Overview
B.A. Steinhagen Lake (Town Bluff Reservoir) is a roughly 10,700-acre reservoir on the Neches River in Tyler and Jasper counties in East Texas, immediately downstream of Sam Rayburn. Town Bluff Dam was completed in the 1950s and is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District primarily to reregulate releases from Sam Rayburn for power, water supply, and recreation.
At conservation pool the lake has about 156 miles of shoreline, an average depth near 6 feet, and a maximum depth of about 44 feet. It is a shallow, riverine East Texas lake with cypress, timber, sandbars, and vegetated flats that demand careful navigation, especially when levels are low.
Steinhagen is popular for fishing, paddling, and wildlife viewing, with largemouth bass, crappie, catfish, and abundant waterfowl habitat. Fisheries are managed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and Corps parks and public ramps provide access along the Neches corridor.
Water levels are managed by the Corps around a conservation pool of 83 feet above mean sea level (NGVD29), with an emergency spillway crest near 85 feet. Elevations closely track releases from upstream Lake Sam Rayburn, so monitoring current Steinhagen levels is especially important for navigating shallow flats and for fishing and boating access.
Current Conditions
B.A. Steinhagen Lake is currently 0.16 feet below full pool and has risen slightly over the past week.
- 7-day trendRisingLatest movement can differ from the seven-day trend.
- 7-day changeUp 0.24 ft
- 30-day changeUp 0.08 ft
- Drought conditionsNo Drought
About This Lake
Learn how this lake is managed, what affects its water level, and where Lake Insights gets its data.
B.A. Steinhagen Lake is a 10,687-acre reservoir on the Neches River (releases from Sam Rayburn) managed by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District.