Lake Limestone lies 51 miles southeast of downtown Waco, Texas in Leon, Limestone, and Robertson Counties in Central Texas. Lake Limestone covers 12,553 acres with 98 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 43 feet. The towns of Groesbeck, Personville, Buffalo, Jewitt, Marquez, Koss, and Thornton, Texas, surround Lake Limestone clockwise from the northwestern border. SH 164 runs across Lake Limestone’s northern border and SH 7 on its south side. SH 14 is on the west, and US 79 is on the east.
The Brazos River Authority owns and manages Lake Limestone. The Navasota River, a tributary of the Brazos River, feeds Lake Limestone. Waco, Texas, is the nearest metropolitan area. Most of Lake Limestone is located within Limestone County. Lake Limestone is extremely rural with few communities. The Brazos River Authority Park, Limestone County Parks, and privately owned parks are scattered around the lake.
History of Lake Limestone
The Texas Water Rights Commission permitted the Brazos River Authority to build the Sterling C. Robertson Dam in 1974. The dam was completed in 1978. Limestone Lake’s water is slightly alkaline and moderately clear for recreational and water supply purposes.
The Tawakoni, also known as the Tehuacana, and Waco Indians inhabited Limestone County before settlement. Part of the Haden Edwards and Robert Leftwich empresario grants made by the Coahuila and Texas legislature in 1825 was located in Limestone County under the Mexican government. The Mexican government wrestled for dominance with the settlers and tried to restrict colonization. But the settlers kept coming.
By the time Texas became a sovereign nation in 1836, both Mexican and Anglo settlers had claimed the land grants. Fort Parker, located near the Navasota River in today’s central Limestone County and built earlier in 1836, was the earliest settlement in the vicinity. On May 19, 1836, a large band of Comanches and Kiowas allies came to the fort. Most of the men were out working in the fields. The men of the fort and the Indians held short conversation under a flag of truce.
The Indians then attacked and massacred five of the men at the fort. The Indians took five others captive including Rachel Parker Plummer. Rachel was pregnant and had a baby, James, with her. Once Rachel had weaned James, her captors took him away, and Rachel never saw him again. The Comanches kept Rachel as a slave and never stayed in one camp more than three or four days except in extremely cold weather.
Mexican traders showed up to the Comanche camp holding Rachel north of Santa Fe, New Mexico who wanted to ransom her. Colonel and Mrs. William Donaho had arranged Rachel’s rescue, and they took her to Independence, Missouri, because they didn’t want trouble with the Mexican government. Lorenzo Nixon, Rachel’s brother-in-law, escorted her back to Texas. Rachel reunited with her husband in February, 1838.
Cabins and Vacation Homes
Visitors to Lake Limestone will find a few cabins and vacation homes. There are limited options for these beautiful accommodations on the water. There is even an old renovated caboose that sleeps six and a couple of four-bedroom homes with all the modern amenities. Lake Limestone Marina offers cabins, chalets, cottages, RV sites, apartments, and a lodge.
These vacation rentals come with private boat docks, decks, hot tubs, grills, and more. There is one vacation home rental on a working cattle ranch. Whatever your dream vacation ideal is, you can find it on Lake Limestone. Be sure to book early and check out the cancelation fees and free cancelation time periods.
Find the perfect vacation home on our Lake Limestone Cabins page.
Camping at Lake Limestone
You will find multiple campgrounds for tent and RV sites at Lake Limestone. There are four Brazos River Authority parks with primitive camping only. Two of these parks are on the southern border of Lake Limestone, and two are on the northern border with restrooms, parking, and picnic areas. Running Branch Marina and Limestone Marina offer tent camping with water and electricity plus RV sites. Several privately owned parks offer everything campers could want.
The stunning sunrises and sunsets on peaceful quiet Lake Limestone are enough of a reason to come and enjoy wonderful memory making times with family and friends. Catch a mess of fish and cook it for dinner under the Central Texas sky. Drink hot coffee in the morning listening to the bird songs waking you up for a great day of fun on the water. Be sure to bring your supplies with you as there are no close shopping centers.
Check out our list of campgrounds and RV parks for your family adventure on our Lake Limestone Camping page.
Fishing Lake Limestone
The predominant species in Lake Limestone are largemouth and white bass, black and white crappie, and blue, channel, and flathead catfish. Other species include bluegill, longear and redear sunfish, alligator, longnose, and spotted gar. A variety of aquatic vegetation of cattails, hydrilla, lily pads, pondweed, water hyacinth, and willows along with sloping banks, flooded timber, boathouses, and docks provide great fish cover.
Anglers will find little competition during the weekdays on Lake Limestone. The major creeks are productive for bass in the spring, especially the ones with the warmest water. The three species of catfish are caught year round, but catfish are most productive in May and June. Crappie fishing is great in the spring and spawn in shallow coves and in the backs of creeks. Sunfish anglers will find limited success in April and May by fishing spawning beds in shallow coves with sandy bottoms.
Or, leave the hassle of the boat behind and hire a Lake Limestone fishing guide. There are limited options. The guides know where the fish are hiding, Be sure to plan in advance and reserve your guide service early.
Find experienced local guides on our Lake Limestone Fishing Guides page.
Boating Lake Limestone
Lake Limestone is off the beaten path even though Buffalo, Texas lies on I45, but overlooked or not known to boaters who don’t know what they’re missing. In years with normal rainfall, its shoreline is dotted with docks and boathouses. Lake Limestone is open to all types of water sports including water skiing, jet-skiing, tubing, wakeboarding, pontooning, canoeing, and kayaking. However, Lake Limestone is not adaptable to larger boats and yachts.
Lake Limestone sports four public boat ramps, plus the two marinas have boat ramps with fees. Lakeboat Rental offers jet ski , waverunners, boat tours, water sport activities and lessons, flyboarding, and water toy rentals. Lake Limestone’s sloping hills and plethora of coves and creeks offers canoers and kayakers exciting adventures with wildlife viewing opportunities.
Find or sell a boat on our Lake Limestone’s “Boats for Sale” page.
Lake Limestone Marinas
Two marinas call Lake Limestone their home, Lake Limestone Campground and Marina and Running Branch Marina. Only Running Branch Marina has a gas dock. Neither of the marinas are full-service for large boats. These marinas do offer everything a fishing enthusiast and day boaters could want such as a restaurant, convenience stores, RV and tent sites, hot showers, cabins and apartments, and live bait and fishing tackle. Plan your trip to the lake by finding a marina on our Lake Limestone Marinas page.
Lake Limestone Real Estate
Real estate professionals and their clients consider Lake Limestone a beautiful place to buy or build your dream home. Its market is lesser known than other Texas lake markets. At any given time there are 20 lake homes and 20 land lots for sale. The average list price for a modern Lake Limestone home is $287,000. There are numerous homes available at lower prices.
The closest shopping centers are in Waco and Mexia Texas. The closest school districts are Buffalo ISD and Groesbeck ISD. Lake Limestone is a quiet peaceful lake ignored by the party boaters and far from the city lights. Waco, Texas, is the nearest metroplex, but Austin, Houston, and Dallas are all within three hours drive time.
To find your dream lake home, explore our Lake Limestone Homes For Sale page.
Hunting Lake Limestone
A drawing for waterfowl hunting site permits is held toward the end of August each year. Anyone who wants to obtain a waterfowl hunting site permit must be present at the lake office to personally enter their name on the day of the drawing. The permits are awarded through a lottery-style drawing as a one-year use permit. Hunters that receive a permit through this process must have a valid state hunting permit and must supply their own blinds. Up to three registered hunters may utilize the blind site for the permit period. If fewer entries are received than the number of available sites, the remaining sites will be available on a first come/first serve basis.
The Brazos River Authority (BRA) allows for waterfowl hunting on Lake Limestone at specific designated areas and the restricted adjacent property. The BRA holds their drawing for hunting blind sites around the end of August every year. Waterfowl Hunting Site Permit seekers must attend the blind site drawing and have their names registered for the drawing no later than 8:30 a.m. on the drawing date to enter. Lake Limestone is not a free-range public hunting lake.
Things to Do at Lake Limestone
Lake Limestone is unpopulated and caters to a relaxed and casual clientele who loves the country lifestyle. You won’t find fancy restaurants at Lake Limestone, but you will find something sumptious to fill your belly. On the water sits the grill at Lake Limestone Campground and Marina. Matejka’s BBQ is located on Lake Limestone’s northwestern end. Go to Buffalo, Jewitt, or Groesbeck to find a selection of restaurants including fast food. Waco and Mexia, Texas have Walmarts. You will find plenty of places to buy beer in the towns surrounding Lake Limestone, but load up with other necessary supplies before you get here. Bring your family and friends and enjoy the freedom of nature. Explore your options on our What To Do At Lake Limestone page.
Lake Limestone Climate
Lake Limestone sees an average of 40 inches of rain per year, no snow, and 228 days of sunshine. The winter low in January is 35 degrees and a summer high in July of 94 degrees. April, May, and October are the most comfortable months for this region.
Keep an eye on your skies with our Lake Limestone Weather Forecast page.
Lake Limestone Zip Codes
Leon County: 75833, 75850, 77850, 77855. 77865, 77871.
Limestone County: 75846, 76635, 76642, 76653, 76667, 76678, 76686, 76687.
Robertson County: 77856, 77837, 77882, 77870, 77867.
Flora and Fauna
It is hard to believe, but the BRA’s area project manager, Dwight Mahoney, reports in 2021 that for the last 25 years, two bald eagles have nested around Lake Limestone in Central Texas. Bald eagles mate for life, and this pair have raised their young in at least five nests near the dam at Lake Limestone over the last quarter-century. Dwight has worked for the BRA over 40 years and is amazed at this bald eagle couple who kept a large nest near the Sterling C. Robertson dam until recently.
Their nest remains, but this eagle pair has evidently moved on to a new location nearby because anglers and locals on Lake Limestone regularly see the two silhouetted flying high in the sky or diving into Lake Limestone for a fish dinner. Bird watching is awesome at Lake Limestone. Besides eagles, birders can see waterfowl on the lake’s shoreline, permanent resident birds, and migrating birds in spring and fall.
Lake Limestone winds between limestone bluffs and hardwood bottomlands, offering the opportunity to see whitetail deer, beaver, possums, rabbits, raccoons, foxes, and watch out for the rattlesnakes. Vegetation in Lake Limestone’s region includes mesquite, blackjack oak, pecan, bois d'arc, and elm trees as well as Indian grass and Texas winter grass. Of course, the Texas wild flowers abound throughout the region spring through fall.