Lake Gladewater sits in the heart of the Piney Woods of East Texas two miles northwest of Gladewater, Texas, in Upshur County. Lake Gladewater covers 6,950 acres with a maximum depth of 30 feet. Glade Creek, a tributary of the Sabine River, which forms part of the boundary between Texas and Louisiana, feeds Lake Gladewater.

The City of Gladewater owns and operates Lake Gladewater for municipal water supply and recreation. The cities of Longview, White Oak, and Gladewater, Texas, form Upshur County’s microplex with less than 50,000 people. Beautiful homes surround Lake Gladewater, which is a relatively small lake in an unpopulated region with few roads leading to it and no subdivisions on its waterfront.

Lake Gladewater runs almost in a straight line north to south and is 3.25 miles long, with the largest portion of open water in its southern section. U.S. Highways 80 and 271 form a vertice south of Lake Gladewater, which are the best ways to access Lake Gladewater. Lake Gladewater is 50 miles southeast of Dallas and 50 miles southwest of Shreveport, the closest metroplexes.

History of Lake Gladewater

Construction began on Lake Gladewater in 1951 and was completed in 1852. It is a small rural lake and kind of a suburb to Gladewater, Texas, without housing subdivisions. In 1827, the location of the hub of this community was three miles east of Gladewater today, and called St. Clair. In 1872, The Texas & Pacific Railroad built a depot at the present-day location of Gladewater. St. Clair sat on Glade Creek which forms the western border of Gladewater today. St. Clair moved three miles to the east at that point.

Archeologists have found artifacts dating back to the Paleo-Indian period in Upshur County between 10,000 and 12,000 years ago. The Mississippi Caddoan culture is a network of Native American groups who shared some and/or many of the same cultural elements. By 1690, the Caddoans had mostly disappeared from east Texas.

At that point, the Spanish had explored the Lake Gladewater region, and after that the fur traders and later the fur trappers moved in. By 1821, the Cherokee Tribe had moved into the area via the Cherokee Trace, a road which ended just north of present-day Lake LBJ. Texas was under control of Spain until 1821, when Mexico won Texas from Spain. By 1830, many settlers wanted to move into eastern Texas under land grants issued by the Spanish government.

The Cherokee Trace played a huge role in the settlement of east Texas after the Indian removal policies of the Republic of Texas. The Cherokee Trace was originally a rugged path used by other Indian groups and the fur traders and trappers. The Cherokee are credited with boosting the infrastructure of the Cherokee Trace.

According to legend, the Cherokee dragged buffalo skins behind them as they traveled the Cherokee Trace while clearing the path of brush and logs.The Cherokee forged the road to comprise the best camping sites, river fords, and springs for fresh water. They planted honeysuckle vines and rose bushes along the route so that the bright colors of these flowering plants marked the route. Later, settlers noted that the thick briars and vines created effective natural fencing material.

Lake Gladewater Cabins and Vacation Homes

Lake Gladewater has a small population with no housing subdivisions. There is limited vaction home rental availability. Most of its privately owned waterfront property is not used for short-term rental homes. Typically, visitors can find listing for two to four vacation homes rentals. There are no parks with private cabins for rent at Lake Gladewater.

Find the perfect vacation home on our Lake Gladewater Cabins page.

Camping at Lake Gladewater

Camping is prohibited at Lake Gladewater. There are some RV parks around the area that you can stay at, you can explore your options on our Lake Gladewater Camping and RV Parks page. 

The Garland P. Ferguson Park at Lake Gladewater

The Garland P. Ferguson Park is the only park on Lake Gladewater with the only public access to Lake Gladewater. It serves as a Gladewater community sports center featuring sports courts, picnic areas, a pavilion, a playground, a swimming area, a boat ramp, and a lighted fishing pier. Garland P. Ferguson Park is located on the southwestern shoreline of Lake Gladewater.

The park office is located at 1602 Lakeshore Drive, Gladewater, Texas. Visitors to the Garland P. Ferguson Park can access the park through Gladewater, Texas, and from the road circling the park, people can cruise around the west or the east side of Lake Gladewater by taking East Lake Road or West Lake Road.

Fishing Lake Gladewater

Anglers consider fishing Lake Gladewater lovely for its peaceful, serene experience with fair catches of largemouth bass ranging in size and good catches of channel catfish, black and white crappie, and bluegill and redear sunfish. Only one boat ramp exists in the Garland P. Ferguson Park on the southwestern tip of Lake Gladewater.

Fish cover includes boat docks and fishing piers, inundated lumber, and aquatic vegetation that covers 10% of Lake Gladewater. Lake Gladewater provides a wonderful opportunity to teach younger children the intricate nuances of the art of fishing along with peaceful and wholesome family fun. The novel angler will appreciate the uncrowded noise and invisible boating traffic on Lake Gladewater outside of peak season.

You can find a fishing guide service on Lake Gladewater, but the local guides service other lakes all over East Texas. Availability of a fishing charter on Lake Gladewater will depend on how busy the guides are on nearby lakes well known for trophy-size fish.

Find experienced local guides on our Lake Gladewater Fishing Guides page.

Boating Lake Gladewater

There is room on Lake Gladewater for skiing and other watersports along with strict rules for skiers cover by the Gladewater’s City Code Sec. 93.0s.

The ski area on Lake Gladewater starts 200 feet from the water intake tower and extends north to Phillips Spring Point, outer limits of the ski area shall extend not less than 150 feet from the end of any dock, pier or boathouse.

Persons using the ski area may place a slalom course within the said ski area, provided that said course is adequately marked and visible to skiers:

(1) Slalom course must be located in the center of the lake, approximately an equal distance from the east and west shorelines.

(2) No more than two slalom courses will be allowed on the lake at any one time.

(3) No slalom course will be allowed on the lake during the period of October 1 through March 31.

City of Gladewater: Special Boating and Fishing Regulations

Lake Gladewater is owned and operated by the City of Gladewater, and there are extra regulations for boating and fishing mandated by the city on top of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department regulations. The Lake Store sells fishing supplies, live bait, snacks, and cold drinks.

The City of Gladewater published its clearly defined statutes regarding fishing and boating on the following web page. Please familiarize your captain with these regulations before launching into Lake Gladewater in order to maximize your experience:

https://www.cityofgladewater.com/lake-gladewater/rules/

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Lake Gladewater Marinas

There are no marinas on Lake Gladewater.

Lake Gladewater Real Estate

Lake Gladewater offers future homebuyers beautiful options in a lesserknown marketplace for lake property in Texas at affordable prices. Homes range in price from $150,000 to $70,000. The Gladewater ISD serves Lake Gladewater children.

Gladewater and Gilmer, Texas, are the nearest towns with restaurants and limited shopping. Longview, Texas, is the closest town with a Walmart. The Lake Gladewater atmosphere is extremely rural and superb serenity is included.

To find your dream lake home, explore our Lake Gladewater Homes For Sale page.

Trails at Lake Gladewater

Lake Gladewater is nestled in the Forest Trails and Texas Heritage Trails Program region of East Texas. While there are no official hiking trails at Lake Gladewater, Longview, Texas, offers additional hiking and biking trails. The Texas Heritage Trails Program is the Texas Historical Commission’s award-winning heritage tourism initiative.

The Cargill Long, Guthrie Park and Trail, and the Paul G. Boorman Trail are connected and form a Z path through central Longview.

Cargill Long Trail

The Cargill Long Trail is a Certified National Recreational Trail located at 3112 N. Fourth St., Longview, TX. It is a 3-mile trail open daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. and is lighted between 4th Street and Hollybrook. Hikers will find a pavilion, picnic tables, playground, restrooms, drinking fountains, benches, and exercise stations.       

Guthrie Park and Trail

Hike and bike, and more on this trail at 301 Tupelo, Drive, Longview, Texas. It also offers an 18-hole disc golf course, tennis courts, hike/bike trail, practice backstops, multi-use courts, and a picnic.

Paul G. Boorman Trailand

This is one of the most popular walking trails in Longview, Texas and features 2.9 miles of paved trail, restroom, playground, outdoor workout equipment, picnic tables, and a dog park. It is located at 919 W. Marshall Ave., Longview, Texas.

Mobberly Trail

This trail is located at 3297 Tryon Road, Longview, Texas, behind Mobberly Baptist Church, and has 6.5 miles of hiking and mountain bike trails near a small lake.

The Green

The Green provides a hiking/biking trail, picnic area, pavilion, nature play area, musical instruments, restrooms and water features. It is located at 207 S. Spur 63, Longview, Texas.

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Things to Do at Lake Gladewater

Lake Gladewater is the main attraction at Lake Gladewater. There are no restaurants or nightlife. Lake Gladewater offers an easy laid-back experience for enjoying the natural wonders of the Piney Woods of East Texas. Longview, Texas, only 13 miles southeast of Lake Gladewater, is steeped in culture and history. Visitors who take the short trip to this east Texas town where southern charm meets the rugged west will find an interesting experience.

Longview and Gladewater, Texas, boasts of seven golfing options, the Alpine Golf Club, Longview Country Club, Nip it Golf Indoor Golf Center, Pinecrest Country Club, The Challenge at Oak Forest Country Club, and Wood Hollow Golf Club in Longview, and the Tempest Golf Club in Gladewater.

For family fun in Longview, check out the Air U Trampoline Park, The Social Snap (a public photo studio), Exit Theory Escape Room (a multi-player interactive game complex with four themed rooms), G-Force Trampoline and Karting Complex, Lazer X (lazer tag), Longview Escape Room (uncover clues, solve riddles and crack codes in the room which will allow you to escape), Longview World of Wonders (a creative, imaginative, and exploratory discovery center for children), and Lumberjacks Axe Throwing (learn to throw axes with deadly precision).

Take it off road in Gilmer, Texas, 11 miles north of Lake Gladewater, at the Barnwell Mountain Recreational Area with 1,850 acres of off-road excitement. All off-road vehicles must display a current Texas Parks and Wildlife OHV sticker while in the park.

For historical and educational journeys, Gregg County, Texas, is rich in culture. Visitors can experience the Gregg County Historical Museum and the Longview Museum of Fine Art in Longview.

Kilgore, Texas, 13 miles south of Lake Gladewater, features the R.G. LeTourneau Museum and Archives, one of Americas greatest inventors, educators, entrepreneurs, and philanthropists, East Texas Oil Museum, Rangerette Showcase and Museum, and Texas Museum of Broadcasting & Communications.

Plan your activities on our What To Do At Lake Gladewater page. 

Lake Gladewater Weather & Climate

Lake Gladewater sees an average of 48 inches of rain, 214 sunny days, and one inch of snow per year. The January low is 33 degrees, the July high is 94 degrees, and April and May are the most pleasant months of the year. Stay up to date on our Lake Gladewater Weather Forecast page.

Lake Gladewater Zip Codes

Upshur County: 75410, 75431, 75444, 75494, 75497, 75765, 75783.

Flora and Fauna

The local terrain is low-rolling to flat and is surfaced by clay and sandy loams that support mixed hardwoods, conifers, and grasses. Be sure to bring your binoculars to Lake Gladewater. Expect to see white-tailed deer, eastern wild turkey, squirrel, and feral hogs.

During the spring and summer, bird watchers will see woodpeckers, great crested and Acadian flycatchers, eastern kingbird, brown thrasher, blue-gray gnatcatcher, wood thrush, summer tanager, and several species of vireos and warblers. Open areas support killdeer, indigo bunting, eastern meadowlark, field and chipping sparrows, mourning dove, eastern bluebird, and eastern phoebe. Bald eagles winter in this region, along with migrating waterfowl.