How Deep is Lewisville Lake in Texas?

Texas is home to thousands of lakes, ponds, and other waterways, some man-made and some natural. These amazing places are often important recreational and civic resources, making them essential to the long-term viability of a region. Today, we are going to learn about one of the largest lakes in Texas, Lewisville Lake. This reservoir has been around for nearly 100 years and continues to be an important feature of the landscape. Let’s get started and discover: How deep is Lake Lewisville in Texas?

The Depth and Size of Lewisville Lake in Texas

Lewisville Lake is the largest man-made lake (reservoir) located in the northern part of Texas in the United States. The lake has a maximum length of 11 miles (18 kilometers), a maximum width of 4.24 miles (6.82 kilometers), and a surface area of 29,592 acres. This makes Lewisville Lake one of the largest lakes in Texas. It covers an area roughly that of the city of San Francisco.

The maximum depth of Lewisville Lake is 67 feet (20 meters), which is about the height of a six-story building. The lake has a water volume of 555,000 acre-feet, which is equivalent to about 723 billion gallons of water. This is enough water to cover an area of 29,592 acres to a depth of one foot.

The surface elevation of Lewisville Lake is 522 feet (159 meters) above sea level, which is higher than the surrounding terrain. This makes the lake a popular spot for recreational activities such as boating, fishing, and water sports.

Where is Lewisville Lake?

Lewisville Lake is located in North Texas, in the United States. It sits on the Elm Fork of the Trinity River in Denton County, near the city of Lewisville. The lake is conveniently located in the heart of North Texas, nearly in the middle and to the north of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area.

One of the nearby points of interest is Lake Ray Roberts, located north of Lewisville Lake. The Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area (LLELA) Nature Preserve is situated to the south of the lake. Lewisville, the city after which the lake is named, is found to the south and western shore of the lake.

Where to Find Lewisville Lake on a Map

Lewisville Lake is a large reservoir located in Denton County, Texas. It covers an area of approximately 29,000 acres and has a maximum depth of 67 feet. To find it on a map, you should search for the city of Lewisville, which is situated to the northwest of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. From there, follow Interstate-35E northbound until you reach exit 454B towards Lake Park Road. Continue straight onto Lake Park Road and turn left onto N Mill Street before turning right onto E Main Street. Finally, turn left onto N Valley Parkway and continue straight until you reach the lake’s shore.

The History of Lewisville Lake

Lewisville Lake in Texas has a rich history, dating back to the early 20th century. The W.E. Callahan Construction Company finished the Garza Dam in 1927, creating Lake Dallas. This dam was 10,890 feet long and had a 567-foot service spillway. It also had a capacity of 194,000 acre-feet, with around 43 miles of shoreline. It served as the primary water source for the city of Dallas for 31 years.

However, in the 1940s, it became clear that the region needed increased water storage capabilities and more flood control for the wet seasons. Congress passed the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1945, which began the construction of the project in the Trinity River basin. Engineers worked on the Garza-Little Elm Dam between 1948 and 1954. The super-structure combined Lake Dallas, Hickory Creek, and Little Elm Creek into one.

At 32,888 feet long, the Lewisville Dam was officially completed in 1955, and the Garza Dam was subsequently released in 1957 to create the new lake, which was named the Garza-Little Elm Reservoir. The Garza-Little Elm Reservoir would eventually be renamed Lewisville Lake, which is what it is known as today.

During later construction, workers stumbled upon an archaeological site and found ancient artifacts dating to Paleo-Indian people groups from 36,000 B.P. (before the present). Although later studies in 1978 concluded that the original dating was contaminated, and an updated date of c. 12,000 B.P. was subsequently used.

The Wildlife of Lewisville Lake

Lewisville Lake is home to a diverse population of fish and other aquatic wildlife.

The lake is known for its abundance of largemouth bass, which is the most popular fish in Texas. Spotted bass and white and hybrid striped bass are also found in the lake. White crappie is also a predominant fish species in the lake and provides the most fishing activity by the numbers.

The lake is also home to excellent blue and channel catfish fisheries. The lake’s shoreline and some coves provide small stands of pondweed that can support the fish’s prime habitat. Anglers can also enjoy targeting hybrid striped bass, which is periodically stocked by the TPWD (Texas Parks and Wildlife Department) to provide more sport fish.

Zebra Mussels

Unfortunately, the lake (along with many others in Texas) is suffering from an invasive species, the zebra mussel. Boaters are warned to take extra precautions before traveling to other water bodies by thoroughly cleaning, draining, and drying their boats, trailers, live wells, and other gear to prevent the spread of these mussels. These mussels are harmful to native aquatic ecosystems because they reproduce rapidly and can outcompete native species for food and habitat. They also filter large amounts of water, which can disrupt the food web and change the water chemistry in ways that are detrimental to native species. Additionally, zebra mussels can cause significant economic damage by clogging water intake pipes at power plants, municipal water treatment facilities, and industrial facilities, which is the prime reason that Lewisville Lake exists in the first place.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © ZeKing/Shutterstock.com