Map of Texas highlighting Eastland County

Lake Leon is located in Eastland County and was created by the State Board of Water Engineers by impounding the

Leon River The Leon River is a river in the U.S. state of Texas. It has three primary forks - the North, Middle, and South Leon Rivers, which meet near Eastland and then run for around until it meets with the Lampasas River and the Salado Creek to form ...

. In reference to

Abilene, Texas Abilene ( ) is a city in Taylor and Jones Counties in Texas, United States. Its population was 125,182 at the 2020 census, making it the 27th-most populous city in the state of Texas. It is the principal city of the Abilene metropolitan statis ...

with a population of around 125,000, it is east, and in reference to Eastland, Texas with a population of around 4,000, it is southeast. Lake Leon is found in the

Brazos River The Brazos River ( , ), called the ''Río de los Brazos de Dios'' (translated as "The River of the Arms of God") by early Spanish explorers, is the 11th-longest river in the United States at from its headwater source at the head of Blackwater Dr ...

and in the Cross Timbers ecoregion, more specifically the Cross Timbers Grand Prairie ecoregion.

Hydrology

The river which filled Lake Leon is called the

which also serves as its namesake, but the drainage area is over . The surface area is , a maximum depth of , an elevation above sea level of , and a capacity of 28,042 acre-feet. Aside from decreasing water levels due to hot, dry summer months, the water level is not susceptible to fluctuation. According to the Eastland County Water Supply District, the turbidity varies from visibility to to slightly stained.

History

On July 8, 1952, the State Board of Water Engineers permitted the creation of Lake Leon. On January 13, 1953, the dam started construction, and the dam was efficiently blocking the waterway by April 1954. In June 1954, the dam was finished. Eastland County Water Supply District still uses Lake Leon both municipally and industrially as a water sources.

Recreation

Fishing

In 1975, Florida largemouth bass entered Lake Leon, and since then the reservoir has become recognized for largemouth bass tournament fishing. Lake Leon also has

channel catfish The channel catfish (''Ictalurus punctatus'') is North America's most numerous catfish species. It is the official fish of Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Tennessee, and is informally referred to as a "channel cat". In the United States, the ...

, sunfish, and white bass. There are no fishing regulations specific to Lake Leon, so statewide regulations are all applicable.

Boating

Lake Leon does provide a boat dock for those that wish to use their boats recreationally.

Wildlife

Fauna

The most populous fish are: * largemouth bass * white crappie *

* flathead catfish * white bass

Flora

The most populous hydrophilic vegetations are: * floating-leaf pondweed * bulrush * water willow

References

{{coord, 32, 21, 45, N, 98, 41, 54, W, type:waterbody_region:US-TX, display=title Lakes of Texas