The Lake Travis Ramp That's Underwater This October

As of October 11, 2026, Lake Travis was 14.2 feet above its historical October average. The LCRA River Operations Report put the Mansfield Dam gauge at 677.90 feet above mean sea level that night. The average for the month is 663.70 feet. The lake is 95% full and about three feet below the 681-foot top of its conservation pool.

You can see what that gap means at Pace Bend. The Tournament Point ramp only opens when the lake is at or below 664 feet, which is almost exactly where the lake usually sits in October. This year that ramp is closed. LCRA's boat ramp page lists it as underwater, and Travis County lists every other public ramp on the lake as open. In a typical year, fall shrinks the usable lake. This year, the ramp that normally serves October is the only one you can't use.

So this fall's limits are on land. The county's burn ban decides what a park day looks like, and the calendar keeps boat events going well into December.

A Lake That Has Stopped Falling

On September 11 the gauge read 676.98 feet, and a week before the October 11 reading it read 677.53. The lake gained 0.92 feet over that month. LCRA's one-week forecast for Travis is 677.8 feet, so roughly flat. The same report logged 1,116 acre-feet of gauged inflow over the previous day, including 875 acre-feet at the Llano gauge. It doesn't tie the monthly rise to any one rain event.

For anyone with a boat, a dock or a favorite cove, the takeaway is steadiness. LCRA's forecast puts next week's shoreline close to today's, and it sits far higher than the October lake most longtime residents remember.

Which Ramps Work at This Level

Here is the county's current ramp status, with each park's posted hours.

Travis County Parks currently lists day-use fees of $5 per person for day use, $3 for seniors, nothing for children 12 and under, and $7 for a trailer. Hippie Hollow charges $8 per adult and $3 for seniors. It is open from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. every day of the year. The county's status notices for Pace Bend say entry and amenity fees can be paid in cash only.

Two longer-term changes also shape where you can go. Camping at Sandy Creek is suspended during BCRUA construction, with an estimated return in late 2027. Phase II construction is underway at Arkansas Bend, where 20 improved campsites and 18 cabins are planned.

The Rule That Shapes a Park Day

Water no longer limits a fall afternoon at the parks. Fire rules do. Travis County has been under a burn ban since August 11, 2026. Wood, charcoal and ground fires are not allowed, and only propane in an above-ground, covered grill is permitted.

That changes the gear for a picnic at Arkansas Bend's bluff-top point or in Sandy Creek's wooded cove. A full lake and a dry landscape at the same time is this fall's mix, and the cooler needs to pair with a propane grill.

Racing, Barges and a Parade Still on the Water

With the ramps open, the lake's fall calendar runs on schedule, and much of it is on the water.

Sailing has the densest schedule. Austin Yacht Club's September 2026 newsletter lists Fall Series racing on October 18, October 25 and November 8. It also lists the Texas Challenge Cup on October 17–18, the Ensign Region IV Championship Regatta on October 22–24, the Round-the-Bend and Multi-Fest Regatta on October 31–November 1, and the Wild Turkey Regatta on November 21.

Up the lake at Volente, the Haunted Shores page at Beachside Billy's runs Haunted Shores through October 31, with BOO-GIE Barge rides on Lake Travis on Friday and Saturday nights, and says Holiday Shores begins November 21. Volente Beach describes Beachside Billy's as open year-round.

Northshore Marina has the season's two bookends. Docktober Fest is Saturday, October 17 at 2 p.m. The Lake Travis Lighted Boat Parade is Saturday, December 12 at 6 p.m., and the marina names Starnes Island and nearby shores as viewing spots. Between them, the marina holds a Thanksgiving potluck on November 14 and an Ugly Sweater and Crockpot Cook-Off on the afternoon of the parade. The marina's page carries an older publish date, though the schedule itself is written for 2026, so it is worth checking again as each date gets close.

The Shoreline Calendar Runs on the Same Weekends

The land-side schedule in Bee Cave and Lakeway lands on many of the same Saturdays. That makes it easy to split a day between the water and town. Here's how the next several weeks line up.

1. October 17. Docktober Fest at Northshore and day one of the Texas Challenge Cup overlap with Hill Country Galleria's Oktoberfest, 3 to 7 p.m., with live music, food, games and beer.
2. October 22–23. The City of Bee Cave's Haunted Trail runs 7 to 9 p.m. at the trailhead near Chick-fil-A at 3600 Ranch Road 620, with parking at Home Depot. The Ensign Region IV regatta is on the water the same days.
3. October 24. Lakeway Church holds its Family Fall Festival from 9 a.m. to noon in the church garden. The free Common Ground Arts Festival fills the Galleria's Central Plaza from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with more than 30 vendors and live music.
4. October 25. The free Rolling Sculpture Car Show runs 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Galleria, with proceeds going to Bee Cave Public Library. A Fall Series race is on the lake the same day.
5. October 31. Haunted Shores' last night falls on the same day as the Galleria's trick-or-treat along Hill Country Boulevard, and the Round-the-Bend Regatta is on the lake.
6. November 6–8. The Lakeway Art Walk opens Friday with an artist open house and performance at TexARTS Theatre & Academy, with a 6 p.m. social and a 7 p.m. performance. Self-guided studio tours follow on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Maps and artist catalogs are at the Lakeway Heritage Center.
7. November 13 onward. Bee Cave on Ice opens behind City Hall at 4000 Galleria Parkway and runs through January 18, 2027. A 50-minute session costs $16 plus tax, skate rental included. Community Night Tuesdays cost $11 and fall on November 17 and December 1, 8 and 15, plus January 12.

Sundays have their own regular stop. The Bee Cave Farmers Market sets up in the Galleria's Central Plaza every week from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with produce, prepared foods and live music. The Galleria's events page currently says the splash pad is temporarily closed and gives no reopening date. One event moved off the fall calendar entirely. HealthFest, first set for October 3 at Star Hill Ranch, was postponed to May 1, 2027, because of rain, as Community Impact reported.

Small Changes Along RM 620 and Bee Cave Road

A few of the area's small business changes are worth knowing about this fall. According to Community Impact's October 9 roundup, Fit 4 Birdies plans to open October 22 at 2300 Lohmans Spur, Ste. 122, in Lakeway, offering club fitting and simulator practice. The same roundup reports Papa Murphy's at 2303 RM 620 S. as closed. It also notes that CAVA and Chipotle at 13714 E. Ladera Blvd. in Bee Cave are projected for May or June 2027. Massage + Chiro moved this month from Bee Cave to 1010 RM 620 S. in Lakeway, and First Financial Bank expects to open a full-service branch at 12101 Bee Cave Road in late October.

The lake is what sets this fall apart. With Tournament Point underwater and every other county ramp open, the last big on-water weekend of the year is the Lighted Boat Parade off Starnes Island on December 12.

A full lake also puts docks, shorelines and lakefront homes in view all season. If you've been weighing how a Lake Travis property holds up through every season, Chris Krueger is glad to walk the waterfront with you and share what two decades of building and real estate experience reveal. Let's Work Together.