Its much-larger East Texas “cousins” just to the north including Sam Rayburn and Toledo Bend reservoirs dwarf B. A. Steinhagen Lake, however fans of Dam B, as the locals call it, continue to congregate there year-round for fun times amid the tall pines.
Situated between Jasper and Woodville in the Piney Woods, Steinhagen encompasses approximately 11,000 acres, compared to Rayburn’s 115,000 acres and Toledo Bend’s 182,000 acres. “However, Dam B has the distinction of being the original go-to spot before completion of the two larger impoundments,” says Beverly Holley, who has headed the Jasper Chamber of Commerce for eight years. “It offers the same fishing and swimming and boating, just on a smaller and more-intimate scale.”
Steinhagen Lake came to fruition as part of a federal project focused on creating lakes along the Neches River for water conservation, flood control, power generation and recreation. Construction commenced in September 1947, and impoundment of river water began in April 1951 before completion of the dam in 1953.
In July 1967, Dam B was renamed Town Bluff Dam and B. A. Steinhagen Lake. The Town Bluff nomenclature came from the dam’s close proximity to the Town Bluff community in Tyler County, while the name of the lake honored B. A. Steinhagen, a prominent Beaumont citizen who was active in initial planning, project authorization and water conservation activities.
Another benefit of the lake’s construction also occurred in the 1960s – development of a new state park along the lake’s sandy shoreline. Citizens of East Texas as well as their state senator, Martin Dies Jr., who spent many summers as a boy at his father’s farm in Jasper County, lobbied for the new recreation area.
Martin Dies Jr. State Park, with three units in Jasper and Tyler counties totaling approximately 700 acres, sits on land leased by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) from the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1964. The new park opened as Dam B State Park a year later.
Superintendent Charles Hubbard, who’s been been in charge of the park for the past nine years and with TPWD for 16 years, agrees with Holley that Steinhagen Lake and Martin Dies Jr. State Park comprise a peaceful recreational oasis.
“B. A. Steinhagen is much shallower than other reservoirs in Texas that I’m familiar with,” Hubbard says. “It’s also dotted with bald cypress trees, similar to Caddo Lake in Northeast Texas. Because of these traits, it’s not really a pleasure boat/ski boat-recreation type of reservoir. This makes it greatfor paddle-craft activities, bird watching, fishing and the like.”
In addition to the popular paddling pursuits, park guests enjoy hiking trails within the park, and they can take advantage of additional natural areas nearby like the Angelina National Forest and the Big Thicket National Preserve. As for fishing, the lake offers plenty of crappie, largemouth bass, catfish and bluegills, the latter especially appealing to kids.
All in all, the park attracts between 80,000 and 90,000 visitors annually, mostly from the Greater Houston area since it’s a relatively short drive from the state’s largest city to East Texas.
“Texas has great diversity in its natural areas,” Hubbard says. “Martin Dies Jr. State Park provides a great place to explore a cypress swamp, catch a fish, hunt white-tailed deer on the adjacent Wildlife Management Area or just relax next to the lake with a hot cup of coffee.
“What surprises newcomers the most about Steinhagen Lake/Dam B/Martin Dies Jr. State Park are the peacefulness and beauty of the area with the pine and cypress trees, lily pads, American lotus and other species. Most often we receive comments like, ‘Didn’t know Texas could look like this’ or ‘Didn’t know this type of place existed in Texas.’ They let us know that they’ll be back and try to stay a bit longer next time.”
