Lake Tawakoni

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Lake Tawakoni is a large reservoir in Northeast Texas, about 48 miles east of Dallas. It sits in Hunt, Rains, and Van Zandt counties and is owned by the Sabine River Authority of Texas. The lake provides drinking water and recreation for the area.

Construction began in 1960 with the Iron Bridge Dam. The lake now forms the headwaters of the Sabine River, submerging the river’s small forks that fed the area.

The reservoir covers about 37,879 acres (15,329 hectares) and can store about 926,000 acre-feet of water (roughly 1.142 billion cubic meters) when full. The surface sits at about 437.5 feet (133.4 meters) above sea level.

Wildlife around the lake is diverse. Visitors may see deer, feral hogs, snakes, raccoons, and bobcats, along with more than 200 bird species. American alligators have been spotted in some parts of the lake. The area features post oak hardwood forests and plants from the Texas Blackland Prairies.

In 2007, Lake Tawakoni State Park was the site of a large, rare spider web that attracted attention from scientists.

Nearby, the Greenville Club Lake lies to the north of Lake Tawakoni.