Belton Lake

The Lake at a Glance

Belton Lake sits on the Leon River in northern Bell County, extending slightly into Coryell County, about three miles north of Belton and eight miles west of Temple. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District, built the dam between 1949 and 1954, with deliberate impoundment beginning March 8, 1954. A 1972 modification raised the conservation pool 25 feet, from 569 to 594 feet above sea level, roughly doubling the lake's size from its original footprint of about 7,400 acres to today's approximately 12,300 acres and 435,225 acre-feet of conservation capacity.

At 136 miles of shoreline, Belton Lake is one of the larger Corps of Engineers reservoirs in Central Texas, and it sits within easy reach of Fort Cavazos (the Army post long known as Fort Hood), whose presence shapes the surrounding housing market through steady military-family turnover. Morgan's Point Resort, a dedicated lakefront town with its own marina, Belton, and Temple all sit within a short drive of the shoreline.

Belton Lake and nearby Stillhouse Hollow Lake are frequently compared, since both are Fort Worth District reservoirs minutes apart near Temple, Belton, and Salado. Belton was built first, in 1954, and is nearly twice Stillhouse Hollow's surface area, while Stillhouse Hollow, completed in 1968, has a reputation for clearer, less developed water.

What Buyers Need to Know First

The single most important fact for buyers: true private dock access at Belton Lake is genuinely limited. As a Corps of Engineers project, shoreline use here follows the same general federal Shoreline Management Program posture common across this district's Texas lakes, and boat access instead runs largely through public ramps and four marinas rather than private waterfront docks. Confirm current shoreline-use specifics directly with the Belton project office before assuming a specific waterfront lot includes dock rights.

The second piece is Fort Cavazos. Given the post's scale and the steady turnover of military families into and out of the region, the surrounding Killeen-Temple-Belton housing market behaves somewhat differently than a typical rural Texas lake market, with meaningful rental demand and a broader mix of buyers than a purely retiree- or vacation-driven lake market would show.

The third piece is the fishery. TPWD rates Belton Lake's hybrid striped bass fishery excellent, alongside good largemouth bass, catfish, and crappie, with the hybrid stripers introduced in 1977 now serving as the lake's signature draw for anglers, particularly below the dam during the spring white bass and striper runs.

Ready to connect with a verified Belton Lake specialist?

Tell us what you’re looking for and we’ll match you with someone who knows this lake.