Lake Bob Sandlin
A roughly 9,000-acre Northeast Texas reservoir run by a small, fee-funded water district rather than a tax-levying authority -- one of the more stable, quietly overlooked lakes in the region, anchored by its own state park.
Share Your Lake Bob Sandlin Photos
A quiet sunrise from the state park pier, a white bass haul near the Highway 21 bridge, a calm cove near Pittsburg -- submit a photo and we'll feature it here.
Submit a Photo →The Lake at a Glance
Lake Bob Sandlin was formed by damming Big Cypress Creek with the earthfill Fort Sherman Dam, roughly 69 feet high and 10,800 feet long. Gates closed on August 19, 1977, the lake was formally dedicated June 25, 1978, and it reached full conservation pool, elevation 337.5 feet above mean sea level, on February 18, 1983.
The lake covers approximately 9,000 acres, with sources ranging from about 8,700 to 9,500 acres depending on the survey and current water level. It touches four counties, Titus, Camp, Franklin, and Wood, though Wood County's shoreline contact is minor. Fort Sherman Dam and the district offices sit closest to Mount Pleasant and Pittsburg, both roughly five to six miles away.
Unlike most Texas reservoirs, Lake Bob Sandlin is owned and operated by a small special-purpose entity, Titus County Fresh Water Supply District No. 1, rather than a river authority or the Army Corps of Engineers. The district supplies water to the City of Mount Pleasant, Luminant, and (via the Northeast Texas Municipal Water District, which treats the water but does not own the lake) the City of Pittsburg.
What Buyers Need to Know First
The single most distinctive fact: the district that governs this lake's dock permits and shoreline rules levies no property tax at all. It funds itself through permit and use fees instead, a genuinely unusual structure worth understanding before assuming the same tax rules apply here as at a river-authority lake.
The second piece: this is not a trophy-bass destination like nearby Lake Fork. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department frames Lake Bob Sandlin around white bass and channel catfish first, with a solid but secondary largemouth bass fishery, a distinction worth knowing if bass fishing is your primary draw to a lake purchase.
The third piece: the district's own published documents contain a real internal conflict over maximum dock and boathouse size, covered in depth on this site's dock-permits page. Confirm current rules directly with the district before finalizing any dock construction plans.
Everything We Cover on Lake Bob Sandlin
Independent research across every topic Lake Bob Sandlin buyers ask about -- the district's fee-based system, Titus and Camp County tax math, and which nearby small town actually fits you.
This is exactly the stuff a Lake Bob Sandlin specialist helps you navigate. Want an introduction?
Find My Lake Bob Sandlin Specialist →Ready to connect with a verified Lake Bob Sandlin specialist?
Tell us what you’re looking for and we’ll match you with someone who knows this lake.
Find My Lake Bob Sandlin Specialist →