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Joe Pool Lake

Grand Prairie · Cedar Hill · Dallas · Mansfield · Arlington, Texas — Dallas County.

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6,495Surface acres
75 ftMax depth
1986Impounded
7Public access sites
2.7 miShoreline trails

Surface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID 131646042); max depth from TPWD; TPWD lists 6,469 surface acres.

Location & fast facts

Where Joe Pool Lake is in Texas

The red circle marks Joe Pool Lake.

Fast facts

About Joe Pool Lake

  • Counties: Dallas, Tarrant
  • Cities & towns on the shore: Grand Prairie, Cedar Hill, Dallas, Mansfield, Arlington
  • Location (TPWD): in Tarrant, Ellis, and Dallas Counties four miles south of Grand Prairie on Mountain Creek, a tributary of the Trinity River
  • Impounded: 1986 (TPWD)
  • Controlling authority: US Army Corps of Engineers · (972) 299-2227
  • Mapped as: Lake or pond (USGS National Hydrography Dataset)
  • Distance: about 18 mi from Dallas and 21 mi from Fort Worth, 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

Joe Pool Lake shoreline, boat launches & beaches

Boat ramp (Boat launch)1Boat ramp (Boat launch)2Boat ramp (Boat launch)3Boat ramp (Boat launch)4Boat ramp (Boat launch)5Boat ramp (Boat launch)6Lynn Creek Marina Slipway (Boat launch)7Lynn Creek Park Beach (Beach)81 mileN

Numbers on the map match the list at rightbelow.

Boat launchBeachShoreline trail
  1. 1Boat ramp
    Boat launch · Dallas
  2. 2Boat ramp
    Boat launch · Cedar Hill
  3. 3Boat ramp
    Boat launch · Grand Prairie
  4. 4Boat ramp
    Boat launch · Grand Prairie
  5. 5Boat ramp
    Boat launch · Grand Prairie
  6. 6Boat ramp
    Boat launch · Mansfield
  7. 7Lynn Creek Marina Slipway
    Boat launch · Grand Prairie
  8. 8Lynn Creek Park Beach
    Beach

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 131646042), 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

2.7 miTrail within 100 m of shore
About 5%Of the shoreline
NoLoops the whole lake
East shoreWhere

OpenStreetMap shows about 2.7 mi of public hiking and walking trail within about 100 m (330 ft) of the Joe Pool Lake shoreline, mostly along the east shore.

Trails along the shore

Getting to the trails

No trailhead is mapped for these trails. The closest public access site is Lynn Creek Marina Slipway, 250 ft from a shoreline trail (OpenStreetMap boat ramp data).

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 Joe Pool Lake

We found 45 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Joe Pool Lake, 40 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

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 (32.5918, -97.0194). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Joe Pool Lake. 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 Joe Pool Lake

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 bassWhite bassWhite crappieChannel catfishLone Star bass ★

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

    TPWD Lake Finder: Joe Pool Lake

    Fishing outlook & regulations

    SpeciesTPWD rating
    Largemouth BassGood
    CatfishGood
    CrappieGood
    White BassGood

    Regulations (TPWD): This reservoir has special regulations on some fishes. See bag and size limits for this lake.

    Aquatic vegetation (TPWD): Hydrilla and small stands of American pondweed are found throughout the lake

    Conservation pool: 522 ft. msl

    Water-level fluctuation: 2-4 feet annually

    Normal clarity: Clear (near the dam) to stained

    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 19 stocking records for Joe Pool Lake from 1981 to 2026. The table shows 2022–2026.

    YearSpeciesFishSize
    2026Bass, Lone Star165,387Fingerling
    2022Bass, Lone Star73,105Fingerling

    TPWD stocking history for Joe Pool Lake

    Boat launches & access sites

    7 public access sites listed, 7 with a boat ramp or trailer launch.

    SiteTownOwnerTypeParkingFeeUsesMap
    Boat rampDallas—Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating32.6271, -96.9824
    Boat rampCedar Hill—Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating32.6143, -96.9951
    Boat rampGrand Prairie—Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating32.6314, -97.0251
    Boat rampGrand Prairie—Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating32.6324, -97.0229
    Boat rampGrand Prairie—Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating32.6189, -97.0627
    Boat rampMansfield—Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating32.5481, -97.0536
    Lynn Creek Marina SlipwayGrand Prairie—Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating32.6310, -97.0397

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

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

    Public beaches

    On OpenStreetMap: 1 beach or swimming spot on the shore of Joe Pool Lake not marked private, residents-only or members-only.

    BeachTypeAccessDirections
    Lynn Creek Park BeachBeachAccess not tagged; check posted rulesGet directions

    Beaches: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), within about 150 m (500 ft) of the lake outline. A mapped beach is not a guarantee that swimming is allowed, supervised or safe; some town beaches need a resident sticker even when the map doesn't say so. Check posted rules and water-quality advisories before you swim.

    Invasive species

    Reported on or near Joe Pool Lake

    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 Grand Prairie