Terry,
The options are quite varied.
There is Eagle Mountain Lake with homes ranging from “permanent” mobile home type structures (with decks and secondary roofs) to million dollar homes.
If you don’t mind the drive there is Lake Texoma, but I think they limit who can build there. Now that I think about it forget that one.
Other lakes include:
Benbrook (no lakeside living)
Arlington (lakeside living)
Lake Lewisville (status unknown)
Lake Tawakani (spelling is probably wrong, status unknown)
Possum Kingdom (lakeside living, 1.5 hours from DFW)
Grapevine (status unknown)
Lake Ray Hubbard (status unknown)
Lake Ray Roberts (status unknown)
Joe Pool Lake (I think this is close living but may not have lakeside)
Lake Worth (only leases on the land and no new houses I think)
Lake Weatherford (see Lake Worth)
Here is a realtor link I found.
I would stay away from Lewisville at all costs. That seems to be a death lake with at least one fatality each year. I don’t mean someone drowned while swimming either, typically it is a boating accident where one drunk hits another drunk. Far too many idiots on that lake especially in the summer.
Possum Kingdom is a good diving lake as well as for fishing but you have to know where the fish are, it is part of the Brazos River so it is long and narrow with lots of little nooks for relaxing. They have a really good fireworks show that is professionally done. If you partake in that, just be aware that people have been drinking all day and into the night. Proceed with lots of caution.
Eagle Mountain is pretty good for sailing and other water sports, but it can be crowded sometimes. The also have a good fireworks show (or they did a few years ago)
Texoma is on the OK/TX border and is huge. Supposed to be good for fishing and there are little islands and stuff for kicking back. It is part of the Red River so it is long too. If you are into fishing, I think you have to have an OK license too. I don’t fish but vaguely remember something to that effect. There is a little demarcation line on the lake maps and for some reason I think if you are on the OK side you need an OK license.
Joe Pool Lake is relatively new (only about 18 years old) and is getting very poplular. I have heard the fishing is starting to pick up there and more people are starting to use the lake.
Arlington, Benbrook, LakeWorth and Weatherford are really small lakes and tend to be low most of the time not a whole lot to do on those. But they can get busy, so someone likes them.
I don’t have any information on the others as I have never been to them.
Hope that helps.
P.S. If you do get licensed and move into my area I will come over and drill a hole in your boat, saw your deck pilings and/or sabotage your lift.