Hubbard Creek Lake lies in Stephens County 50 miles straight west of Ft. Worth, Texas. Hubbard Creek Lake covers 14,922 acres with a maximum depth of 60 feet and 100 miles of shoreline. The West Central Texas Municipal Water District owns and operates Hubbard Creek Lake. Hubbard Creek, a tributary of the Brazos River, feeds Hubbard Creek Lake.
Breckenridge, Texas, is just six miles southeast from the eastern border of Hubbard Creek Lake, Woodson, Texas, is on the north, and Albany, Texas, is southwest. Hubbard Creek Lake sits in an extremely rural area with a few tiny communities and two hotels on its shoreline. There are several Islands in Hubbard Creek Lake, and one on its southern arm has a bridge to it, a road with a loop, and a pond.
Another island has a small community with a bridge to connect it to the mainland and is located in the northeastern part of Hubbard Creek Lake. The terrain around Hubbard Creek Lake is characterized by rocky ledges, rolling hills with mature hardwood trees, and abundant wildlife.
History of the Hubbard Creek Lake Region
Construction began in May 1961 on Hubbard Creek Dam and was completed in December 1962. Hubbard Creek Lake serves as a water source for industry, mining, and the nearby municipalities of Abilene, Albany, Anson, and Breckenridge, Texas. Comanche Indians traveled through the Hubbard Creek Lake region before settlement and prehistoric remains of Indians were found in the lake in 2015 due to low water levels.
The Hubbard Creek Lake area is fairly uninhabited. Breckenridge, Texas, the county seat of Stephens County, was originally named Picketville after rancher Bill Picket in 1854. The town became the county seat and was renamed Breckenridge after John C. Breckinridge, a United States senator from Kentucky and vice president, when Stephens County was organized in 1876. The spelling of the name of the town was altered from its namesake.
The first courthouse in Breckenridge was built in 1876, and a post office was established that year. The Northwest Texian newspaper began publication in 1877. By 1884, Breckenridge had about 500 inhabitants. It boasted Methodist, Baptist, and Presbyterian churches, a district school, a bank, and five general stores. The two-story school building’s upper floor was referred to as the "Opera House," and was used to hold church services.
Drilling for oil began at the Breckenridge Field in 1918, but the oil boom did explode until 1920. The town witnessed the arrival of thousands of workers and speculators who threw up acres of tents and shacks in traditional oil boomtown style. The population was estimated at 1,500 in January 1920, and Breckenridge grew to a population of 30,000 within a year.
Two hundred oil wells were drilled inside of the Breckenridge city limits in 1920, and hoards of gamblers, liquor drummers, and ladies of the night flocked to Breckenridge to entertain the rough and tumble oil field workers. The first railroad arrived in 1920, the Wichita Falls Ranger and Fort Worth, and then the Cisco and Northeastern followed.
Three years later, oil production slowed down, and the Breckenridge population dwindled to 7,569 by 1930. The town remained a center for petroleum-related industries and as a retail and shipping center for Stephens County, although the population decreased by 2,000 more people during the Great Depression.
Fishing Hubbard Creek Lake
The predominant game species in Hubbard Creek Lake are largemouth and white bass, blue gill, channel, flathead and blue catfish, white crappie, and freshwater drum. Other species present are hybrid striped bass, and longnose and spotted gar. White bass and white crappie fishing is excellent in late fall and winter.
There are four public boat ramps and three private ones. Three of the public ramps are not available when the water level is too low. Only the newest boat ramp, the Paul Prater Volunteer Landing, at the south end of the dam, is usable at low water levels. There are no ADA-accessible facilities. Public bank fishing access is fairly accessible around Hubbard Creek Lake.
Hubbard Creek Lake has ample standing timber, brush, boat docks, black willow trees, buttonbush, and aquatic vegetation, along with rocky structure. Hydrilla was found in the reservoir in 1998 and is primarily located around the Tanglewood Island area, the dam, and in Enco slough. Several fishing charter services are available at Hubbard Creek Lake, but be sure to plan in advance and book your fishing adventure early.
Find experienced local guides on our Hubbard Creek Lake Fishing Guides page.
Boating Hubbard Creek Lake
There is plenty of room on Hubbard Creek Lake for all imaginable watersports, and many islands to visit. Boaters can find limited sandy beaches, and much of Hubbard Creek Lake is not crowded even during peak season. Boaters will find private coves with swimming holes and plenty of open water for skiing and tubing. Wildlife viewing opportunities abound because of all the islands and uninhabited shorelines.
There are four public and three private boat ramps on Hubbard Creek Lake, and there is one marina and one boat repair shop on the lake. There are no boat rental services. Launching sites for kayaks and canoes are plentiful. Texas Parks and Wildlife expects boaters to clean, drain, and dry their boats because it is important not to spread invasive species like hydrilla to other water bodies.
Find or sell a boat on our Hubbard Creek Lake Boats for Sale page.
Hubbard Creek Lake Marinas
There are two marinas on Hubbard Creek Lake, Sandy Creek Marina, and the Village Inn Motel. Sandy Creek Marina has a full-service boat maintenance and repair shop for every boater’s needs, plus has a huge inventory of new and used boats for sale. Sandy Creek Marina has a gas dock but does not have boat slips. It is located on the west side of Hubbard Creek Lake on US 180. The Village Inn Motel only has daily boat slip rentals with a boat ramp, and it is not a full-service marina.
Plan your trip to the lake by finding a marina on our Hubbard Creek Lake Marinas page.
Hubbard Creek Lake Cabins and Vacation Homes
Visitors to Hubbard Creek Lake who want to rent a cabin or vacation home will find few options as there are limited properties available for this type of lodging right on the lake’s waterfront. You can find vacation home rentals in Breckenridge and Albany, Texas. There are a few cabins and homes available on the lake, but you need to search for them, and then book quickly.
The OYO Hotel Breckenridge has beautiful rooms right on the lake near Sandy Creek Marina on the southwestern side of the lake. The Village Inn on the east side of Hubbard Creek Lake has motel rooms, a guest house for six, a family house for ten, and a grand lodge that sleeps 16 people.
Find the perfect vacation home on our Hubbard Creek Lake Cabins page.
Camping at Hubbard Creek Lake
Bridgeview Park, Game Warden Slough, Peeler Park, Lonestar Lake Spot, the Three G’s, and the Village Inn Motel offer camping and RV sites at Hubbard Creek Lake. These parks offer RV sites and tent camping. All of these campgrounds and RV parks are located on the south side of Hubbard Creek Lake. There is access by roads all around the lake, but there are no public campgrounds on the east, west, or north side of Hubbard Creek Lake.
Book your next stay on our Hubbard Creek Lake Campgrounds page.
Hunting Hubbard Creek Lake
The Hubbard Creek Lake region offers some of the best hunting in Texas. Seasonal game includes white-tailed deer, quail, dove, and wild turkey with year round hunting for feral hogs and squirrels. Other game species are alligator, duck, dove, geese, and quail. Duck hunting is excellent on Hubbard Creek Lake.
Duck hunting is allowed on the Hubbard Creek Lake during the open migratory waterfowl season. Hunting must be conducted from a watercraft. The discharge of a firearm is not permitted on Water District property on any dry ground between the conservation pool level and the current water level or district parks and boat ramps, or within less than 1,000 feet from a residential or public access area.
There are several hunting ranches and preserves located near Hubbard Creek Lake. The Buck Canyon Ranch offers hunting for exotic animals, whitetail deer, turkey, hog, and seasonal dove hunting. It is open year round with more than 15 species of game. They also have two well-stocked bass and catfish tanks and provide lodging. Bring your normal hunting gear, including boots, jacket, hunting weapon of choice, ammunition, binoculars, eye and ear protection, insect repellant, sunscreen, and camouflage.
The S4 Hunting Ranch hosts exotic hunting for axis, black buck, fallow, and scimitar horned oryx along with whitetail deer, wild hog, and ram hunts. The Breckenridge Dove Hunt covers 900 acres for the dove hunting season. The Hatton Ranch offers world-class trophy whitetail deer hunting trips as well as hunting for axis deer and scimitar-horned oryx hunts.
Hubbard Creek Lake Real Estate
Hubbard Creek Lake real estate is a limited inventory market in Texas for lake homes and lake lots due to its rural and uninhabited region. The average list prices for homes for sale at Hubbard Creek Lake are $215,000, but there are more affordable options available. Typically, there are ten lake homes and ten lake lots and parcels for sale on Hubbard Creek Lake at any given time.
Breckenridge, Texas is the closest shopping center with a Walmart SuperCenter. Ft. Worth, Texas is the closest metroplex and 50 miles east of Hubbard Creek Lake. Albany ISD and Breckenridge ISD serve Hubbard Creek Lake’s public educational needs. There are no restaurants or nightclubs on Hubbard Creek Lake, and Ft. Worth is the closest city with a wide variety of entertainment options.
To find your dream lake home, explore our Hubbard Creek Lake Homes for Sale page.
Things to Do at Hubbard Creek Lake
Hubbard Creek Lake is the primary attraction to visitors for its peaceful aura, bountiful nature, fishing, and water sports. It is an uncrowded lake and offers nothing but tranquil experiences. There are a few things to do in Breckenridge and Albany, Texas. There is no nightlife on Hubbard Creek Lake, and only the OYO Hotel Breckenridge serves food near the lake’s shores.
The Breckenridge Aviation Museum features World War II memorabilia. WWII type aircraft are part of the West Texas Wing of the Confederate Air Force. The Confederate Air Force is also known as the Commemorative Air Force based in Dallas, Texas. The Breckenridge Aviation Museum is not open on a regular basis, but visitors can call in advance to request a tour. It is located in the Stephens County Airport at 622 County Road 150, Breckenridge, Texas.
The Swenson Memorial Museum is housed in the Beaux Arts-style 1920 First National Bank building. The museum features pioneer artifacts and traveling exhibits. An adjacent annex chronicles the Breckenridge Field oil boom. It is located at 116 W. Walker Street, Breckenridge, Texas.
The Breckenridge Fine Arts Center is a nonprofit art museum specializing in visual art exhibitions and education. The Breckenridge Fine Arts Center’s permanent exhibit, “All That Glitters: Festival Dresses of Texas” displays lavishly decorated gowns with trains that represent some of the grandest festivals in Texas like the Buccaneer Days in Corpus Christi, Fiesta in San Antonio, and the Rose Festival in Tyler. Its Kathryn Leach Doll Collection consists of nearly 750 dolls, and is housed in a 1300 square foot gallery. It is located at 207 N Breckenridge Ave, Breckenridge, Texas.
In Albany, Texas, visitors love the Flying A Classic Car Club Museum. This museum is full of vintage cars, photos, and memorabilia. An unnamed private collector shared his collection with this museum. It was established by three local men in 2012 and displays a collection of 1950s through 1970s cars, signs, and gas pumps. It is located at 129 S. Main St., Albany, Texas.
The Old Jail Art Center in Albany has gone from housing inmates to housing thousands of permanent and traveling works of art. The museum’s original structure is in a restored and repurposed limestone jail built between 1877 and 1878 by Scottish stonemasons and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It comprises 17,000 square feet of gallery. This art museum features engaging exhibitions and educational programs free to the public. It is located at 201 S 2nd St, Albany, Texas.
Find fun things to do around the lake on our What To Do At Hubbard Creek Lake page.
Hubbard Creek Lake Weather & Climate
Hubbard Creek Lake sees an average of 30 inches of rain, with one inch of snow, and 244 days of sunshine per year. The winter low in January is 30 degrees with a summer high in July of 95 degrees. April, May, and October are the most comfortable months for this region.
Keep an eye on the skies with our Hubbard Creek Lake Weather Forecast page.
Hubbard Creek Lake Zip Codes
Stephens County: 76424, 76429, 76437, 76450, 76462, 76460, 76464, 76470, 76481, 76491.
Hubbard Creek Lake Flora and Fauna
There is an abundance of whitetail deer, turkey, and hogs at Hubbard Creek Lake. Dove, ducks, geese, and other migratory birds fly through during the different seasons. Bobcats, coyotes, and quail inhabit this region. Trees include elm, hackberry, mesquite, and pecan, while broomweed, milkweed, and wild rye, are some of the native grasses that grow in the area. Of course, as in anywhere in Texas, the wildflowers put on a visual symphony from spring to fall, and bird watching is incredible at Hubbard Creek Lake.