The Williams Group Claimed

About The Williams Group

Specializing in the Cedar Creek Lake area, The Williams Group has been a top husband and wife real estate selling team since 1995. As 30 year residents of Cedar Creek, Trae and Lisa Williams are experts who can bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise regarding buying and selling real estate in the lake area. A large part of their business comes from past clients and referrals. They offer a detailed marketing plan that gets proven results with up to the minute knowledge of the market place combined with expert negotiating skills to deliver the results you are looking for.

Lisa has had her brokers license since 1992 and owned a property management company for several years before selling real estate. She has been ranked in the top 1% of her office of 700 agents for the past 5 years. Trae has been a top selling agent for 23 years and now does personal coaching and teaching at the regional level along with residential real estate and flipping homes.

Most recently their daughter, Chelsea Williams Lichty, joined the team as a licensed agent helping provide top notch customer service to buyers and sellers.

Their niche is providing each customer with a very personalized, hands-on level of service, backed by over 50 years of collective negotiating experience in the local Cedar Creek market.

Local Office Meeting Address: 211 South Terry Street; Malakoff, Texas

Introducing Cedar Creek Lake Gateway to East Texas Recreation

Located just an hour southeast of Dallas, Cedar Creek Lake was built during the 1960s as a constant level, fresh drinking water reservoir serving Fort Worth, Texas and the surrounding area of Tarrant County.  Construction on the lake began in 1961 and it was completed in 1965.

The Cedar Creek Reservoir was built on Cedar Creek, a tributary to the Trinity River. A dam is located at the south end of the lake near the small town of Malakoff. A spillway on the west side of the lake allows water to flow into a canal and through to the Trinity River. Other major creeks that flow into the lake include Caney Creek, Clear Creek, and King’s Creek.  At 32,623 acres and 18 miles long, Cedar Creek Lake is the fourth largest lake in Texas. The lake features about 320 miles of shoreline. The lake is 8.5 miles wide at its widest point and reaches as much as 53 feet at its deepest point.

Over the years, several lakeside communities have sprung up along the lake, including Gun Barrel City, Seven Points, Mabank, Malakoff, Trinidad, Payne Springs and Kemp.  The lake has become a prime location for all sorts of recreation and retirement communities. Including some of the most beautiful and exciting in the U.S.  These communities include private lake homes with boat houses, piers and docks with direct access to the water.  This proximity to the lake makes boat and jet ski ownership beneficial, and it gives a great many full-time water enthusiasts and even weekend enthusiasts access to water, not just during the summer, but all year long.

Gun Barrel City

Located right on Cedar Creek Lake, Gun Barrel City offers the town’s residents and weekend enthusiasts alike a wide variety of options for commerce, including retail shopping at Walmart, Bealls Department Store, and Lowes Hardware, and fast food restaurants like Taco Bell/KFC, McDonalds, Burger King and Golden Chicken.  A Starbucks opened in early 2018 and for a nice meal out with the family, Hector’s Restaurant offers great steaks, Tex-Mex and a variety of comfort food selections.  Fast-casual dining choices include Chili’s, Denny’s and Vernon’s Lakeside in Seven Points. More recently the upscale Four Fifty Six Restaurant opened and in nearby Malakoff, HF Family is worth the short twenty minute drive. Reservations are highly recommended for both.

Gun Barrel Lane got its name during the 1920’s and 1930’s when outlaws inhabited the area.  It was considered a safe backwoods place during Prohibition when the likes of Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker hung out in the area.  It is believed a local resident, Mr. C.J. Wait lived along the road and was known for sitting at the window of his house with a shotgun sticking out the window.  It was his way of deterring those he deemed unwelcome on this back-country road.

The town began as an unincorporated community known as the ‘Old Bethel Community’ in the 1960’s after completion of Cedar Creek Lake.  It was incorporated in late 1960 so it could legally sell beer and wine.  The city takes its name from a former road, Gun Barrel Lane (which is now State Highway 198), as well as its motto, ‘We Shoot Straight with You’, and its symbol-a rifle with two crossed antique pistols.  The newer version has changed slightly with the latest logo above.

Sixty residents were reported in Gun Barrel City in 1970 and 3,526 by the early 1990’s.  In 2000 the population was 5,145.  Long before the lake was built, Gun Barrel Lane (now State Highway 198) traversed the area.  This mud road was a shortcut across Cedar Creek from Mabank to Trinidad and Seven Points. By 2016, Gun Barrel City population was just inder 6,000.  The town’s motto is, “We Shoot Straight with You” and its symbol is a rifle with two crossed antique pistols.  

According to the town’s web site, Gun Barrel City hosts two outdoor festivals each year; the July 4^th festival/concert in the park and the Christmas festival/parade. Another annual July 4^th attraction near Gun Barrel City is the intensely dramatic ‘Thunder Over Cedar Creek Lake Air Show’ which is held on the Saturday evening closest to the July 4^th holiday. 

Fishing Cedar Creek Lake

The main fish types at Cedar Creek Lake are largemouth bass, hybrid striped bass, crappie and channel, blue flathead and blue catfish. Every year, the best fishing comes in the spring and summer.  Catfish are prevalent throughout the lake, but if you want largemouth bass, they prefer the clearer water near the dam at the south end of the lake.

Several prominent Cedar Creek fishing guide services include:  Big Crappie Fishing, Cedar Creek Fishing Adventures, Chris Web Fishing, Go Fish Guide with Rodney Stuart and Kingfisher Guide Service.

Cedar Creek Lake also plays host a number of annual fishing tournaments including the KCKL/KLVQ Big Bass Radio Tournament and the Henderson County Peace Officers Benefit Team Bass Tournament.  In addition, the lake also serves as a stop on numerous tournament circuits, including Bass Champs, BASS Weekend Series, Bud Light Team Trail, Media Team Trail, C.A.S.T., Ignition Bass Team Tournaments, ABA-AFT, Texas Bass Nation, Hunt for the Cure and Victory Bass. A number of smaller clubs and other groups also hold tournaments on Cedar Creek Lake and some are headquartered in the small town of Log Cabin, Texas. 

Cedar Creek Fishing Guide: Texas Parks & Wildlife

Boating and Jet Skiing on Cedar Creek Lake

Recreational boating and skiing are enormously popular on Cedar Creek Lake; more popular than ever, in fact.  The lake is served by eight lakeside marinas and boat ramps, with most featuring a full range of services, including marine fuel, equipment, supplies and both wet and dry storage.  Some are staffed with on-premise maintenance personnel and offer year-round maintenance programs along with marine craft rentals.  These include Sandy Shores Marina, Lone Coves Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf, Chamber Island Ramp and Cherokee Landing.  In addition, Lone Star Marina offers everything above plus full restaurant dining, beer, wine & cocktails with an indoor/outdoor patio.

A popular gathering spot for both residents and visitors is Tom Finley Park, which is located right on the lake and features two handy boat launches. Tom Finley Park has everything you need for a quiet picnic spot under shade trees, as well as a serene, small pond for wading and swimming. 

So, in closing, the next time you are driving through East Texas, make sure you have extra time to soak up all the outdoor recreation opportunities on Cedar Creek Lake!