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Motor Boating in the Austin area

2,133 Views | 22 Replies | Last: 4 yr ago by HECUBUS
OregonAggie
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AG
We live in Dripping and have a wakeboard boat. I'm curious what everyone's opinions are on the local lakes. We've been on Canyon, LBJ, and Austin so far and I have some opinions on them but I've also only been out on them 1x each.

Lake Austin was an absolute **** show at the 360 boat ramp. I also wasn't a fan of the lack of coves to hangout in but I'll admit that we put in and immediately went north so I haven't seen the area south of the 360 boat ramp. Water was damn cold compared to LBJ the next day but that'll change soon I'm sure.

Canyon was awesome but it was fairly windy the day we were there. I like having a marina with hot food and cold beer, which Baja BBQ satisfies that at Canyon Lake Marina.

LBJ was awesome but a little further from the house. If we decide to make that our "home lake" then I'll probably just store my boat out there. Plenty of coves and a cool view everywhere on the lake we visited.

Still haven't gone to Travis but I'm sure that'll happen soon. What I'm looking for is a lake with a marina with food, coves to surf/wakeboard in and also to just anchor up and chill, and less wind would be nice as well. It always gets windy in the afternoon anywhere I've been but I'd prefer to not stay on a lake notorious for wind.

Thanks in advance for the replies.
agmom95
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We have our boat docked at West Beach marina on Lake Travis. Super convenient. We frequent The Gnarly Gar and Sundancer grill by boat when we want to grab a bite. Or we just take food out with us. There are so many great coves to dock, many of them very quiet. I know people don't like Travis because of how busy it gets, but honestly over the last 6 years we've had our boat, we really haven't had too many issues.
OregonAggie
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Awesome. This is the kind of feedback I was hoping to hear. If weather cooperates next weekend, we're going out for my daughter's birthday. I'll have a bunch of kids on the boat and we'll be doing a lot behind the boat so I'm not even thinking about going to lake Austin.

Thanks
Mike Elko
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SteveBott
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You should check out Travis. FYI weather forecast is not great but I do not put much faith in those this far out
OregonAggie
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AustinAg2012 said:





This is exactly why motor boating was in the title
OregonAggie
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Yeah I noticed that and I agree with you. Predicting weather in Texas further than 6 hours is a crap shoot.

We may have to call an audible but hopefully not!
MouthBQ98
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I'm on Travis every other weekend in the summer. There's plenty of ramps and its not wide but something like 35 miles long all the way up to the mouth. Water is clear and not too warm in the summers. It does have zebra mussels which you may start seeing clumps of on the shorelines. They should improve water clarity even more, but may take ruin a bit of the pretty limestone lakeshores.
SteveBott
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There is a floating barge directly across from Lakeway on the western shore that you can tie up to that has some good burgers and stuff kids like. Might have some live music in the evening. Kids feed big catfish with bread. Good joint.

Not sure it's still there but worth a try
tamc93
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What size boat? Too small (under 20) and Travis can suck.

Travis can get rough on some parts with even slight wind later in the day during the weekend. Plenty of places to wake/surf/chill. Eating places are scattered, but there.

If you can sneak out on a weekday, the lake can be awesome.

I would not go out there when the wind is gusting - you could probably "surf" on some of the waves without a boat.
FJB, FPA, and FAZ
Mike Winchell
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Anywhere but canyon lake. Canyon lake is horrible. Tell all your friends to stay away too. Spread the word.
rather be fishing
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Lake Austin is the definition of shat show. When I had my bass boat, I wouldn't put in until nearly dark. Narrow lake with very little room to get out of the way of morons who didn't know what they were doing and drunk college kids.
OregonAggie
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We have a 22.5' moomba with a really deep hull. I'm more comfortable in this boat than any I've owned. It was windy on canyon and it performed well.

Canyon reminds me of some of the lakes we hit up in Oregon. They were all in the mountains and it got pretty choppy in the afternoons there. I assumed travis would be the same.
OregonAggie
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Duly noted
tamc93
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OregonAggie said:

We have a 22.5' moomba with a really deep hull. I'm more comfortable in this boat than any I've owned. It was windy on canyon and it performed well.

Canyon reminds me of some of the lakes we hit up in Oregon. They were all in the mountains and it got pretty choppy in the afternoons there. I assumed travis would be the same.
You will be fine...once you figure out the lake you will know the rough spots and the hills do a good job of protecting various arms/creeks.

Worst two spots for me are normally near the dam (make sure you check out hippy hollow - not). and near the power line near lakeway that crosses the lake (lake gets narrow and there is chop/find from every direction).
FJB, FPA, and FAZ
OregonAggie
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Thanks the advice on that!
MouthBQ98
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The mouth of any major creek branch where the lake is bulkheaded or limestone dropoffs will get really choppy with confused water and chaotic waves when there is a lot of summer weekend boat activity, but only a bad storm is really a problem.

You might see me out there on the lake in my little power skiff now and then, and I've never been concerned about conditions. I like to "surf" my little boat on the wakes of those ridiculous power cruisers that were made for the open ocean. Its those boats that really churn it up, but the water is much calmer up the branch creeks.
HECUBUS
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We owned a slip at Lake Travis Marina for nine years. The best wakeboarding was at 7:00 am along the dam, Arkansas Bend and occasionally near Lakeway. By 11:00 am It's too crowded.
JB
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Zero boat advice, but we used to go down and grab a beer/burger at Ski Shores on Lake Austin when we lived down there. I thought it was a cool place and was never that crowded when we went. Might be a shat show on busy weekends.
HumpitPuryear
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Mike Winchell said:

Anywhere but canyon lake. Canyon lake is horrible. Tell all your friends to stay away too. Spread the word.


Ditto for Lake LBJ. Stay away. Spread the word
SteveBott
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OP weather forecast as improved significantly. Down to 10% rain this weekend

Edit: looks like I fat fingered my last post emoji
Potcake
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Lake Austin, from Miller Dam up to Emma Long Park can get really choppy because the channel is so narrow for the number of boats. It's calmer up toward Quinlan Park (Steiner Ranch area) but the water will be much colder if they're letting any water out of Travis.
ME85
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The best of Travis is out by me...near where the Pedernales comes in and by Pacebend. QUIET and smooth when further up near the dam is not. You don't get beat to shear out here. You can go an hour towards marble falls, it's wide open. There is one cove out of all others...you meander down and throw anchor near the cliff side. It's up the mouth on the other side of the tip of the Pacebend peninsula, going up towards 1431 if looking on the map. Hidden gem that needs more aggies.

Edit to mention: drop in at Briarcliff Marina for $20. Honor system most weekends. Bring your own drinks and food out on this end tho.
HECUBUS
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+1
Too far from where we kept our boat but a favorite since the old days when we called it paleface Park and Lakeway was a retirement community with one acre lakefront lots going for $15k.
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