Which DFW lakes are safe to swim in? Trinity River is not one of them. Try these instead

The presence of E.coli makes some North Texas bodies of water unsafe to swim.

And water you can’t swim in just doesn’t cut it in a Texas summer when days reach 100 degrees consistently.

Water is at our doorsteps in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Residents have access to 28 lakes and the Trinity River, which runs through it.

However, the Trinity River is notorious for its bacteria-filled water . Rivers are more susceptible to unfit swimming conditions than lakes. Especially after a good rain, the runoff can easily pollute the water, elevating levels of bacteria like E.coli or Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) .

“TRWD routinely samples the reservoirs and Trinity River for E. coli bacteria,” said the Tarrant County Water District, “The Trinity River is much more susceptible to a change in water quality from a small rain than reservoirs.”

Luckily, there are many swimmable lakes in Dallas-Fort Worth that aren’t a cesspool of bacteria for you to enjoy this summer.

Lakes and their conditions in Dallas-Fort Worth

According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, there are 28 lakes in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, only one with a swim ban .

Benbrook Lake’s Mustang Park swim beach is closed due to flooding. Flooding poses the same issue of possible harmful runoff of pollutants, giving opportunity for more bacteria growth . Grapevine Lake is also flooding, but still has their designated swim spots open.

Zebra Mussels are an invasive freshwater mussel present in North Texas. They are harmful to the lake’s wildlife, as they are freshwater mussels that can easily outnumber the lake’s native species. They feed on plankton rapidly to the point where they can wipe out the lake population, affecting everyone’s food chain.

It is okay to swim in lakes with these mussels. They won’t hurt you but they can do damage if you do not properly maintain your boat. If you take your boat on a lake with zebra mussels, you must clean, drain, and dry your boat before going to another body of water. If you do not do so, you can be fined up to $500.

Here is a full list of lakes in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, as well as what advisories they currently have.

1. Alvarado Park Lake

2. Lake Arlington

3. Bachman Lake

4. Lake Bardwell

5. Benbrook Lake: Flooding at Bear Creek, Longhorn Park, Mustang Park (no swim), North and South Holiday. Closed for other purposes at Rocky Creek and West Creek Circle.

6. Big Creek Lake

7. Lake Bridgeport: Zebra mussel infestation.

8. Cleburne State Park Lake

9. Comanche Creek Reservoir (formerly known as Squaw Creek)

10. Cooper Lake

11. Eagle Mountain Lake: Zebra mussel infestation.

12. Lake Granbury

13. Grapevine Lake: Flooding at Knob Hill and Murrell Hill and Zebra mussel infestation.

14. Joe Pool Lake

15. Lake Lavon: Zebra mussel infestation.

16. Lake Lewisville: Zebra mussel infestation.

17. Marine Creek Lake

18. Mountain Creek Lake

19. Lake Pat Cleburne

20. Purtis Creek State Park Lake

21. Lake Ray Hubbard

22. Ray Roberts Lake: Zebra mussel infestation.

23. Lake Tawakoni

24. Lake Waxahachie

25. Lake Weatherford

26. Wheeler Branch Reservoir

27. White Rock Lake

28. Lake Worth: Zebra mussel infestation.

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