A sole Lake Travis public boat ramp reopened over Father’s Day weekend and remains open. The newly-constructed Low Lake Level Tournament Point boat ramp in Pace Bend Park requires a water depth of 630 feet to open, and the heavy June rains Austin and the western hill country experienced brought lake levels to just over that minimum. Many boaters already have been taking advantage of the open ramp.
Completed about a month ago, Tournament Point ramp is a welcome addition for those with difficulty accessing Lake Travis and opens just in time for the summer season. Its open status is precipitous: rain showers could keep it over the threshold in coming weeks, or hot, dry weather could lower levels. As of June 20, Lake Travis remains at 630.21 feet, only down 2 one-hundredths over the week the ramp has been open.
If the rains keep coming and lake levels hold, the next boat ramp to open would be Mansfield Dam, which has a minimum lake level of 632 feet. One good, soaking rain storm in the right location could bring lake levels to that point – so be on the lookout!
The LCRA’s public boat ramp information page provides minimum water levels for launching boats on all public boat ramps on Lake Travis (and other Highland Lakes) and is the most up-to-date place to check on open/closed conditions.
While lake levels remain low, meteorologists are forecasting the area will experience El Nino in the coming months, which brings heavier than usual rain totals. If this forecast pans out, the opening of Tournament Point might just be the first of many to reopen on Lake Travis!