MARTIN CREEK LAKE STATE RECREATION AREA. Martin Creek Lake State Recreation Area is off State Highway 43 four miles south of Tatum in Rusk County. The 286.9-acre park was originally the site of a small lake constructed by Texas Utilities Generating Company in the early 1970s to provide water for its nearby power plant. In 1976 the company deeded the land to the state parks department. The heavily wooded park is home to a wide variety of small animals and birds typical of the region. Because the lake is artificially warmed by the power plant, fishing, particularly for largemouth bass, is good year-round. Facilities include a boat ramp, camping and picnicking areas, and screened shelters.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Ray Miller, Texas Parks (Houston: Cordovan, 1984).
