On the evening of October 18, LCRA's gauge put Lake Travis at 677.59 feet. That is about three and a half feet below the 681-foot top of the conservation pool, and the lake was close to 94% full. A month earlier it stood at 676.06 feet. For anyone who turns west out of Travisso Parkway onto FM 1431, every public ramp on the north shore sits well above its working level. The limits on a weekend out there are cash for the gate, your own drinking water, the sunset time and the dog.
The Lake Filled in July and Is Drifting Down Slowly
The water arrived in summer. KXAN's coverage recorded the lake at 100% full and 681 feet on the night of July 17. It had last been full in July 2019.
Since then the decline has been gentle. Water Data For Texas shows a daily average of 94.3% full on October 18, up from 91.6% on September 18. The short view runs the other way. LCRA had the lake at 678.01 feet seven days before the October 18 reading, so week to week it is easing down. As of October 18, LCRA's flood-status table showed no Mansfield Dam gate operations expected.
So the full lake is real, and it has held for months. It is also slowly shrinking. Late October and November are the part of the season when the shoreline is still high and the weather is still mild.
Every North-Shore Ramp Clears. The Booths Still Take Cash Only.
LCRA's boat ramp page lists the lowest lake level at which each public ramp still works. The three closest to the 1431 corridor are all far below today's water.
| Ramp | Lowest usable level | Feet of margin at 677.59 ft, Oct. 18 | Operator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sandy Creek | 640 ft | about 37.6 | Travis County |
| Jones Brothers Park | 645 ft | about 32.6 | City of Jonestown |
| Arkansas Bend | 647 ft | about 30.6 | Travis County |
High water brings its own closures. Pace Bend's Tournament Point ramp is listed as closed because the ramp is underwater. On the water, LCRA's recreation guidance warns that submerged trees, drop-offs and debris can be hard to see. It also asks boaters to slow to no wake at controlled-area buoys.
Both Travis County parks on this loop collect fees in cash at the booth. Sandy Creek's page says the booth takes no credit or debit cards. Arkansas Bend's page carries a cash-only banner. The fee schedule is the same at both: $5 per person, $3 for seniors 62 and older, free for children 12 and under, and $7 per trailer per day. At Sandy Creek, the trailer fee is waived for seniors and disabled veterans, and day use is free for veterans with a disability rating of 50% or more. A carload of four adults owes $20 before anyone unloads a cooler, so stop at an ATM on 1431 before you head out.
Sandy Creek Is the Closest Stop and the Most Stripped Down
Sandy Creek Park sits at 9500 Lime Creek Road, inside a Leander address. Its 92 acres in the Lake Travis basin are set up for swimming, nature walks, birding and fishing. The park is open daily from sunrise to 8 p.m., and the boat ramp is open 24 hours.
For now it is a day-use park with gaps. Camping has been suspended since late 2022 because of construction on the BCRUA water project next door, and the county estimates it will resume in late 2027. The page also says no potable water is available and asks visitors to bring their own. A Travis County burn ban notice is posted too. It bars wood fires, ground fires and charcoal grills, and allows only propane in above-ground, covered grills. The county also notes that zebra mussels have been found along the shoreline of its lake parks and asks swimmers to take care.
Sandy Creek is the quick option: a short afternoon, a jug of water from home, a propane grill or none. For an overnight trip, the loop continues west.
Arkansas Bend Is the Only Overnight Option on This Loop
Arkansas Bend Park, at 16900 Cherry Lane in Lago Vista, has two boat ramps open 24 hours and 18 improved campsites. Camping costs $30 per site per night on top of day-use entry. The county recommends sending a reservation request, and its page says October and November 2026 dates are open.
Daylight matters more here than at Sandy Creek. Arkansas Bend's day use runs from sunrise to civil twilight, not to a fixed clock time. Travis County's park pages listed sunrise at 7:34 a.m. and civil twilight at 7:22 p.m. on the date in mid-October when they were captured. Day-use closing time keeps moving earlier as the season goes on. Camping is how you get a full lake at sunset without racing the gate.
Warbler Vista Is the Stop Where the Dog Stays Home
Between Travisso and the lake, FM 1431 runs through the Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge. Its Warbler Vista unit sits right on the road at 21646½ E. FM 1431 in Lago Vista. The Cactus Rocks loop there is a moderate 1.25 miles. The trailhead has a vault toilet.
The rules here are the reverse of the county parks. Entry is free and the refuge is open daily from dawn to dusk. Pets, alcohol, camping, fires, bicycles on trails and drones are all prohibited. The refuge headquarters keeps weekday hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and is closed on weekends and federal holidays. Weekend hikers will find the trails open and the office closed.
A longer outing goes north to Doeskin Ranch at 10645 FM 1174 in Bertram. Its Rimrock loop is 1.6 miles and rated difficult. The shorter Pond and Prairie loop and Creek loop are each half a mile and rated easy. The Shin Oak Observation Deck is just a deck, with no trails or restrooms.
A household with a dog can still use both kinds of stop, just not in the same trip. Trails without the dog, lake with the dog, as long as the county's park rules allow it.
Where the Day Ends in Jonestown and Lago Vista
Once the ramps and trails close, the loop's places to eat stay open on their own schedules, and those schedules matter.
- Lucky Rabbit, 18626 RM 1431 in Jonestown, has food and live music. It opens at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, stays open until 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, and closes at 10 p.m. on Sunday.
- Solstice Coffee + Cocktails in Jonestown serves coffee, cocktails, beer and pizza with live music.
- The Island Bar & Grill, 3404 American Drive in Lago Vista, serves food and drinks with Lake Travis views. Its hours are short: 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and noon to 9 p.m. Saturday.
- Bella Vista, 7708 Lohman Ford Road #108 in Lago Vista, serves Italian from noon to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 8:30 p.m. Sunday.
- Lago Vista Brewing Company, 8001 Bronco Lane, holds trivia on Mondays, music bingo on Wednesdays and a farmers market on Saturdays.
For a lake day that ends with dinner on the water, Saturday covers the most options, since The Island is open only Thursday through Saturday and Bella Vista is closed Mondays.
Two Dates When the Season Turns
The same road carries the loop into the holidays, and two dates fall on one Sunday.
- Sunday, November 29, 1 to 6 p.m. Lago Vista Brewing Company holds its Christmas Artisan Market.
- November 29, 2026, through January 2, 2027, 6 to 10 p.m. nightly. The Walkway of Lights runs at Lakeside Park & Beach, 305 Buena Vista Drive in Marble Falls, farther out along the same corridor. Admission is free. The event runs weather permitting, and Visit Marble Falls says closure calls are made at 3 p.m. if rain makes the ground unsafe.
The market closes at 6 p.m. and the lights come on at 6 p.m., so one Sunday trip can cover both. Lake levels, ramp status and park notices all change quickly, so check LCRA's ramp page and the county park pages the morning you go.
Living near Travisso puts you close to some of the best views in Central Texas, and Lake Travis at nearly full is part of that. If you'd like to talk about what life near the lake and the 1431 corridor looks like for your household, The Niño Team is glad to share what we know about this corner of Leander. Contact Us.
