Lake Casa Blanca is a

reservoir A reservoir (; ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam, usually built to water storage, store fresh water, often doubling for hydroelectric power generation. Reservoirs are created by controlling a watercourse that drains an existing body of wa ...

on the Chacon Creek, northeast of downtown Laredo,

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. The reservoir was formed in 1951 by the construction of a dam to provide recreational opportunities for the residents of Webb County. The current dam is the second built across the creek - a previous dam built in 1946 failed the following year during the initial attempted impounding of a reservoir. There are residential properties along the lake as well as a Texas state park. Surrounding the lake is a park that was operated jointly by the City of Laredo and Webb County before it was leased by the state in 1990 and opened in March 1991 as the Lake Casa Blanca International State Park. Lake Casa Blanca is fed by the Chacon Creek and

San Ygnacio Creek San Ygnacio Creek is a small stream of water located in Webb County, Texas which runs through Laredo, Texas. The creek is formed northwest of Laredo, Texas and runs southwest for until the creek connects to the Lake Casa Blanca. The terrain surr ...

Fish and plant life

Lake Casa Blanca has been stocked with species of fish intended to improve the utility of the reservoir for recreational fishing. Fish present in Lake Casa Blanca include

carp The term carp (: carp) is a generic common name for numerous species of freshwater fish from the family (biology), family Cyprinidae, a very large clade of ray-finned fish mostly native to Eurasia. While carp are prized game fish, quarries and a ...

hybrid striped bass A hybrid striped bass (''Morone chrysops × M. saxatilis''), also commonly referred to by the portmanteau wiper, is a freshwater hybrid fish between white bass (''Morone chrysops'') and striped bass (''M. saxatilis''). In the United States, wipe ...

catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order (biology), order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Catfish are common name, named for their prominent barbel (anatomy), barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, though not ...

, and

largemouth bass The largemouth bass (''Micropterus nigricans'') is a carnivorous, freshwater fish, freshwater, ray-finned fish in the Centrarchidae (sunfish) family, native to the eastern United States, eastern and central United States, southeastern Canada an ...

Recreational uses

Recreational uses of the park include cooking out,

camping Camping is a form of outdoor recreation or outdoor education involving overnight stays with a basic temporary shelter such as a tent. Camping can also include a recreational vehicle, sheltered cabins, a permanent tent, a shelter such as a Bivy bag ...

, picnicking,

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, such as saltwater or freshwater environments, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Swimmers achieve locomotion by coordinating limb and body movements to achieve hydrody ...

water skiing Water skiing (also waterskiing or water-skiing) is a surface water sport in which an individual is pulled behind a boat or a cable ski installation over a body of water, skimming the surface on one or two skis. The sport requires sufficien ...

boating Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels (such as rowing and paddle boats), focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, suc ...

mountain biking Mountain biking (MTB) is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability ...

, and the most popular recreational use of the lake is

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...

. Boat ramps are available throughout the lake. Lake Casa Blanca formerly supplied water to the Casa Blanca Golf Course nearby until drought conditions forced alternative means to be explored.

External links

Lake Casa Blanca - Texas Parks & WildlifeCasa Blanca lake
- Handbook of Texas Online * Casa Blanca Geography of Laredo, Texas Protected areas of Webb County, Texas Bodies of water of Webb County, Texas {{WebbCountyTX-geo-stub