Acres Of Water & Miles Of Shoreline
32,623 acres and 300 miles of shoreline
Links
Brief Overview:
Cedar Creek Reservoir is about 75 miles southeast of Dallas and it is one of the largest lakes in Texas. The water is fairly clear at the south end of the lake and muddier at the north end.
The lake is almost completely developed on both sides with a number of very large and beautiful houses. There are plenty of coves to explore or for skiing, fishing, or swimming.
A Typical Texas Outsider Day
We stayed at Caney Cove Resort and RV park at the south end of the lake and started the day with some skiing in that cove -- the water was perfect! We then cruised up the west side of the lake, found a cove for swimming, and ended up at Don's Port Marina for lunch.
After lunch, we continued north checking out the houses, swimming, and looking for Cedar Isle. Cedar Isle has a very nice outdoor patio on the lake, good appetizers and food, a volley ball court, and live music on the deck over the water on weekends. Was a full day of fun.
Other Cool Things To Do:
Cedar Creek has a number of large coves, primarily on the east side, that are very good for skiing, swimming, or fishing. On typical weekends the water can get rough due to boat traffic and wind, but the coves are well sheltered and you should be able to find some calm water. The east side is also excellent for cruising and marveling at the large magnificent homes that line the shoreline.
What To Do If No Boat:
You can rent boats and waverunners at Big Chief Landing -- 903 887-7480. We are not aware of any public day use parks, call some of the locations listed here.
Nearby Activities:
There are several small cities (Seven Points, Kemp, Gun Barrel City, and Tool) with lodging, restaurants, shops, and more. Three golf courses are near the lake -- see the Texas Outside Golf Section. Pinnacle Golf Club is a local course that we loved and rated 8.2 stars out of 10. If you are a golfer, Pinnacle is worth stopping by for 18 holes.
Restaurants, Bars, & Music:
Don's Port Marina (903 432-2268) is a fun restaurant with two large second story decks overlooking the water. They serve cold drinks and some excellent food -- try the onion rings, chicken wrap, mushroom swiss burger, or the patty melt. Occasionally they will have live music on the deck. Dons is on the west side of the lake.
At the north end of the lake on the middle island of the highway 85 bridge is Cedar Isle Bar and Restaurant. You can find some good food, volleyball, and live music on the deck at Cedar Isle.
If you are hungry for some great food, drive down to Malakoff to Bubba Jeans (903 489-3474). Bubba Jeans has a 30 foot buffet bar with salad, gumbo, beans and lots of different Cajun seafood (two kinds of shrimp, alligator, catfish, crab cakes, and more). Don't leave without meeting Bubba Jean.
Wake Boarding & Skiing:
Their are plenty of coves for skiing and boarding -- the best coves are on the east side or south east end of the lake. During the 2006 drought, the water level was down 5 or 6 feet resulting in a lot of exposed ground and some that was just under the surface -- be careful or you will run aground.
Fishing:
Largemouth bass angling is best in the lower end of the reservoir where the water is clear. The lake record weighed 14.65 pounds. Catfishes are abundant, with more blues than channel cats in the legal size range. Hybrid striped bass are stocked annually and the lake record is 13.19 pounds.
Most submerged vegetation is located in the backs of coves in the lower end of the reservoir. Some emergent vegetation is present in the upper end but water is very shallow. Look for submersed islands across the lake from the confluence of Clear and Caney creeks.
Anglers generally follow the birds to find schools of white bass and hybrids. Action can be good all year but is particularly good in the spring. Look for largemouth bass in the weedy back ends of coves in the lower third of the lake. Use cut shad or live bait for blue catfish. Above is thanks to Texas Parks and Wildlife.
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*Courtesy of Texas Parks and Wildlife
Camping, Waterfront Lodging, and Day Use Parks
We like Caney Cove Resort and RV Park which is at the south end of the lake. Read our review of Caney Cove by clicking here. They have tent and RV camping, screened shelters, a small lodge, and cabins very close to the water. CedarCreekLake.com has information on some rental property on Cedar Creek Lake.
Ramps & Marinas
Texas Parks and Wildlife provides a good listing of ramps and marinas.
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More Pictures
Texas Outside Lakes Rating Scale
Texas Outside rates lakes on a 1 to 10 scale based on:
- Beauty: high scores are given for lots of trees, hills, or pretty houses
- Water Clarity: if you’re standing in two feet of water and can’t see your toes or the water has a deep brown color, we’re talking a 1
- Water Conditions: rough water with waves over a foot (good for PWCs or surfing) due to consistent wind or boat wakes don’t rate high on our scale
- Skiing & Board Conditions: on the weekends if you can typically find a good cove or part of the lake with glass, we’re talking a 10
- Beaches: don’t you hate those beaches when you step into the water you sink in mud up to your knees and loose your flip-flops or it’s all slime and weeds or small rocks – if so, that’s a 1
- Fun Scale: lakes scoring a 10 have fun restaurants and bars, great coves for raft ups or swimming, and fun rental toys
- Cruising & Touring: if you can cruise the lake and look at beautiful houses, nice marinas, pretty coves, or anything similar it will score high
- Restaurants & Bars: nothing better than cruising over and having some good food and listening to some great music on the deck of a fun restaurant – the ride back with smooth water and a fun moon is also pretty cool – we’re talking a 10
- Safety Level: lakes with lots of wild and crazy jet skiers or fast cigarette boats will score low
- Camping: we’re looking for beautiful spacious sites right on the water with a nice sandy beach to swim and park the boat
- Fishing: the bigger the better and they have to be easy to hook
*Fishing information was provided with permission of the Texas Parks and Wildlife (www.tpwd.state.tx.us) in 2006. Texas Parks and Wildlife does not endorse Texas Outside or information presented on texasoutside.com. ©Copyright Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
About Texas Outside
Texas Outside has been alive & well since 1996 - that's ancient by today's internet standards! Texas Outside was originally developed by Lone Star Internet which is an Austin based web development company with an excellent reputation & client base. In March of 2006, we purchased Texas Outside & made a commitment to add new, exciting, & informative content on Texas outdoor activities & fun things to see & do.
