TexasReservoirTravis County

Lake Travis

Lake Travis is the Colorado River reservoir west of Austin, held back by Mandalay Dam and managed by the Lower Colorado River Authority. It reaches about 64 metres deep and sits at roughly 208 metres above sea level. Public swimming is spread across county parks, LCRA parks and Hippie Hollow, the only clothing-optional public park in Texas.

Water level today: 677.85 ft (94% full) · see the full record

Photo: Brooke.ramos · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

CountiesTravis and Burnet counties

Nearest townAustin, TX

Coordinates30.3919, -97.9067

Surface area18,185 acres

Max depth210 ft

Full pool681.0 ft

Capacity1,098,044 acre-ft

RiverColorado River

Managed byLower Colorado River Authority

Swimming beaches on Lake Travis

No named swimming beach is mapped yet for this lake. Access is through agency day-use areas and boat ramps listed below. We add beach pages only when we can confirm a name, coordinates and an operating agency.

Lake Travis on the map

Lake center, swimming spots and access points.

Get directions

Weather and water temperature

Air temperature and wind from Open-Meteo. Water temperature only when the lake has a public sensor.

Weather data by Open-Meteo

Water level today

Lake Travis is the flood-control reservoir for the Highland Lakes, so it is designed to swing. Conservation pool is 681.0 feet; the reservoir can hold water well above that during flood events and is drawn down for water supply during drought. The Lower Colorado River Authority operates the dam, and a USGS gauge near Austin reports the elevation continuously.

677.85 ft trend not available

Reading of Sep 9, 2026 · source: USGS

94% of conservation capacityFull pool 681.0 ft

Full water level record for Lake Travis

What to know before you go to Lake Travis

The lake takes its name from William B. Travis and stretches through Travis and Burnet counties. It is the flood-control reservoir of the Highland Lakes chain, which is why its level moves more than any other lake in the Austin area and why it is the most searched lake level in the United States.

Swimming access is unusually varied for a Texas reservoir. Hippie Hollow Park, run by Travis County, is a rocky clothing-optional shoreline with no sand beach and no lifeguard. Other county and LCRA parks offer conventional day-use areas with ramps, picnic sites and easier entry. Fees and hours are set by each operator.

The pool moves fast. Over the last 120 days the gauge has ranged from 664.64 feet on May 18, 2026 to 685.28 feet on July 18, 2026, a swing of more than 20 feet in two months. When the lake drops, the limestone shoreline becomes steeper and several ramps close, so it is worth checking the level the morning you go.

The Texas Water Development Board reported Lake Travis at 93.6 percent of its 1,098,044 acre-feet of conservation capacity, covering 18,185 acres. Conservation pool is 681 feet, and the dead pool sits far below at 535.75 feet.

Questions about Lake Travis

Can you swim in Lake Travis?

Yes. County and LCRA parks around the lake have day-use swimming areas, none of them with lifeguards. Hippie Hollow is clothing-optional and restricted to adults.

How deep is Lake Travis?

About 64 metres, or roughly 210 feet, at its deepest point near the dam.