Explore The Texas Coastal Bend

Small Town, Big Lake

On Interstate 37 between Corpus Christi and San Antonio, Mathis has a population of about 5000, which can double during summer months. Established in 1885, Mathis is a commercial agriculture center for livestock, cotton, grain, sorghum, flax and truck crops. A beautiful lakeside city, Mathis is a major gateway to Lake Corpus Christi and to the popular state park on its shores. Families can go camping, fishing, boating and enjoy other outdoor activities. There is bird watching, fishing tournaments and many antique shops to explore. Festivals and events, restaurants, motels and RV parks add to the mix.

Officially named Lake Corpus Christi, the 21,000-acre lake is still known by many locals as Lake Mathis. The state park opened in 1934 and many of the park's facilities were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, (CCC), in the 1930's. The present site covers what was the disputed boundary between Texas and Mexico after the Texas Revolution. At the end of the war, the Rio Grande became the boundary. The park provides habitat to black bellied whistling duck, purple gallinule, white winged dove and long billed thrasher plus javelina and white tailed deer.