Lake Palestine, Reservoir in northeast Texas, United States
Lake Palestine is a 18-mile-long reservoir on the Neches River in northeast Texas, formed by the 5,720-foot Blackburn Crossing Dam. It reaches 4 miles across at its widest point and has 135 miles of shoreline across Anderson, Cherokee, Henderson and Smith counties.
The Blackburn Crossing Dam was built on the Neches River during the 1960s to create this body of water. The project played an important role in the region's water supply and flood control efforts.
The lake's name comes from the nearby town of Palestine, the Anderson County seat, not from the Middle East. Anglers fish its water for bass, crappie and catfish, the species the reservoir is known for. The lake lies in Anderson, Cherokee, Henderson and Smith counties, and each shoreline community uses it for its own fishing and boating outings.
Multiple public boat launches provide water access, while private marinas offer equipment rentals and docking spaces. Visitors should expect varying water conditions depending on the season, as the lake supports different water activities.
Lake Palestine supplies water beyond its own basin: the Tarrant Regional Water District and Dallas Water Utilities built a 150-mile pipeline linking it to Lake Benbrook, a $2.3 billion project begun in 2014 and phased between 2018 and 2030. Local businesses feared the lake could be pumped dry, but officials projected declines split evenly between evaporation and pumping.
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