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Dallasites do not have to travel far to find a waterside escape from the rat race. The warm air of summer inspires a slew of aquatic activities from water skiing to fishing.
For over half a century, four North Texas lakes have obliged.
Grapevine Lake, Lake Lavon, Lewisville Lake and Joe Pool Lake are all federally funded bodies of water and North Texas staples. Each contains dams and reservoirs to provide water for Dallas and suburban residents, while also having room for recreational fun.
The Dallas Morning News dives into its archives to uncover lost memories of long days spent by and in the water.
Grapevine Lake
Established: 1952
After World War II, the construction of a new dam and reservoir was approved in North Texas. In what would later become Grapevine Lake, the project was designed to give cities access to water but also had recreation in mind.
The reservoir is over 7,000 acres and soon became a popular fishing site. The area was developing a reputation as “a productive mecca for anglers” and a spot for water sports, according to The News on Sept. 11, 1953.
When fishing was officially opened to the public in 1954, “the passing of midnight brought bedlam to Grapevine Lake northwest of Dallas as hundreds of eager fishermen pursued the 600,000 black bass, crappie and channel catfish.” The News reported that, “by lantern light, the mobs — predominantly men, but also including some women and children — cast and the fish went after their fatal midnight snacks.”
In all, more than 20,000 people cast their rods on Grapevine Lake on opening day in June 1954.
In 1972, North Texans discovered there was something off with the lake. “The people around Grapevine knew their lake was in trouble when they found themselves wading knee-deep in beer cans,” The News reported on Sep. 19, 1972. The solution? Organize a community clean-up.
Throughout the following decades, Grapevine Lake has hosted a variety of fun activities for residents. Fishing rodeos, canoe races, tourneys and boating kept active locals happy by the water. Grapevine Lake continues to be an outdoor destination for North Texas families.
Lake Lavon
Established: 1953
“Jubilation was in the air, for Friday the House appropriations committee had approved a $500,000 allotment for Lavon Reservoir,” The News reported in June 1947. Designed to control floods and provide conservation and recreation, Lake Lavon emerged from a small Collin County town.
Locals already had big plans and dreams before construction finished. One Wylie resident in particular envisioned the area as “heaven for catfish” since he knew “what it [took] to fatten a Collin County catfish.”
“They want lush vegetation, the kind that grows on rich black soil. That’s why Lavon Lake will be a fishin’ paradise when it starts filling up with water in 1951,” said Truett Smith in 1950.
The dedication and commitment from residents transformed the reservoir into an outdoor paradise. At the opening of the lake’s 1954 summer season, entertainment was widespread throughout the area. A crowd of upward of 50,000 people called Lake Lavon paradise that Fourth of July weekend.
Other events around Lake Lavon included speedboat races hosted by the Wylie Lions Club and Wylie Volunteer Fire Departments during the 1950s. Water skiers also took over the lake. In 1961, a two-hour show featured 16 acts of “jumps, ballets, clown acts, barefoot skiing and water kite flying.”
Over 3 million visitors came to Lake Lavon in 1962 alone, making it one of the most popular midcentury lakes in North Texas.
Lake Lavon continues to thrive, offering several marinas and activities such as boating, kayaking, and fishing.
Lewisville Lake
Established: 1948
Some people may recall spending summers at Lake Dallas or Garza-Little Elm Lake. It may come as news to them to learn that both lakes would eventually merge into one and be re-christened Lewisville Lake.
It began during the 1920s, when the city of Dallas constructed a new reservoir near the town of Garza. When the project was completed, it was named Lake Dallas and the town changed its name to resemble its new aquatic neighbor.
Two decades later, a federally funded project was approved to bring water to the growing D-FW population. This project became known as the Garza-Little Elm Reservoir and Dam, named after the nearby towns. It was not until 1957 when the neighboring dams were breached that they became one. In 1971, the name was officially changed to Lewisville Lake.
The lake holds many memories. Lewisville Lake was once home to campers at Sky Ranch at its original location 28 miles northwest of Dallas in 1955. It was also the site of the Sears Cup sailing tournament in 1960. The Frisco Fishing Barge reported that same year how the fish were “biting the best ’' at the lake. Five years later, a 27-act ski show was held “in conjunction with the Lewisville Jaycee’s annual Camporee” that held a variety of tricks for audiences to enjoy.
Dallasites and surrounding suburban residents can continue to enjoy the activities offered at Lewisville Lake. Locals can enjoy a cold beer at Party Cove or simply fish off a boat on a hot summer day.
Joe Pool Lake
Established: 1983
Joe Pool Lake began as a promise made by a Dallas teenager who would fulfill it posthumously.
When Joe Pool became a congressman in the mid-1960s, he did not forget his earlier promise to provide relief for South Dallas homes that would be at risk of flooding.
After years of research and advocacy, Congress approved what was then known as the Lakeview Reservoir in 1965. Congressman Pool didn’t see his project completed; he died in 1968.
The Lakeview Area Planning Council took the reins to direct construction and planning of the reservoir for the following decades. The Lakeview project quickly ballooned in size, The News reported in May 1978: “The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers [was] busy buying up some of the last undeveloped land in Dallas County for one of the most expensive water projects ever built in Texas — a lake that easily could cost 1,200 times as much as it did to build White Rock Lake 70 years ago.”
In 1983, the lake was officially renamed Joe Pool Lake in a bill signed by President Ronald Reagan. Officially, construction began in 1977 and was not completed until almost 10 years later in 1985. It took several more years to bring water to the area.
Although the original intention of the lake was to control flooding and hold water reservoirs, the area also included recreational fun. In 1990, one of “the finest marina [facilities] in Texas” opened when the first boats docked at Lynn Creek Marina on Joe Pool Lake. The first commercial marina in the area, it was designed to include a 4,000-square-foot “ship” store and an enclosed fishing pier.
Cedar Hill State Park opened nearby in 1991, another grand development situated on Joe Pool Lake. In the years that followed, the area would be home to fun runs, barbecues, boating and even Grand Prairie’s annual holiday Prairie Lights. Joe Pool Lake remains in operation.
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