Lake Texoma is a 93,000-acre U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir on the Red River, straddling the Texas-Oklahoma border — one of the largest lakes in the United States and the second-largest reservoir in Texas. Created by Denison Dam in 1944, the lake has 580 miles of shoreline, dozens of marinas, and a reunion infrastructure so well developed that it can host groups ranging from 10 to 1,000 people simultaneously across its resort areas. Dallas is 75 miles south and Oklahoma City is 150 miles north — making Texoma the perfect geographic meeting point for families spread across Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas.
The vacation rental and resort market is the largest of any inland lake in the TX/OK region. Eisenhower State Park (TX side) has full cabins, a marina, and campgrounds. The Chickasaw Nation operates Lake Texoma Resort (formerly Lake Texoma State Park Resort) on the Oklahoma side — a full-service lodge with lake view rooms, dining, a marina, and pool. Private vacation rentals line both shores: VRBO and Airbnb list properties from 3-bedroom lake cottages to 8-10 BR waterfront estates at $2,000-8,000/week. The Highport Marina area on the TX side and the Kingston area on the OK side have the deepest concentrations of rental inventory.
Lake Texoma is famous for two things: striper fishing and its notorious wavy conditions. The lake's size and the prevailing south winds mean the main body of Texoma can get genuinely rough on windy afternoons — plan boating for mornings and use the protected coves (Little Mineral, Caney Creek) for afternoon swimming. The striped bass fishing is among the best in the South — Texoma produces trophy stripers consistently and the lake is the only inland water in the US with a self-sustaining striped bass population.
Where it is
Things to do (with the family)
Hand-curated. Every entry links to its official source so you can plan without guessing.
Pontoon boat rentals — Highport Marina / Texoma Marina
Highport Marina (Pottsboro, TX) and Texoma Marina (Kingston, OK) are the two largest rental operations. Pontoons $400-650/day; tritoons, ski boats, and jet skis also available. Reserve 60+ days ahead for holiday weekends.
Official source ↗Striper fishing — self-sustaining population in the US
Lake Texoma is the only inland lake in the US with a naturally self-sustaining striped bass population — no stocking required. Local guides (Stripers Inc., Texoma Striper Guide) run half- and full-day trips. Book 60+ days ahead.
Official source ↗Eisenhower State Park (TX side)
Texas state park with cabins, boat ramp, swim beach, picnic shelters, and hiking trails. Named for Eisenhower (born in nearby Denison). Good supplemental group housing or day-use option.
Official source ↗Chickasaw Nation Lake Texoma Resort
Full-service resort on the Oklahoma side — hotel rooms, cabins, marina, pools, and dining. Can handle 100+ room blocks; the standard large-group resort option for Texoma reunions.
Official source ↗Eisenhower Birthplace State Historic Site (Denison)
The childhood home of Dwight D. Eisenhower in Denison, TX — free NPS cooperative site with tours. 15 minutes from the TX marina area. Good heritage stop for World War II-era family history.
Official source ↗Caney Creek cove swimming
One of the most protected coves on Lake Texoma — calmer water than the main body on windy afternoons, good sandy bottom, and less boat traffic. Good family swim destination.
Official source ↗Water skiing and wake sports
Lake Texoma's size makes it excellent for wake sports — long stretches of open water in the protected east arms. Multiple outfitters rent wake boats and jet skis.
Official source ↗Durant, Oklahoma dining and shopping
The largest nearby city on the OK side — Walmart Supercenter, restaurants, and the Choctaw Casino (one of the largest in the country) for adults. Easy supply run from the OK shore.
Official source ↗Little Mineral Arm — quiet water
The Little Mineral arm on the TX side offers calmer conditions than the main body. Pontoon anchoring, swimming, and kayaking in an area sheltered from the south winds.
Official source ↗Day trip to Dallas
75 miles south — the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, the 6th Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, Deep Ellum arts district, and the Stockyards in Fort Worth. Full city day.
Official source ↗Find more things to do for your Lake Texoma reunion
The picks above are general. Inside the Reunly app, Rosi tailors local activities, meals, and printables to your actual dates, group size, ages, and budget — and saves them straight to your reunion plan.
Good for
- Dallas-area and OKC-area multi-generational reunions
- TX/OK border families
- Large groups (resort and marina infrastructure handles 100+)
- Striper fishing enthusiasts
- Groups of 15-150+ people
Practical logistics
- Nearest airport
- Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) — 75 min drive · Sherman-Denison (PNX, regional) — 30 min drive · OKC (OKC) — 2.5 hr drive
- Best rental platform
- VRBO and Airbnb; Highport and Pottsboro, TX areas for TX side; Kingston, OK for OK side
- Peak season
- Memorial Day through Labor Day; lake is very busy on holiday weekends
- Group home sizes
- 3-10 BR homes; 5-7 BR with dock runs $2,000-6,000/week peak; resort rooms at Chickasaw Nation Lodge
- Groceries
- Walmart in Denison, TX (20 min TX side); Walmart in Durant, OK (20 min OK side); Costco in Sherman, TX (30 min)
- Boat rentals
- Highport Marina, Texoma Marina; pontoons $400-650/day; reserve well ahead
- Wind warning
- Lake Texoma can get very rough in afternoon south winds — plan boating for mornings, protected coves for afternoons
- Cell service
- Good on TX side near Pottsboro; moderate on OK side near Kingston
When to go
Late April through October. May and October are the best striper fishing months. Summer (June-August) is family swimming and boating season. Avoid sailing or open-water boating on windy afternoons — the lake's size amplifies Texas south wind chop.
Best for your group size
Small group · 10–25
Groups of 10-25 fit in a 4-6 BR Highport or Kingston area rental with one pontoon.
Medium group · 25–60
Groups of 25-75 — two adjacent rentals or Chickasaw Nation Lodge block; 2-3 boats.
Large group · 60+
Groups of 75+ — primarily based at Chickasaw Nation Lodge with rental overflow; private charter boats for group lake events.
Sample 4-day Lake Texoma family reunion
A starter agenda you can copy into Reunly's Schedule and customize for your group.
Day 1 — Arrive & Welcome
- Stock up at Sherman Costco or Durant Walmart on the way in
- Check in to rental or resort by 3 PM
- Marina orientation and dock walk
- 6 PM welcome Texas BBQ cookout at the rental
- 8 PM evening walk to the lake shore — watch the sunset over 93,000 acres
Day 2 — Striper Fishing + Afternoon Boat
- 6:30 AM striper fishing guide trip (half-day for anglers)
- 10:30 AM breakfast at the rental
- 12 PM pontoon pickup — morning cruise to Caney Creek cove
- 1:30 PM swimming and kayaks in the protected cove
- 4 PM return to marina (before afternoon winds)
- 6 PM family group photo at the marina sunset
- 7 PM cook night dinner
Day 3 — Eisenhower + Lake Day
- 9 AM breakfast
- 10 AM drive to Eisenhower Birthplace in Denison (20-30 min)
- 11 AM Eisenhower State Park hike and beach
- 1 PM lunch at Denison
- 3 PM second pontoon day or jet ski rental
- 5 PM return to rental
- 7 PM cook night dinner
Day 4 — Slow Morning & Depart
- 8 AM big breakfast
- 10 AM morning swim in a protected cove (before wind)
- 11 AM pack up
- 12 PM final group photo on the dock
- 1 PM travel to DFW or OKC
Reunion organizer tips
Plan boating for morning hours — the south wind picks up in the afternoon on Lake Texoma and can make the main body rough. Use protected coves (Caney Creek, Little Mineral) for afternoon swim time.
The Chickasaw Nation Lodge is the easiest large-group solution — book a room block months ahead and use their marina and dining.
Striper fishing at Texoma is a genuinely unique experience — book a guide for the morning of Day 2 for the fishing-oriented members.
Eisenhower's birthplace in Denison is a free and well-maintained historic site — worth a brief stop for heritage-oriented families.
Stock up at the Sherman, TX Costco or Walmart before arriving — the lake area grocers have limited large-group inventory.
How Reunly helps you plan it
Reunly is the all-in-one app made for family reunion organizers. Free to start. No credit card. Cancel anytime.
Smart guest list
Drop in any spreadsheet — Rosi (our AI) reads multi-sheet, color-coded family groups, even handwritten exports. RSVP, dietary, T-shirt, paid status all in one row.
Open in Reunly →Public RSVP link
Share one link with the whole family. They RSVP per event (Friday BBQ, Saturday dinner) without making an account. You see live counts.
Open in Reunly →Budget that adds up
Track estimated vs. actual, who paid, who still owes. Auto-creates per-guest fee rows from your registration cost.
Open in Reunly →Day-by-day schedule
Friday welcome BBQ, Saturday photo, Sunday brunch — with location, meal flag, and per-event RSVPs.
Open in Reunly →Name tags + printables
Avery 5160 sheets color-coded by family, programs, welcome packets, packing lists — auto-filled from your data.
Open in Reunly →Rosi the AI helper
Stuck on a reminder email? A budget? A timeline? Click Rosi anywhere in the app — she drafts it from your live data.
Open in Reunly →Plan your Lake Texoma reunion with Reunly
Free to start. Build your guest list, share an RSVP link, track payments, and print name tags — no spreadsheets.
Frequently asked
What size rental homes are available at Lake Texoma?
Lake Texoma has hundreds of vacation rentals on both the TX and OK sides — 3-10 BR range. A 5-7 BR home with dock runs $2,000-6,000/week peak season. The Chickasaw Nation Lodge handles large groups (100+) with room blocks and resort amenities.
Is Lake Texoma good for kids?
Yes — the protected coves are calm for young swimmers, fishing with a guide is exciting for kids, and Eisenhower State Park has a family beach. The main body can be rough on windy afternoons — stick to coves for kids' swim time.
How far is Lake Texoma from Dallas?
About 75-80 miles (75-90 minutes) north of downtown Dallas via US-75 North. DFW Airport is about 85 miles and 90 minutes south.
When is the best time to visit Lake Texoma for a reunion?
May and October for striper fishing. June-August for family boating and swimming. Avoid afternoon wind if possible — morning is the best boating window year-round. July 4 week is extremely crowded.
Other reunion-friendly spots nearby
Helpful planning guides
The complete family reunion checklist
12-month, 6-month, and day-of checklists organizers actually use.
Read the guide →Family reunion budget guide
How to estimate, track, and split costs without spreadsheets.
Read the guide →Family reunion on a $2,500 budget
A real budget breakdown for a destination reunion under $2.5K.
Read the guide →