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Cedar Creek Reservoir

Gun Barrel City · Tool · Mabank · Caney City · Payne Springs, Texas — Henderson County.

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32,710Surface acres
53 ftMax depth
1965Impounded
3Public access sites
0.5 miShoreline trails

Surface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID 96082045); max depth from TPWD; TPWD lists 32,623 surface acres.

Location & fast facts

Where Cedar Creek Reservoir is in Texas

The red circle marks Cedar Creek Reservoir.

Fast facts

About Cedar Creek Reservoir

  • Counties: Henderson, Kaufman
  • Cities & towns on the shore: Gun Barrel City, Tool, Mabank, Caney City, Payne Springs
  • Location (TPWD): 15 miles west of Athens in the area between US 175 and Texas 274
  • Impounded: 1965 (TPWD)
  • Controlling authority: Tarrant Regional Water District · (903) 432-2814
  • Mapped as: Lake or pond (USGS National Hydrography Dataset)
  • Distance: about 49 mi from Dallas and 50 mi from Tyler, straight-line (not driving distance)

Towns and counties: U.S. Census Bureau boundaries overlaid on the USGS lake outline (Texas: incorporated places touching the lake, otherwise the nearest one).

Fishing in Texas

Official TPWD pages. Rules and fees change; check before you go.

Lake map

Cedar Creek Reservoir shoreline, boat launches & beaches

Boat ramp (Boat launch)1Boat ramp (Boat launch)2Boat ramp (Boat launch)31 mileN

Numbers on the map match the list at rightbelow.

Boat launchShoreline trail
  1. 1Boat ramp
    Boat launch · Gun Barrel City
  2. 2Boat ramp
    Boat launch · Log Cabin
  3. 3Boat ramp
    Boat launch

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 96082045), public domain. State outline: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb. Points: OpenStreetMap boat ramps (TPWD publishes ramp names per lake, not coordinates). Dashed trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Interactive map: Leaflet with © OpenStreetMap contributors. Not for navigation.

Shoreline trails

0.5 miTrail within 100 m of shore
Under 5%Of the shoreline
NoLoops the whole lake
North and west shoresWhere

OpenStreetMap shows about 0.5 mi of public hiking and walking trail within about 100 m (330 ft) of the Cedar Creek Reservoir shoreline, mostly along the north and west shores.

Trails along the shore

The dashed brown line on the lake map shows these trails. We include paths, footways and marked trails that OpenStreetMap doesn't mark as private, and leave out roads, sidewalks and snowmobile corridors. Mapped trails can still cross private land or close for the season, and not every trail is mapped, so follow posted signs.

Trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL). Map data as of Oct 8, 2026. Trail lengths count only the parts within about 100 m of the USGS NHD lake outline.

Campgrounds near Cedar Creek Reservoir

We found 23 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Cedar Creek Reservoir, 1 of them within 5 miles. Distances are straight-line from the nearest point on the shoreline, so driving distance is longer.

14 more within 15 miles
  • Dogwood Ridge · 10.5 mi from the shore · Henderson County
  • Red Oak · 10.6 mi from the shore · Henderson County
  • Hillside · 10.6 mi from the shore · Henderson County
  • Gum Ridge · 10.6 mi from the shore · Henderson County
  • Hickory Grove · 10.7 mi from the shore · Henderson County
  • Pine Cove · 10.7 mi from the shore · Henderson County
  • Cypress Knee · 10.7 mi from the shore · Henderson County
  • Beaver Lodge · 10.7 mi from the shore · Henderson County
  • Elm Flats · 10.7 mi from the shore · Henderson County
  • Badgers Den · 10.8 mi from the shore · Henderson County
  • Coon Hollow · 10.8 mi from the shore · Henderson County
  • Post Oak Point · 10.8 mi from the shore · Henderson County
  • Eagles Nest · 10.8 mi from the shore · Henderson County
  • Rams Bluff · 10.8 mi from the shore · Henderson County

All campgrounds & RV parks in Texas

Green tent icons on the lake map mark campgrounds near the shore, and the interactive map shows the closest 12. Amenities are listed only where a source records them; call or check the campground's website before you go, since seasons and rates change every year.

Campground data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Pulled Oct 12, 2026.

Conditions right now

Air temperature & conditions (nearest NWS station)Loading…
Fetching the latest National Weather Service observation…

Live from the National Weather Service API for the lake's coordinates (32.3009, -96.1631). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Cedar Creek Reservoir. No live water-temperature sensor is shown because we haven't found a public one for this lake.

Sun, moon & best fishing times

Sun & moon at Cedar Creek Reservoir

Best fishing times

Major periodMinor periodDaylight

    Based on solunar theory, an estimate. Major periods (about 2 hours) center on when the moon is directly overhead or underfoot; minor periods (about 1 hour) center on moonrise and moonset. The 0–100 activity score rises during those periods and gets a boost near sunrise and sunset and around the new and full moon. Weather, water temperature and pressure often matter more. Sun and moon times are calculated in your browser from the lake's coordinates with standard astronomy formulas, shown in CT (America/Chicago), and accurate to within a few minutes.

    Fish you can catch

    Largemouth bassBlue, channel & flathead catfishWhite & hybrid striped bassCrappieSunshine bass ★

    ★ = stocked recently (see Stocking). Predominant species from the TPWD Lake Finder.

    TPWD Lake Finder: Cedar Creek Reservoir

    Fishing outlook & regulations

    SpeciesTPWD rating
    Largemouth BassGood
    CatfishExcellent
    CrappieGood
    White & Hybrid Striped BassExcellent

    Regulations (TPWD): All species are currently managed under statewide regulations.

    Aquatic vegetation (TPWD): Native emergent, submergent and floating, light in coves and creek arms in lower end of the lake

    Conservation pool: 322 ft. msl

    Water-level fluctuation: 4 feet

    Normal clarity: Moderately clear at lower end to muddy in the upper end

    TPWD Lake Finder page · Current fishing report · Lake records · Latest survey report

    Ratings are TPWD's own Poor / Fair / Good / Excellent scale. Statewide rules: TPWD Outdoor Annual, fishing. As of Oct 10, 2026.

    Stocking history

    TPWD has 62 stocking records for Cedar Creek Reservoir from 1966 to 2025. The table shows 2021–2025.

    YearSpeciesFishSize
    2025Bass, Sunshine353,450Fingerling
    2025Bass, Sunshine399,900Fry
    2024Bass, Sunshine530,928Fingerling
    2024Bass, Sunshine1,009,490Fry
    2023Bass, Sunshine261,158Fingerling
    2022Bass, Sunshine447,712Fingerling
    2021Bass, Sunshine427,241Fingerling

    TPWD stocking history for Cedar Creek Reservoir

    Boat launches & access sites

    3 public access sites listed, 3 with a boat ramp or trailer launch.

    SiteTownOwnerTypeParkingFeeUsesMap
    Boat rampGun Barrel City—Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating32.3118, -96.1475
    Boat rampLog Cabin—Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating32.2174, -96.0152
    Boat ramp——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating32.3921, -96.1494

    OpenStreetMap boat ramps (TPWD publishes ramp names per lake, not coordinates)

    Fees, hours and rules change; confirm with the site owner before you go.

    Invasive species

    Reported on or near Cedar Creek Reservoir

    Clean, Drain, Dry. In Texas the law requires draining water from boats and onboard receptacles when leaving or approaching public fresh water, and possessing or moving zebra mussels is illegal. TPWD rules.

    USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database

    USGS records matched to this water by location (within about 150 m of the outline) or by the place name in the record. A record shows a sighting was reported; it doesn't prove the species is still there. As of Oct 10, 2026.

    Contact & official info

    Lakes & ponds nearby

    Straight-line distance between lake centers. All Texas lakes & ponds · All waters in Gun Barrel City