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Ray Roberts Lake

Tioga · Denton · Road Runner · Pilot Point · Sanger, Texas — Denton County.

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25,600Surface acres · TPWD
106 ftMax depth
1987Impounded
10Public access sites
6.9 miShoreline trails

Surface area: TPWD (official surface acres); the USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID 95336791) measures 28,214 acres; max depth from TPWD.

Location & fast facts

Where Ray Roberts Lake is in Texas

The red circle marks Ray Roberts Lake.

Fast facts

About Ray Roberts Lake

  • Counties: Denton, Cooke, Grayson
  • Cities & towns on the shore: Tioga, Denton, Road Runner, Pilot Point, Sanger
  • Location (TPWD): On the Elm Fork of the Trinity River, 10 miles north of Denton off FM 455. The dam is in Denton County but the reservoir extends into Cooke and Grayson counties.
  • Impounded: 1987 (TPWD)
  • Controlling authority: US Army Corps of Engineers
  • Mapped as: Lake or pond (USGS National Hydrography Dataset)
  • Distance: about 47 mi from Dallas and 51 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

Ray Roberts Lake shoreline, boat launches & beaches

Juniper Cove (campground)Oak Point (campground)Walnut (campground)Willow Cove (campground)Boat ramp (Boat launch)1Boat ramp (Boat launch)2Boat ramp (Boat launch)3Boat ramp (Boat launch)4Boat ramp (Boat launch)5Boat ramp (Boat launch)6Boat ramp (Boat launch)7Boat ramp (Boat launch)8Boat ramp (Boat launch)9Boat ramp (Boat launch)10Post Oak Beach (Beach)111 mileN

Numbers on the map match the list at rightbelow.

Boat launchBeachShoreline trail Campground
  1. 1Boat ramp
    Boat launch
  2. 2Boat ramp
    Boat launch
  3. 3Boat ramp
    Boat launch
  4. 4Boat ramp
    Boat launch
  5. 5Boat ramp
    Boat launch
  6. 6Boat ramp
    Boat launch
  7. 7Boat ramp
    Boat launch
  8. 8Boat ramp
    Boat launch
  9. 9Boat ramp
    Boat launch
  10. 10Boat ramp
    Boat launch
  11. 11Post Oak Beach
    Beach

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 95336791), 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

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

OpenStreetMap shows about 6.9 mi of public hiking and walking trail within about 100 m (330 ft) of the Ray Roberts Lake shoreline, mostly along the south and west shores.

Trails along the shore

Getting to the trails

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

We found 13 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Ray Roberts Lake, 5 of them within 5 miles. 4 are right on the shore. Distances are straight-line from the nearest point on the shoreline, so driving distance is longer.

7 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 (33.4374, -96.9837). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Ray Roberts 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 Ray Roberts 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 bassBlue catfishChannel catfishCrappieSunfishLone Star bass ★

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

    TPWD Lake Finder: Ray Roberts Lake

    Fishing outlook & regulations

    SpeciesTPWD rating
    Largemouth BassExcellent
    CatfishGood
    CrappieExcellent
    White BassExcellent
    SunfishGood

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

    Aquatic vegetation (TPWD): Native emergent vegetation includes water willow and cattail. Submerged vegetation includes Chara and milfoil which fluctuate with water level. Native floating-leaved vegetation includes pondweed.

    Conservation pool: 632.5 ft. msl

    Water-level fluctuation: 3-5 feet

    Normal clarity: Clear

    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 20 stocking records for Ray Roberts Lake from 1985 to 2024. The table shows 2020–2024.

    YearSpeciesFishSize
    2024Bass, Lone Star347,062Fingerling
    2021Bass, Florida Largemouth122,720Fingerling

    TPWD stocking history for Ray Roberts Lake

    Boat launches & access sites

    10 public access sites listed, 10 with a boat ramp or trailer launch.

    SiteTownOwnerTypeParkingFeeUsesMap
    Boat ramp——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating33.3872, -97.1072
    Boat ramp——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating33.3898, -97.0629
    Boat ramp——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating33.3916, -97.1346
    Boat ramp——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating33.4301, -97.1047
    Boat ramp——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating33.3754, -97.1112
    Boat ramp——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating33.4093, -97.0507
    Boat ramp——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating33.3835, -97.0288
    Boat ramp——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating33.3791, -97.1058
    Boat ramp——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating33.3747, -97.1094
    Boat ramp——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating33.3785, -97.0320

    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 Ray Roberts Lake not marked private, residents-only or members-only.

    BeachTypeAccessDirections
    Post Oak 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 Ray Roberts 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 Tioga