On October 11, 2026, LCRA's River Operations Report put Lake Travis at 677.90 feet above mean sea level. The agency's own October average for the lake is 663.70 feet, so the water is roughly 14 feet higher than a typical fall. At that level every public ramp has more water than it needs. What decides a fall weekend on the lake now is the regatta schedule, the campground booking sheet, the cash in your wallet and the county's fire rules.
The One Ramp That Closed Because the Water Is Too High
LCRA's public boat ramp table lists a minimum usable lake level for every Lake Travis ramp. The highest minimums on the list are 667 feet at Camp Creek Park and Cypress Creek. Mansfield Dam needs 637, Arkansas Bend 647, and both Collier Cove and Tatum Cove at Pace Bend need 653. With the lake near 678, the water clears even the highest of those minimums by about 11 feet.
The one exception comes from that extra water. Pace Bend's Tournament Point ramp has the lowest minimum of the group, 631 feet, and LCRA lists it as "Closed, due to ramp being underwater." A ramp built for drought years sits below the waterline in a wet one. Travis County's Pace Bend page still shows ramp status dated July 27, 2026, so LCRA's live table is the better daily check.
The level has also been climbing all fall. LCRA's report shows 676.98 feet thirty days before October 11 and 677.53 feet seven days before. LCRA labels this data provisional and subject to revision, so check the River Operations Report for the current reading.
The Sailing Calendar Sets the Pace Through November
On a full lake, the busiest fall schedule belongs to sailors. The Austin Yacht Club's September 2026 newsletter lists racing on most weekends from now until Thanksgiving.
| Date | Event | Detail from AYC |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 17–18 | Texas Challenge Cup | Sailed in Melges 15s; the event dates to 1986 |
| Oct. 18 | Fall Series | Pearson 26 |
| Oct. 22–24 | Ensign Region IV Championship Regatta | Regional championship |
| Oct. 25 | Fall Series | J/PRF |
| Oct. 31–Nov. 1 | Round-the-Bend / Multi-Fest Regatta | Same weekend as the SEISA High School Regatta in E420s |
| Nov. 8 | Fall Series | Multihull, last day of the series |
| Nov. 21 | Wild Turkey Regatta | Last regatta on the 2026 list |
Halloween weekend will be the busiest. Round-the-Bend and Multi-Fest overlap with a high school regatta, and the newsletter says the two sets of regatta chairs are coordinating to fit both on the water. The Fall Series sailing instructions also change how the marks around Windy Point work. Shallow-water and swim-area markers there now count as one continuous obstruction, because from a distance it can be hard to tell which kind of hazard a mark is flagging. That rule only binds racers, but it shows how crowded with marks that part of the lake is. Windy Point is also home to the Bob Wentz ramp, which is limited to non-motorized boats.
Campsites Are Booked on Event Weekends, Too
The county parks follow the same pattern as the racing schedule. At Pace Bend Park, the improved-camping section lists booked dates on Oct. 16–18, Oct. 23–25, Oct. 30–Nov. 1, Nov. 6–8, Nov. 13–15 and Nov. 27–29. The county marks most of those as event bookings. Almost every remaining weekend in Pace Bend's improved loop this fall already has a booking.
Lago Vista has more open space. Arkansas Bend Park is accepting camping reservations for October and November 2026, and its Phase II construction is described as nearly complete. Phase II adds 20 improved campsites and 18 cabins to a park that already has two boat ramps. The county page gives no opening date for the new sites, so treat them as coming soon until it posts one.
Sandy Creek won't help this fall. Camping there is suspended during the BCRUA project, the park is open for day use only, and the county estimates camping will return in late 2027. The page also says potable water is not available.
The Practical Rules That Catch People at the Gate
The lake is high, but conditions on land are dry, and the county's rules reflect that. Here is what the park pages list right now:
- Burn ban. Travis County is under a burn ban. Pace Bend's page says no wood, charcoal or ground fires are allowed. Propane is permitted only in an above-ground, covered grill.
- Cash only at Pace Bend. Entry and amenity fees can be paid only in cash. No cards or other payment are accepted.
- Mansfield Dam. Day use runs from sunrise to civil twilight, the boat ramp is open 24 hours, and the day-use fee is $5 per person in cash. The park has a designated swim cove and the lake's largest public boat ramp.
- Hippie Hollow. Hours are 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and the day-use charge is $8 per person, cash only.
These fees and hours come from the county's live park pages, which carry no publication date. Check them again before you go. One more item on the Pace Bend page affects the parks you'll use in coming years. Travis County Parks is drafting vision plans for Reimers Ranch Park and for RGK Ranch Park, its newest property, which is not yet open to the public. An online survey for both is open October 7 through November 4.
A Night Out on the Water
On the Volente side, Volente Beach is running Haunted Shores from October 3 through 31. It's a walk-through open Wednesday to Sunday, with optional nighttime boat rides around Starnes Island on Fridays and Saturdays, and food and drinks at Beachside Billy's next door. Its Holiday Shores season follows in November and December, but the page doesn't list 2026 dates yet.
On the Lakeway shore, Rough Hollow's Canyon Grille at 103 Yacht Club Cove is under new ownership this year. In April, Community Impact reported that it was set to reopen April 14, 2026, after a one-week makeover into a farm-to-table restaurant serving seasonal, regionally sourced dishes and Gulf seafood.
Downstream, the Calendar Decided Too
Lake Austin shows the same pattern. The City of Austin had planned to lower Lake Austin in October and November. On September 24, 2026, the city canceled the drawdown after stakeholders raised concerns about the effect on businesses, recreation, fall weddings, UT football and Formula 1. Stakeholders asked to move it to January or February 2027. LCRA explained that winter drawdowns stopped after Winter Storm Uri in 2021, so that Highland Lakes hydroelectric generators stay available when cold weather drives up demand. The city said it couldn't find timing that balanced the community impacts. The city's release doesn't mention Lake Travis's level as a factor. The cancellation came down to the fall event schedule.
That leaves both lakes full for the rest of the season. On Lake Travis, the dates to plan around are the Wild Turkey Regatta on November 21, Pace Bend's booked event weekends, and the November 4 close of the RGK Ranch and Reimers Ranch survey.
If a fuller lake has you rethinking how your own shoreline, dock or weekend routine fits the water this year, Dicker Morin Group knows these coves and ramps from the water as well as from the listings. Book a consultation, and we'll walk through what this fall's lake means for your stretch of Lake Travis.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
