Overview
Belton Lake is a roughly 12,400-acre reservoir on the Leon River in Bell and Coryell counties, just north of Belton in Central Texas. Belton Dam was completed in 1954 and is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District for flood risk management, water supply, and recreation in the Brazos River basin.
The lake has about 136 miles of shoreline, an average depth near 37 feet, and a maximum depth of about 124 feet. Wooded hills, rocky points, creek arms, and submerged channels create a classic Central Texas Corps reservoir layout, with both open-water basins and protected coves for boaters and anglers.
Belton is popular for boating, camping, and fishing for largemouth bass, striped and hybrid bass, crappie, and catfish, with fisheries managed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Corps parks, campgrounds, marinas, and boat ramps ring the shoreline and draw visitors from the Temple–Killeen–Fort Cavazos area.
Water levels are managed by the Corps under a conservation pool of 594 feet above mean sea level (NGVD29), with flood storage extending to about 631 feet. Upstream on the Leon River, Proctor Lake is another Fort Worth District project in the same basin, so Belton elevations respond to rainfall, releases, and flood operations. Monitoring current lake levels is important for boating safety, fishing, and dock access.
Current Conditions
Belton Lake is currently at full pool and has fallen slightly over the past week.
- 7-day trendFallingLatest movement can differ from the seven-day trend.
- 7-day changeDown 0.33 ft
- 30-day changeDown 1.15 ft
- Drought conditionsNo Drought
- Active advisories1 active (Notice)
About This Lake
Learn how this lake is managed, what affects its water level, and where Lake Insights gets its data.
Belton Lake is a 12,385-acre reservoir on the Leon River managed by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District.