Cedar Creek Lake
Drive time: 1.5 hours | Average home price: $498,000
Appeals to: Social butterflies. There are lots of ways to hang with friends and neighbors—boating, skiing, swimming, fishing—as well as lakeside restaurants. Two new subdivisions, Long Cove and Beacon Hill, have luxe amenities like fire pits and beach volleyball.
Lake Athens
Drive time: 1.5 hours | Average home price: $1.4 million
Appeals to: Fancy folks and fishermen. Homes are pricey and in short supply. Fish, however, are not. Popular catches include largemouth bass, crappie, and catfish. There’s not a lot of boat traffic, so it’s also possible to hook some peace and quiet.
Lake Cypress Springs
Drive time: 2 hours | Average home price: $801,000
Appeals to: Balance seekers. Set among rolling hills and towering pine trees, it’s said to be the most beautiful lake in northeast Texas. Just seven miles away, historic Mount Vernon hosts festivals and farmers markets. If you’re looking to build, there are plenty of lots for sale.
Lake Fork Reservoir
Drive time: 1.5 hours | Average home price: $433,000
Appeals to: Groundbreakers and bass anglers.
Good to know: Texas Parks and Wildlife designed the reservoir as a bass fishing lake in 1979, and many bass-fishing records have been set here since. Waterfront properties are plentiful, especially if you’re looking to build.
Richland Chambers Reservoir
Drive time: 1.5 hours | Average home price: $493,000
Appeals to: Introverts. Word has gotten out about this once-secret gem, but lots are large, the setting is rural, and you don’t have many opportunities for dining out or shopping. Nevertheless, the water’s right for boating, swimming, and fishing.
