"To all the newcomers who are just seeing this for the first time, I would say welcome to life in Flash Flood Alley," LCRA spokesperson Clara Tuma told TPR on July 22, after flooding filled Lake Travis and Lake Buchanan and LCRA opened the floodgates at Mansfield Dam. Three months later the lake is still high, and that has changed the fall map of where you can launch a boat. The ramps that sit high and dry in an ordinary October are usable right now. The one county ramp designed to work in deep drought is closed because it's underwater.
Thirteen Feet Above an Ordinary October
On October 24, 2026, LCRA's boat ramp page put Lake Travis at 677.30 feet. The same page lists the historical October average as 663.70 feet. LCRA's river report that night called the lake 94% full, 13.57 feet above that October average. Full conservation pool tops out at 681 feet. According to LCRA's FAQ, the monthly averages cover every month since LCRA began operating the lake. In other words, 663.70 is the long-run October baseline, not one recent year.
The rise happened fast. The daily mean on Water Data for Texas was 663.51 feet on April 23, 2026, which is 73.0% full and roughly an average October level. By July 23 it was 682.63 feet, and on October 23 it was 677.38 feet. CBS Austin reported on July 16 that the lake had picked up about 8 feet overnight and could reach full pool for the first time in seven years. So the lake has dropped about five feet since its July peak, but it's still well above where it normally sits this time of year.
The Ramps a Typical Fall Leaves Stranded
LCRA gives each public ramp a minimum lake level, meaning the lowest elevation at which the ramp still works. If you compare those minimums with this week's reading and with the October average, you can see which ramps the high water has opened up.
| Ramp | Operator | Minimum level | Clearance at 677.30 ft | Clearance at 663.70 ft October average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camp Creek Park | LCRA | 667 | 10.3 ft | 3.3 ft short |
| Cypress Creek | Travis County | 667 | 10.3 ft | 3.3 ft short |
| Gloster Bend Recreation Area | LCRA | 662 | 15.3 ft | 1.7 ft |
| Muleshoe Bend Recreation Area | LCRA | 660 | 17.3 ft | 3.7 ft |
| Narrows Recreation Area | LCRA | 659.5 | 17.8 ft | 4.2 ft |
| Pace Bend–Collier Cove and Tatum Cove | Travis County | 653 | 24.3 ft | 10.7 ft |
| Mansfield Dam | Travis County | 637 | 40.3 ft | 26.7 ft |
| Pace Bend–Tournament Point | Travis County | 631 | Closed, underwater | 32.7 ft |
At the October average, Camp Creek and Cypress Creek wouldn't work at all, and Gloster Bend would have less than two feet to spare. This week all three have at least ten feet of clearance. Tournament Point has the lowest minimum on the list at 631 feet, the ramp you'd count on in a drought year, and LCRA lists it as closed because the ramp is underwater. It was also the one closure in KXAN's July 27 roundup, which listed every other public Lake Travis ramp as open. Travis County's park status page currently lists Arkansas Bend, Mansfield Dam, Collier Cove, Tatum Cove and Sandy Creek as open.
In practice, that means the closest ramp might be one you haven't been able to use in a long time. If you're in Hudson Bend or along Comanche Trail, Mansfield Dam is still the reliable choice. On the north shore, Cypress Creek is an option this fall that it usually isn't in October.
The Fine Print at Each Gate
Being above its minimum doesn't mean a park is open every day. These are the rules that matter this season:
- Muleshoe Bend was scheduled to close October 26 through 28, and LCRA pointed visitors to nearby Grelle Recreation Area during that window. The park runs sunrise to sunset. Entry is $5 per adult and $2 for seniors 65 and up, military and visitors with disabilities. Children 12 and under get in free.
- Narrows requires a $35 reservation on Saturdays, Sundays and observed holidays if you aren't launching a boat. The reservation covers two parking spaces, a shaded picnic area and up to six entrance fees. Boat-ramp users pay the regular daily entrance fee.
- Gloster Bend and Camp Creek both run sunrise to sunset and charge the same $5 adult rate as the other LCRA parks.
- Cypress Creek is open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and stops admitting new visitors 30 minutes before closing. Day use is $5 per person, plus $7 per trailer per day, and the park takes cash only.
- Hippie Hollow is open every day of the year from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Entry is $8 for visitors 18 and older, and it's cash only.
- Arkansas Bend and Mansfield Dam also take cash only.
- Burn ban. A countywide burn ban has been in effect since August 11, 2026. It bans wood fires, ground fires and charcoal grills. Covered propane grills are the only grills allowed.
The burn ban says a lot about this season. The lake is nearly full, but the land around it is dry enough that the county still bans charcoal grills at the water's edge.
On shore, the county closed parts of the Granite Hiking Trail at Reimers Ranch starting October 14 for about two weeks of improvements. The road to the beach stays open seven days a week for drop-offs only, with no parking at beach level. At Arkansas Bend, Phase II construction is underway and will add 20 improved campsites and 18 cabins.
Where a Boat Can Tie Up for Dinner
The lake level matters for docks too. On its boat parking page, Sundancer Grill at 16410 Stewart Road says its boat parking and courtesy dock location will change as the lake level moves, and it asks boaters to call 512-266-2268 for current conditions. Sundancer lists itself as open year-round, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and starting at 9 a.m. on weekends.
Elsewhere on the lake:
Captain Pete's Boathouse at 18200 Lakepoint Cove in Point Venture is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and says its floating pier always has boat access. The Lighthouse on the Lake at 513 Sleat Drive in Briarcliff has a seven-slip dock and serves weekend brunch starting at 9 a.m. In Volente, Beachside Billy's at 16107 FM 2769 has a small courtesy dock and will take to-go orders for delivery to your boat. It's closed Mondays and Tuesdays. In April, Community Impact reported that Canyon Grille at Rough Hollow Marina in Lakeway was set to reopen April 14, 2026, under new owner Haythem Dawlett with a seasonal farm-to-table menu. You can reach it by boat from the marina or ride the funicular down from the patio.
One spot is already done for the season. Stumpy's Lake Travis opened in spring 2026 at Sandy Creek Marina, with boat parking right at the marina. Its address is 8714 Lime Creek Road in Volente. It has closed for the 2026–27 winter and plans to reopen Memorial Day Weekend 2027.
On the Calendar Through the Boat Parade
New in Spicewood, 4 Sisters Bar & Pavilion opened October 10 at 212 County Road 413, at Vino Tramonto Cabins. It has a full bar, a covered pavilion, a pool and live music, Community Impact reported. Here are the dated lake events between now and mid-December:
- Friday, October 30: The Lighthouse Goes Dark Halloween Party at The Lighthouse.
- Through Saturday, October 31: Haunted Shores at Volente Beach.
- Saturday, November 14, 2 p.m.: Thanksgiving Potluck Lunch at Northshore Marina.
- Saturday, December 12, 2 p.m.: Ugly Sweater Crockpot Cook-Off at Northshore Marina.
- Saturday, December 12, 6 p.m.: Lake Travis Lighted Boat Parade, organized by Northshore Marina with VIP Lake Travis, Emerald Point Marina and Lake Travis Lodges Marina. VIP Lake Travis Marina says more details are on the way.
The water level could look different by parade night. Back in July, Tuma told TPR she expected Lake Travis to start dropping, since heat, evaporation and water use all pull the lake down. She also cautioned that flood debris can float at the surface or sit just below it. Every clearance figure in the table above depends on the October 24 reading, so check LCRA's ramp page the morning you go before you hitch up the trailer.
If you're watching a high-water year from a lakefront lot and wondering what it means for a dock, a ramp you rely on or a property you're thinking about, Kinan Beck, One Source Team can go through it with you, from the shoreline itself to the lake-level history behind it. Schedule Your Austin Consultation.
