Lake Pat Cleburne is impounded by Lake Pat Cleburne Dam on the Nolan River in Johnson County and the lake is used for flood control purposes and recreation. Construction of Lake Pat Cleburne Dam was completed in 1964. At normal levels it has a surface area of 2.4 square miles and the maximum depth is 64 feet. It is owned and operated by the City of Cleburne – 817 641-3321.
Free day use areas with boat ramps are on each side of the lake. The shoreline is treed, undeveloped except for Cleburne Golf Links, and gently sloping banks with rocks and sand. The day use areas are popular for swimming, picnicking, and shore fishing.
Pat Cleburne is what we would consider a day use lake, meaning you come here to have a picnic, fish, swim, or boat. From the East Ramp, you can walk to Cleburne Golf Links for a bite to eat on their patio or a fun and challenging round of golf. We haven't discovered anything else to do on the lake.
Other Cool Things To Do:
There isn't a lot to do on this lake - enjoy the day use areas for time with friends and family, a picnic, some Frisbee, fishing, boating, or swimming.
What To Do If You Don't Have A Boat:
If you don't have a boat, as far as we know there are no nearby boat rentals.
Nearby Activities:
The City of Cleburne is less than 10 minutes away and has some antique shops, stores, and restaurants - visit the City of Cleburne Website to learn more. There are some very good golf courses in the area, check out this Golf Map to find a course and read our golf course reviews. Cleburne Golf Links is a very good course and every hole has a view of the lake. Glen Rose, Granbury, and Fort Worth are nearby towns worth spending some time.
Restaurants, Bars & Music:
Pat Cleburne Lake doesn't have any restaurants or bars on the water, however, you could walk from the East Ramp to have lunch on the Cleburne Golf Link's deck overlooking the golf course and the lake.
Wake Boarding & Skiing:
You won't find any coves and if the wind is blowing, the lake is going to be very choppy. Depending on wind direction, the smoothest water will be at the dam.
Fishing:
This reservoir offers good largemouth bass fishing and the opportunity to catch three different species of catfish.
Fishing Cover/Structure -Stained to murky water, with a variety of shallow emergent aquatic vegetation and isolated laydowns, provide plenty of cover for fish. The riprap along the dam also holds a variety of fish species.
Tips & Tactics - Largemouth bass can be caught using spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, and plastic worms fished through and around vegetation at 1- to 4-foot depths. Shallow-diving crankbaits fished on the riprap can also be productive. Channel and blue catfish are caught by drift fishing and tightlining with stinkbait or shad. White bass are often caught by trolling jigs and spinners down windy shorelines. Crappie can be caught from shallow brushpiles on live minnows. Sunfish are caught on live worms and crickets around shallow brush and riprap.
Camping, Waterfront Lodging, and Day Use Parks:
Cleburne has hotels and lodging but our recommendation would be to stay up the road in Burleson at Rustic Creek Ranch, a fantastic RV park with some outstanding and very cool cottages plus great amenities and top notch service.
Boat Ramps & Marinas:
There is a two lane boat ramp on each side of the lake.
1 Review on “Pat Cleburne Lake”
This is our official Texas Outside rating