Cedar Creek Reservoir, Water reservoir in Henderson and Kaufman Counties, United States.
Cedar Creek Reservoir is a 34,000-acre lake on Cedar Creek, a tributary of the Trinity River, in Henderson and Kaufman counties, about 50 miles southeast of Dallas. Its dam stands at the south end in Malakoff, and a gated spillway on the west side releases floodwater through a discharge channel to the Trinity River at Tool. The lake has a drainage area of 1,007 square miles.
Built on Cedar Creek, a Trinity River tributary, the reservoir was constructed between 1961 and 1965 as the fourth water source for the Tarrant Regional Water District. Its normal pool sits at 322 feet above sea level; when the level rises above that, spillway gates release water through a discharge channel to the Trinity River. During the 2005–2006 drought the lake fell to a record low of 313.96 feet on December 12, 2006, before heavy rains refilled it and the flood gates opened in 2007.
Cedar Creek Lake takes its name from Cedar Creek, the Trinity River tributary dammed at Malakoff to create it. The lake's name also lives in the Thunder Over Cedar Creek Lake airshow, held over the Fourth of July weekend, which supports veterans through the Cedar Creek Veterans Foundation. Towns around the water include Gun Barrel City, Mabank, Kemp and Seven Points.
Two public boat ramps and several private marinas offer water access, with the Chamber Island Ramp providing free entry and space for roughly 75 vehicles. The ramps stay open throughout the year, though water levels can shift with the season and affect launch conditions.
Cedar Creek Reservoir's dam sits at the south end in Malakoff, while the gated spillway on the west side releases floodwater into a canal that runs to the Trinity River at Tool. The lake's record largemouth bass weighed 14.65 pounds (6.65 kg).
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