Little Elkhart Creek became Houston County Lake in 1966

Houston County Lake began when Little Elkhart Creek was impounded in 1966. The reservoir sits in the Trinity River drainage about 10 miles northwest of Crockett and reaches a listed maximum depth of 40 feet. At the 260-foot conservation-pool elevation, the Texas Water Development Board's rating curve puts the surface at about 1,330 acres. The actual shoreline moves as the water level changes.

Normal water clarity ranges from clear to slightly stained. In 2018, fisheries crews added habitat structures at mapped locations. Those coordinates are durable clues for reading the lake; they are not a live report on today's water or fish.

As checked July 29, 2026, the public county ramp on the north side of the dam was listed as open all year. It has two lanes, parking, a courtesy dock, and no listed fee. The entrance is reached from FM 229. Check that access listing and the current reservoir level before making the drive.

At the upper end, standing timber still gives the reservoir a creek-country edge. Houston County Lake is Little Elkhart Creek widened behind a dam, and that older landscape remains part of how the lake looks and works.