Cooper Lake State Park

Cooper Lake State Park
A swimming area at Cooper Lake State Park
Location	Delta County, Texas; Hopkins County, Texas
Nearest city	Cooper, Texas
Coordinates	33°20′55.32″N 95°39′49.24″W
Area	3,026 acres (1,225 ha)
Created	1992
Operated by	Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Visitors	141,175 (in 2022)

Cooper Lake State Park is a Texas State Park in Delta and Hopkins counties, about three miles (5 km) south of Cooper, Texas. The park is situated on Jim Chapman Lake, formerly known as Cooper Lake. There are actually two geographically separate units; the Doctors Creek unit 33°20′54″N 95°40′08″W is located on the north side of the lake, in Delta County, while the South Sulphur unit 33°17′49″N 95°39′35″W is located on the south side of the lake, in Hopkins County.

History

The park's land was inhabited by Caddo people until the 1800s, when settlers brought the agriculture (including cotton and dairy) and livestock industries to the area. Cooper Lake itself was built between 1986 and 1991, by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Nature

The park lies at the intersection of the Tallgrass Prairie and Post Oak Savannah ecoregions. There is a diverse variety of mammals (including the gray fox and nine-banded armadillo) and birds in the park, and multiple species of catfish, crappie, and bass in the lake.