Sabine Lake

Sabine Lake
Satellite image of Sabine Lake, with a portion of Port Arthur visible in the upper left
Sabine Lake Show map of Louisiana Sabine Lake Show map of Texas Sabine Lake Show map of the United States
Location	Texas/Louisiana Gulf Coast
Coordinates	29°52′30″N 93°50′51″W / 29.87500°N 93.84750°W / 29.87500; -93.84750
Primary inflows	Neches River, Sabine River
Ocean/sea sources	Gulf of Mexico
Basin countries	United States
Max. length	14 mi (23 km)
Max. width	7 mi (11 km)
Surface area	45,320 acres (18,340 ha)
Average depth	10 ft (3 m)
Max. depth	40 ft (12 m)
Surface elevation	0 ft (0 m) [1]
Islands	Pleasure Island
Settlements	Port Arthur, Texas

Sabine Lake is a bay on the Gulf coasts of Texas and Louisiana, located approximately 90 miles (140 km) east of Houston and 160 miles (260 km) west of Baton Rouge, adjoining the city of Port Arthur. The lake is formed by the confluence of the Neches and Sabine Rivers and connects to the Gulf of Mexico through Sabine Pass. It forms part of the Texas–Louisiana border, falling within Jefferson and Orange Counties in Texas and Cameron Parish, Louisiana.

Sabine Lake is one of seven major estuaries along the Gulf Coast of Texas. Much of the Louisiana shore is protected by the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge. There is a long history of human habitation around the lake, including Native American settlement dating back at least 1,500 years, European exploration in the eighteenth century, and the growth of Port Arthur in the twentieth century. Today the lake serves as part of the Sabine–Neches Waterway and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and is a center for the shipping and petrochemical industries.