µg/L/yr6 years
EPA Impairment Status
Upper Lake Palestine is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Other.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit TX-0605_10 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Smith County
Frequently asked questions about Upper Lake Palestine
Where is Upper Lake Palestine?
- Upper Lake Palestine is a lake in Smith County, Texas. Its water-quality measurements are published by TCEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Upper Lake Palestine?
- Upper Lake Palestine in Smith County, Texas has water-quality measurements published by TCEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 80 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 61.6 µg/L.
Is Upper Lake Palestine safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Upper Lake Palestine is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Upper Lake Palestine?
- Upper Lake Palestine has 4 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Kickapoo (FM 315 Bridge), Chandler River Park, Westberry Landing & RV Park, Village Marina. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Upper Lake Palestine?
- Upper Lake Palestine has 4 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.
Explore Upper Lake Palestine across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
61 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
TCEQMAIN61 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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory