Voted Most Beautiful Lake in Texas by D Magazine

XXXXX voted #1 lake article

 

The 10 Best Lakes to Call Home  //  Lake Cypress Springs

Size: 3,461 acres  //   Drive time: 1.5 hours
Waterfront restrictions: None (although it is a lease-hold property, meaning the county owns the land, and you lease it for a nominal fee)

A little more than a decade ago, Gary Tipton, president and CEO of Inwood National Bank, was thinking about buying ranch property. When he decided a ranch was more work than he was looking for, he bought a house on Cypress Springs, where the sunsets are stunning and the photo books of memories with his four kids are plentiful.

Cypress Springs sits in a heavily wooded area. Towering pines crowd nearly its entire shoreline. To help pay for digging the lake, its developers sold the timber that they had to clear cut, creating a spectacular space for water sports. Many springs feed into the lake, keeping the water level relatively constant even as rainfall fluctuates. It’s a social lake, a winding, almost river-like waterway where you can see people you know next door or on the other side. One red light on the back of your house indicates you’re there; two indicates company is welcome. Close to 90 percent of the properties are second houses, and most of the developed communities are gated.

Realtor Myra Marr, who has lived on the lake for more than three decades, noticed the market changing in 2009. There were fewer buyers, and prices slipped the next year. Things look better this year, especially in the higher-end homes (she thanks the December continuation of Bush-era tax credits for the wealthy).

Former CBS Channel 11 news anchor Tracy Rowlett and his family have a house on Cypress Springs, as do many wealthy Dallasites. But they’re all just regular people at the lake, enjoying the spotted bass and crappie fishing, as well as the burgers and bait at the Walleye Grocery & Deli.