Discover the Deepest Lake in Houston

Houston, found in Texas, is known from a geological point of view as a marshy area with an extensive artificial drainage system. The latter was required because the Space City is susceptible to flooding from the surrounding prairies.

It is worth noting that the city’s downtown is only about 50 feet (15 m) above sea level. In contrast, Houston’s highest point stands at about 150 feet (46 m) above sea level. It is, therefore, clear why flooding is a real issue there.

Pertinent to our subject today is the fact that Houston can no longer rely on groundwater to supply itself with water. Instead, it must use ground-level water sources (Lake Livingston, Lake Conroe, and Lake Houston, to name a few). As such, the question is what the deepest lake in Houston is and whether it’s artificial. Given that the city consumes about 1.20 billion U.S. gallons (4.5 Gl) of water in a single day, it is wise to learn more about its deepest water source, especially if you’re a lake enthusiast!

How Many Lakes Are in Houston?

This is a difficult question. If you’ve done your lake research, you’ve probably noticed that most of the lakes mentioned online are not actually in Houston; some are over 45 miles (72 km) away from the city’s downtown.

First, it is worth mentioning that not all lakes in Harris County (which includes the city of Houston) are lakes that can be found in Houston. The city is simply the county seat. As such, the list of lakes that can be found in the Space City would look something like this:

• Opal Lake
• Diamond Lake
• Jade Lake
• Teal Lake
• Oak Lake
• Majestic Lake
• Swan Lake 
• Lake Envy
• Barker Reservoir
• Marshall Lake
• Kinder Lake
• McGovern Lake
• Clear Lake
• Sheldon lake
• Buckhorn Lake
• Lake Anne
• Lake Magnolia
• Lake Houston.

Are these all the lakes in Space City? Not quite – since there’s no definite list of lakes in Houston City, we cannot say if there are any left. However, rest assured, as it goes without saying that the deepest lake in Houston is well-known and mentioned multiple times!

What Is the Deepest Lake in Houston?

The deepest lake in Houston is the Addicks Reservoir, with a maximum depth of about 50 feet (15.24 m) at various points. The Addicks Dam joins the reservoir, built between 1938 and 1948 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. As you’ve probably guessed, the Addicks Reservoir is an artificial lake.

Naturally, the lake’s purpose is not recreational. Instead, the reservoir and the dam mentioned above, along with the Barker Reservoir, are the elements that prevent flooding of Buffalo Bayou in Houston.

If you want to see the artificial lake, you just have to go north on Interstate 10 (State Highway 6 also bisects the entire reservoir from north to south). Even though the reservoir and dam have a clear purpose, the land surrounding them (roughly 26,000 acres or 105 sq km) is full of nature and readily explorable trails.

What Are Some Interesting Facts About the Deepest Lake in Houston?

If you like numbers, then you’ll love the following section. Here are a couple of interesting facts regarding the Addicks Reservoir:

• The reservoir has a capacity of about 201,000 acre-feet (248 million cubic meters) of water. The record water level stands at about 123,100 acre-feet (151.8 million cubic meters), a tad over half of its total capacity.
• The foundation of the Addicks Reservoir is a 61,666-foot-long (18,796 m) rolled earthen dam standing above the streambed. You will see it with the help of a 12-foot-wide (3.7 m) road traveling the surface length of the dam’s top.
• According to statistics, the Addicks Reservoir, the Barker Reservoir, and a couple of other reservoirs and dams targeting the Buffalo Bayou area helped prevent about $16.4 million in flood damages to Houston.

Where Is Addicks Reservoir Located On a Map?

You can find Addicks Reservoir on a map on the West side of Houston, near the intersection of Hwy 6 and Interstate 10. Bear Creek Pioneers Park is also located within the vicinity of the city’s deepest lake.

How Deep Is the Famous Lake Houston?

Lake Houston is 45 feet (14 m) deep and has a water volume of 160,000-acre feet (0.20 cubic kilometers). Contrary to popular belief, Lake Houston is not a natural lake. Just like Addick Reservoir, it is artificial and was created in 1953. At the time, the administration of Houston decided to build the dam that formed Lake Houston to impound a reservoir with the ultimate goal of replacing Sheldon Lake. The latter was Houston’s primary water source at the time.

Three years later, in 1956, the city annexed Lake Houston and a surrounding canal area of about 22.5 miles (36.2 km).

Unlike Addicks Reservoir, Lake Houston is more open to the public. Namely, you can find areas designed for camping, rental cabins, a kayak launch, and many biking trails. These amenities are in the Lake Houston Wilderness Park (located at the lake’s northern end).

What Is the Deepest Lake in Texas?

The deepest lake in Texas is the Amistad Reservoir, often called Lake Amistad. The Amistad Reservoir is at the Texas border with Mexico and on the Rio Grande River (at the Amistad Dam). It has a depth of about 217 feet (66.1 m).

The lake has a surface area of 64,900 acres and a recreational area of 57,292 acres (most of it is on the northern side of the lake, however) surrounds it.

The photo featured at the top of this post is ©