Lake Travis Is Nearly Full This October, So the Calendar Sets the Limits

At 10 p.m. on October 11, 2026, Lake Travis stood at 677.90 feet above mean sea level. That is 95% full, 14.20 feet above the historical October average and 3.10 feet below the 681-foot top of the conservation pool. When the lake sits that high, the public ramp list stops being the thing to check before a Saturday out. This fall, a park closure, a burn ban, a regatta weekend and a short run of sailing classes do more to shape a day on the lake.

So this fall on the lake is mostly a matter of scheduling. The one ramp that closed did so because the water rose over it.

How Far the Lake Has Come Since Spring

A single reading means little without something to compare it against. The LCRA River Operations Report gives the October average and the full-pool mark, and the state's Water Data For Texas reservoir page keeps daily means going back a year.

The lake has risen about 14 feet since April and sits about 7 feet higher than it did on the same week last year. Six months ago it was at roughly its October average. Today it is close to full. LCRA's short-term forecast on October 11 called for 678.9 feet the next day and 677.8 feet a week out, so the level is expected to stay about where it is through the next few weekends. LCRA labels these figures provisional and subject to revision, and readings on its different pages vary by a few hundredths of a foot depending on the timestamp.

The Ramp That Closed Because the Water Rose

The LCRA public boat ramp page lists, for most Highland Lakes ramps, the lowest lake level at which it can still be used. With Lake Travis near 678 feet, the October 11 list shows one Travis ramp closed. Pace Bend's Tournament Point, maintained by Travis County, is marked "Closed, due to ramp being underwater."

Tournament Point's minimum usable level is 631 feet, the lowest on the Lake Travis list. That makes it the ramp that stays usable furthest into a drawdown, and this fall the lake has covered it. Travis County's Pace Bend notice says the same thing: Tournament Point closed, Collier Cove and Tatum Cove open.

Every other posted minimum on the Lake Travis list sits well below the current level:

• Mansfield Dam, Travis County, usable down to 637 feet
• Sandy Creek, Travis County, 640 feet
• Jones Brothers Park, City of Jonestown, 645 feet
• Arkansas Bend, Travis County, 647 feet
• Pace Bend Collier Cove and Tatum Cove, Travis County, 653 feet
• Narrows Recreation Area, LCRA, 659.5 feet
• Muleshoe Bend Recreation Area, LCRA, 660 feet
• Gloster Bend Recreation Area, LCRA, 662 feet
• Camp Creek Park, LCRA, and Cypress Creek, Travis County, both 667 feet

Bob Wentz at Windy Point, also a Travis County ramp, has no posted minimum and is listed for non-motorized boats only.

Camp Creek and Cypress Creek show most clearly how much this year differs. Their 667-foot minimum is above the historical October average of 663.70 feet, and above the 663.62-foot daily mean from this past April. At either of those levels, both ramps would have been under their posted minimum. This October they have about 11 feet of water above it.

With the Water Settled, Fire Rules and Park Dates Set the Limits

The main restriction for anyone planning a lakeside cookout or campout this month is fire, not water. Travis County Parks says its park burn ban prohibits wood, ground and charcoal fires and allows only covered, above-ground propane grills. LCRA's Muleshoe Bend page carries its own notice that a burn ban is in effect for Travis County. That matters at a park where all 41 campsites are listed with a grill and a fire ring. Muleshoe has 35 standard sites for up to eight people starting at $25, and six large sites for up to 16 starting at $35. For now, a campfire evening at Muleshoe means a propane grill.

Muleshoe Bend also has two dates to plan around this month.

Friday, October 16, at 7:30 p.m. LCRA hosts "Muleshoe by Night," a naturalist-led night hike for all ages. It focuses on nocturnal wildlife and observation skills. Tickets are $20 for an individual, $35 for a couple and $50 for a family of up to five, booked through LCRA Parks.

Monday, October 26, through Wednesday, October 28. Muleshoe Bend Recreation Area is closed. LCRA points visitors to nearby Grelle Recreation Area on those days. Anyone who rides the park's mountain bike trails, which LCRA describes as rated by the International Mountain Bicycling Association, or who planned a midweek ramp launch there, will want another spot that week.

Sunday Afternoons Belong to the Sailboats

Near-full water and cooler fall air set up the most active racing stretch of the year at Austin Yacht Club on Beacon Drive. The club's 2026 Fall Series races on Sundays from September 13 through November 8, with the first warning signal at 1:30 p.m. As of today, October 11, the remaining fall racing dates fall in this order:

1. Sunday, October 18: Fall Series race day
2. Sunday, October 25: Fall Series race day
3. Saturday, October 31, and Sunday, November 1: Round the Bend and Multi-Fest Regatta. Fast catamarans and trimarans race both days, and monohull keelboats race Saturday
4. Sunday, November 8: Fall Series closing date
5. Saturday, November 21: Turkey Regatta on the All Catalina Fleet 69 calendar

The Round the Bend and Multi-Fest Regatta page lists the divisions and dates. It does not publish a course or name a public spot for watching from shore. AYC's general long-distance course card dates from 2021, describes wind-dependent courses using club buoys and channel marks, and gives sample lengths from about 2.8 to 17.6 nautical miles. That shows the range the club works with. It is not the route for this year's race.

For boaters who are not racing, these dates are useful to know too. On Sunday afternoons through November 8, and on the Halloween weekend, expect racing fleets around the club's marks.

Getting Aboard Without Owning a Boat

A near-full lake also suits people who have never taken the tiller. AYC's adult training calendar shows several public sessions left this fall.

• Saturday, October 17: Beginning Sailing, the first class in the club's adult dinghy sequence
• Saturday and Sunday, October 17–18: ASA 101 Basic Keelboat Sailing public class
• Saturday, October 24, 1 to 5 p.m.: Discover Sailing
• Saturday and Sunday, November 14–15: the last ASA 101 public class of 2026, after earlier sessions in April, May, June and September

The adult sail training page describes Discover Sailing as an introductory chalk talk followed by a two-hour sail, with no experience or boat ownership required. It lists Beginning Sailing for non-members at $125 for the whole program. The club recommends Beginning Sailing even for people already comfortable on keelboats, because weight balance works differently in a dinghy.

What the County and Lakeway Are Building for Later Seasons

Two projects near the water won't be finished this fall but will add options in future ones. At Arkansas Bend, where the ramp is open this month with roughly 30 feet of water above its 647-foot minimum, Travis County Parks reports that Phase II is under construction and will add 20 improved campsites and 18 cabins.

In Lakeway, Community Impact reported on October 2 that the city is designing a $10.6 million City Park upgrade. The plan includes a vehicle loop, a pedestrian loop, a skate park and pump track, pickleball courts and lake overlooks. The existing dog park and sand volleyball court would move to new spots in the park. According to that report, design is expected to finish by January, with construction bidding estimated for fall 2027. The dog park and volleyball court are where they have always been for now, and the overlooks are about a year away from bidding.

Anyone weighing how a lakeside property fits into seasons like this one, high water and low, can talk it through with The Weiss Group. We follow the lake through the year, and we're glad to help you work out what it means for your plans.