Welcome to Lake Tawakoni, named after the Tawakoni Native Americans, and it is only a 50-mile drive east of the Dallas Metroplex. Lake Tawakoni boasts 200 miles of shoreline covering 37,879-acres. This lake sits in the counties of Hunt, Rains, and Van Zandt. Small neighborhoods dot the shoreline with a backdrop of beautiful tall trees common in east Texas. Come visit our hotels and motels, marinas and boat ramps, parks, restaurants, RV and tent campgrounds, and swim beaches surrounded by nature and wildlife.
Lake Tawakoni is divided into East Tawakoni and West Tawakoni. Lake Tawakoni State Park invites you to escape into a water wonder world of boating, camping, fishing, and hiking. It offers ranger programs for the young and old alike. Its hiking trail is 4.6 miles long and great for all hiking skill levels with access points to the lake.
Flora and Fauna
You can expect to see species of red and gray fox, bobcat, coyote, possum, turtles, frogs, snakes, raccoons, beavers, squirrels, armadillos, mink and white-tailed deer, and even cougar track cast in plaster along the shoreline at Lake Tawakoni State Park. The land around Lake Tawakoni is known for huge spider webs. So be sure to look around when you are walking out and about.
A massive spider web found in a tree at Lake Tawakoni in 2007 sparked research that proved spiders will work together to spin a communal web. Experts thought spiders worked alone until someone took notice of this tree. They thought the number of spiders who made their homes and livelihoods in this tree to be in the thousands. Experts noted that the spiders were not dangerous to humans. These mega webs appear after extremely heavy rains, and the locals keep an eye out to discover them every year.
Around the shoreline you can see upland regrowth forests with pine trees and post oaks. Birders report more than 200 species of birds in the region. Year round sightings of Wood Duck, Great Egret, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Neotropic and Double-crested Cormorants, Black and Turkey Vultures, Red-shouldered Hawk, Belted Kingfisher, Carolina Wren, Eastern Bluebird, Northern Mockingbird are common.
Lake Tawakoni is part of the Central North American Flyaway. Flyaways are national systems that track migratory birds. In the spring birders look for: Broad-winged and Swainson’s Hawks, warblers, tanagers, kingbirds, cuckoos, and flycatchers. Summer: Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, White-eyed and Red-eyed Vireos, Painted and Indigo Buntings, Blue Grosbeak, Summer Tanager, Dickcissel, Green and Little Blue Herons, Cattle Egret. Fall: Shorebirds. Winter: Pied-billed and Horned Grebes, Pacific and Common Loons, ducks, Crested Caracara, Rusty Blackbird, Fox, Le Conte’s, and Harris’s Sparrows, House, Winter, and Sedge Wrens, Pine Warbler, kinglets, woodpeckers, and nuthatches. Rarities: Long-tailed Jaeger, Black-legged Kittiwake, Little and Sabine’s Gulls.
Flowers native to Texas Blackland Prairies grow wild at Lake Tawakoni. Along with bluebonnets, Indian paintbrushes, and Indian blankets, people can see asters, compass plant, gayfeathers, Maximilian sunflower, and wild indigos. Important native prairie plants to look for are big bluestem, little bluestem, tall dropseed, and yellow indiangrass.
Fishing
Lake Tawakoni is well known for the quality of its catfish fisheries. Blue catfish make up 90% of Lake Tawakonis catfish population. The predominant fish species include black and white crappie, largemouth bass, striped and hybrid striped bass, and white bass. Special catfish limits are in effect on the lake. Other species include bluegill, bowfin, channel catfish, blue catfish, flathead catfish, green sunfish, white bass, yellow bass, and longnose and spotted gar fish.
Find local fishing guides on our Lake Tawakoni fishing guides page.
Watch out for alligator habitats. Alligator sightings are reported, but alligator habitats are significantly unique from beaches and popular boating and recreational areas.
Marinas
Seven marinas call Lake Tawakoni home. Five are on East Tawakoni, and two are on West Tawakoni on the northern part of the lake. Start on our Lake Tawakoni marinas page to plan your boating adventure.
Cabins and Rental Homes
Vacationers can find homes and cabins to rent for a big family or a party of two. Lake Tawakoni is a small lake compared to others in Texas, so it is best to book in advance during peak seasons, spring, fall, and summer. The homes offered have a variety of prices ranging from affordable to expensive. Amenities also vary. The views are splendid, from rental properties on the waterfront to accommodations with outstanding features available a short drive from the lake.
Camping
There are three RV parks on East Tawakoni and three on West Tawakoni with tent camping areas salt and peppered around the lake and in the state park. The Anchor Inn Marina & Resort offers motel rooms right on the waterfront.
Explore your options of Lake Tawakoni campgrounds on our camping page.
Weather
The region around Lake Tawakoni receives an average of 44 inches of rain per year with about 232 sunny days per year. April, May, and October are the most comfortable months at this lake. Temperatures average out to a high in July at 94 degrees and a winter low in January at 32 to 33 degrees with one inch of snowfall per year.
Housing
The nearest towns to Lake Tawakoni are Greenville on the north, Emory, Lone Oak, and Point on the east, Wills Point on the south, and and Terrell and Quinlan on the west. Not much of nightlife or restaurants exist on the lakefront, but there are a few mostly scattered along SH 276. Greenville offers the largest shopping area with a Walmart.
The average age of a home in the Lake Tawakoni area is 27 years. The median value for a home in the three counties where Lake Tawakoni is located ranges from $120,000 to $134,000. Homes are available from around $70,000, and renters make up about 14% to 25% of home dwellers. The nearest school districts are Quinlan Independent School District in West Tawakoni and Lone Oak Independent School District in East Tawakoni.
Find and list homes for sale on Lake Tawakoni on our real estate page.
History
The original headwaters of the Sabine River lie under Lake Tawakoni. A variety of Indian tribes and prehistoric peoples called the region home before European exploration began. Before its construction in 1958, farmers and ranchers inhabited most of the land. The Iron Bridge Dam impounds the reservoir, and its main purpose is to supply water to nearby towns and Dallas. The Sabine River Authority owns Lake Tawakoni and operates the dam.
