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Flood Control First, Recreation Second

Canyon Lake, Texas

Things to Do · Events · Local Guide
Canyon Lake · Sattler · Startzville · Fischer · Spring Branch
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About Canyon Lake

Canyon Lake — a Corps Reservoir on the Guadalupe

Canyon Lake is a US Army Corps of Engineers flood-control reservoir on the Guadalupe River — impounded in 1964, dedicated in 1966. At conservation pool of 909 feet it covers 8,308 acres with 93 miles of shoreline. It is a flood-control project first and a recreation lake second, and it fluctuates: the all-time low was 887.14 feet in January 2024, and in 2002 the flood of record crested the spillway at 950.32 feet and carved Canyon Lake Gorge out of a grassy field in a matter of days.

Founded
1964lakeside inn, incorporated 1974
Known for
The lakeCorps flood control, the Gorge, trout
Size
8,308 acres93 miles of shoreline
Full pool
909 ftall-time low 887.14 ft (Jan 2024)
Supplies
StartzvilleFM 306 corridor
Location
~20 miles NWof New Braunfels
Live Conditions
Canyon Lake · USGS 08167700 · full pool 909 ft ft
Full chart & history →
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Lake levelfeet above sea level
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Vs. full poolfeet
Fetching live readings from USGS…
Source: LCRA via USGS Water Services. Canyon Lake is a storage reservoir — the level rises and falls with rain and drought across the whole Colorado River basin, not just local weather. This is a live reading, not a safety rating; check conditions and the forecast before you head out on the water.
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About Us

Built by a locally operated Hill Country travel company.

canyonlake.ai is built by Spencer and Jess Forrest, owners of Backroads Hill Country — a locally operated Texas Hill Country travel company that has represented Hill Country vacation rentals since 2001, with thousands of guest stays coordinated across the region.

Most travel platforms flatten a place like Canyon Lake into generic top-10 lists. This is built the other way around — local knowledge first, from people who actually live and work in the Hill Country.

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Local Knowledge

Frequently asked about Canyon Lake

A US Army Corps of Engineers reservoir on the Guadalupe River, impounded in 1964 and dedicated in 1966. At conservation pool — 909 feet — it covers 8,308 acres with 93 miles of shoreline. It was built for flood control. Recreation came second, and when the Corps needs the storage, recreation loses.
Usually not. Canyon Lake fluctuates hard, and it has spent long stretches well below conservation pool. The all-time low was 887.14 feet on January 21, 2024. Check the gauge (USGS 08167700) before you trailer a boat — and call the marina or the Corps office. Ramp status changes week to week.
Depends on the level, so call before you go. The rule of thumb is that shallow ramps go dry first and the deeper ones hold longest. If you're in a slip at a marina you're generally fine even when ramps aren't. Never take a ramp status from a website — including this one — as current.
When the 2002 flood of record went over the spillway — the first time in the lake's history, cresting at 950.32 feet — the water scoured a mile-long, 64-acre gorge out of what had been a grassy field. It exposed Cretaceous limestone, fossils, dinosaur tracks, and a visible fault line.
No. The gorge floor is guided-tour only, by reservation, through canyongorgetours.com. There's a separate overlook you can visit without a tour. Fees and schedules change, so confirm before you drive out.
Because the water released from the bottom of Canyon Dam comes out cold and stays cold. TPWD stocks rainbow trout from November through March, and some fish hold over through the summer. It's only described as the southernmost year-round trout fishery in the country — take that as a claim, not a settled fact. There's a special-regulation section through and below Sattler; check current TPWD rules.
Yes, and the flow is whatever the dam is releasing — not what fell as rain. Low release means you'll drag bottom. High release and the outfitters shut down. The gauge at Sattler is USGS 08167800. River Road outfitters run this stretch.
Sattler sits below the dam and owns the tailwater. Startzville is the FM 306 commercial corridor — gas, supplies, the turn toward the lake. Fischer sits up on the Devil's Backbone ridge. Spring Branch is out on US 281, where Rebecca Creek Distillery is.