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Lake Abilene

Buffalo Gap, Texas — Taylor County.

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595Surface acres · TPWD
25 ftMax depth
1921Impounded
2Public access sites
2.2 miShoreline trails

Surface area: TPWD (official surface acres); the USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID 100999916) measures 411 acres; max depth from TPWD.

Location & fast facts

Where Lake Abilene is in Texas

The red circle marks Lake Abilene.

Fast facts

About Lake Abilene

  • County: Taylor
  • Nearest city: Buffalo Gap (about 2.9 mi from the lake)
  • Location (TPWD): On Elm Creek 20 miles south of Abilene
  • Impounded: 1921 (TPWD)
  • Mapped as: Lake or pond (USGS National Hydrography Dataset)
  • Distance: about 17 mi from Abilene and 62 mi from San Angelo, 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

Lake Abilene shoreline, boat launches & beaches

Back Boat Ramp (Boat launch)1Boat ramp (Boat launch)2½ mileN

Numbers on the map match the list at rightbelow.

Boat launchShoreline trail
  1. 1Back Boat Ramp
    Boat launch
  2. 2Boat ramp
    Boat launch

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 100999916), 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

2.2 miTrail within 100 m of shore
About 40%Of the shoreline
NoLoops the whole lake
North and east shoresWhere

OpenStreetMap shows about 2.2 mi of public hiking and walking trail within about 100 m (330 ft) of the Lake Abilene shoreline, mostly along the north and east shores.

Trails along the shore

Getting to the trails

No trailhead is mapped for these trails. The closest public access site is Boat ramp, 150 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 Lake Abilene

We found 12 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Lake Abilene, 5 of them within 5 miles. 1 is right on the shore. Distances are straight-line from the nearest point on the shoreline, so driving distance is longer.

6 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 (32.2384, -99.8933). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Lake Abilene. 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 Lake Abilene

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.

    Stocking history

    TPWD has 30 stocking records for Lake Abilene from 1970 to 2021. The table shows 2017–2021.

    YearSpeciesFishSize
    2021Bass, Florida Largemouth10,293Fingerling
    2017Bass, Florida Largemouth73,808Fingerling
    2017Catfish, Channel65,379Fingerling
    2017Sunfish, Bluegill63,999Fingerling

    TPWD stocking history for Lake Abilene

    Boat launches & access sites

    2 public access sites listed, 2 with a boat ramp or trailer launch.

    SiteTownOwnerTypeParkingFeeUsesMap
    Back Boat Ramp——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating32.2335, -99.9030
    Boat ramp——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating32.2321, -99.8908

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

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

    Contact & official info

    Lakes & ponds nearby

    Straight-line distance between lake centers. All Texas lakes & ponds · All waters in Buffalo Gap