Lake Ray Roberts

An Elm Fork reservoir with several ways in

Ray Roberts Lake occupies the Elm Fork of the Trinity River north of Denton. The dam is in Denton County, while the reservoir reaches Cooke and Grayson counties. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) gives 1987 as its impoundment year and identifies the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as the controlling authority. The same lake profile lists a 632.5-foot conservation-pool elevation. That number provides a reference for the dated gauge reading on this page; it does not describe whether a particular ramp is open or safe to use.

The lake has more than one kind of shoreline. TPWD identifies standing timber mainly in the upper reaches of its two major arms, riprap by the dam and bridges, stream channels, flooded points, and patches of aquatic vegetation. The 2023 fisheries survey describes rocky shoreline, dead trees and vegetation at its sampling sites. Those observations are useful for understanding why a plan made for the open main pool may not fit an upper arm.

Fishing across the arms

The TPWD lake profile identifies largemouth bass, white bass, blue and channel catfish, crappie and sunfish. It describes a spring white-bass run up tributaries and summer schooling around the main pool, while the standing timber and other submerged structure provide different settings for bass and crappie. These are recurring habitat and seasonal patterns, not a report of current fishing success. The lake’s latest agency report, when available, belongs alongside its observed level and the day’s weather forecast.

The survey notes bank access at the two state park units and several bridge crossings. A visitor who does not launch a boat can start with those public access choices, then check the relevant park information before traveling. For fishing limits and license requirements, use TPWD’s current links rather than a number copied into an evergreen guide.

Choosing a launch

TPWD’s access directory lists the Isle du Bois and Johnson Branch state park units, Jordan Park, Sanger Park, Pond Creek and other launches. They serve different shorelines; the two state park units are not interchangeable entrances to one parking lot. The agency’s August 2024 ramp survey recorded separate coordinates for Johnson Branch, Isle du Bois and Jordan Park. Those survey positions place the ramps on the map but cannot establish today’s operating status.

The directory lists water elevations at which individual ramps are subject to closure. These differ by ramp and can change with management decisions. Check the current TPWD access listing and park or marina operator before towing a boat. A lake-wide gauge reading alone cannot prove that a boarding pier, lane or approach is usable.

Shoreline care and trip planning

TPWD posts a zebra-mussel advisory on both its fishing and access pages. Follow the agency’s current boat-cleaning directions when moving between waters. The 2024 survey also reports that high lake levels had caused temporary ramp closures in prior years, showing why access checks matter at either end of the level range. For a practical trip plan, identify a specific entrance, read its current notice, compare the dated level with the lake’s reference pool, and keep the forecast separate from observed conditions.