Swimming in Lake Lavon?

I took my kids to Collin Park at Lake Lavon this past weekend. We had fun, but the beach is completely underwater (the sandy beach). The water was up a lot. The water was pretty clean, but I was disappointed that there wasn't a sandy beach.

Try Celebration Park in Allen for a playground and water.

Garland has a couple of fantastic water parks. Here is a link to some published information from Garland's official site: http://www.ci.garland.tx.us/Home/Departments/Recreation+a.... IMHO those are quite a bit safer then the area lakes. I've lived in Garland since I have memory. I now live in Sachse. Here's a link to the Sachse site http://www.cityofsachse.com/.

Over there years there have been many tales of woe and heartache from accidents on the lakes in the area. If you do decide to take your precious ones to the lakes. Please do your best to understand the risks.

Lavon in particular has some fairly strong under currents. Keep in mind that there are a number of infrastructure projects, not the least of which is the production of power that take place using these man-made bodies of water. Something to be aware of.

Please use floatation devices if you do decide to venture into Lavon. I have personally swam in it. The lake has a very steep and alarming drop off that could catch a person by surprize. The water is completely full of algae. You cannot see underwater sufficiently to make it safe for diving. It's fantastic for water sports if you guys are in to that sort of thing.

I think right now, I'd avoid it! The lake is soooo high! We have camped on Lavon and there are swimming areas, so I know it's safe. But right now, Lavon is 150% full, so there's going to be lots of stuff adrift that wouldn't normally be!

Lavon is a great lake to go to when the water isn't so high. I grew up in Garland and now live in Sachse and have been going to Lake Lavon since the first summer after my november birthday (I'm 31 now). My dad grew up in Copeville which is where a portion of Lavon is located.

I just had to respond to this because so many are saying its a dirty lake. It's a lake not a pool of course its not going to be perfectly clean, but I have been swimming in it all my life and so has my dad. We now take my 5yr little girl there whenever we get a chance. Unfortunately that hasn't been much the last couple of summers since last year was so dry and this year has been so wet.

I do agree that the water is way to high right now and there isn't a shore line so now might not be the best time to give it try. But, when the waters receed it's a great lake. Oh and water flows from Lavon into Ray Hubbard so the gators are being pushed away from Lavon another plus!

I agree with an earlier comment that Collin Park is a great place for swimming and boating another good area is Mallard Park. They have a beachy area when the water isn't so high. Lots of the parks places sectioned off for swimming that are as safe as the people swimming there!

like some of the other responses..I would avoid swimming in the area lakes..too much debris/trash...there are lots of swimming pools around..and if you want to have some natural water fun..maybe you could do a day trip down to Dinosaur State Park :)

Hi,
Just some sound advice from someone who has lived around Garland area and has grown up around Lake Lavon, please dont take your kids there to swim, its just much to dangerous and very very nasty and dirty, Lord, you could get "who knows what". I have an 8 year old myself and I wouldnt even think of taking him to any of the lakes to swim. If they want to swim, find a nice city pool and park with a playground area to take them too, all the city pools have a lifeguard and its just much safer. Some of the pools even have a wading pool for the smaller kids. Please, as one Mother to another, so many drownings have happened around the lakes, please stay away from swimming in them.
Debbie

Here is a portion of an article from the Dallas Morning News on June 29, 2007:

But after closer inspection, the 8-year-old and his dad, Reid Weatherford, figured out that the animal floating in Lake Ray Hubbard early Tuesday evening was an alligator. And a big one at that, believed by the Weatherfords and their neighbors to be about 10 feet long.

A Texas Parks and Wildlife game warden who oversees the region said the gator was probably pushed into the main body of the lake by runoff from heavy rains and water released from Lavon Lake to the north.

"When we get a lot of rain and floodwater, they get flushed out of their habitat," Capt. Garry Collins said. "They're all over that area, especially to the north between Hubbard and Lavon. They're just not real common for people to see. This is their natural habitat."

Once the lake's level recedes and the creeks and rivers calm down, Capt. Collins said, any alligators in the lakes should go back where they're most comfortable: uninhabited areas near slow-moving water with abundant fish to eat.