“Are the Canyon Lake boat ramps open?” It’s the number-one question visitors (and more than a few locals) ask each week.
Sunday, June 30: Canyon Lake is at 885.11 feet and 56.5% full. The lake’s normal elevation is 909 feet. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is currently releasing at a rate of 73 cfs into the Guadalupe River @Sattler. Click here for real-time information about current wind directions and maximum wind speeds over the last six hours.
Due to ongoing, severe drought, all Canyon Lake boat ramps are closed except for #18 in Canyon Park, and #19 at Canyon Lake Marina, which is only open on weekends for the foreseeable future. The marina’s pumps and courtesy docks have reopened.
The marina is closed on weekdays while the dock is moved around 150 feet into deeper water. Boaters are cautioned that weekend use of the ramp is ‘at-risk’ only.
OPEN: Boat Ramp #18 in Canyon Park
July 4 only:
The Water Oriented Recreation District of Comal County (WORD) operates this boat ramp.
“WORD recognizes that boaters wish to celebrate America’s independence on the water, and this is being done as a courtesy to the public.”
Expect long lines to launch and recover. Plan extra time. Entrance to Canyon Park is first-come, first-served. When the park reaches boat capacity no other watercraft will be allowed in. Boating at night is more hazardous to due low lake levels.
The ramp will remain open for vessel recovery until 11 p.m. If the ramp reaches capacity, it will close and no new entries will be allowed. Arrive early. Canyon Park closes at 6:00 p.m., but even on regular weekends reaches capacity around 3 p.m. and no new boat entrances will be permitted.
On all other days, boats must be out of the park before 11 p.m. All boats must return to the ramp by no later than 10 p.m.
The ramp is now open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. All boats must be off the water and out of the park by 7:30 p.m. Vehicles remaining in the park after 7:30 p.m. may be towed. The entry fee remains the same at $5 per vehicle registered in Comal County and $20 per vehicle registered out of county. WORD will close the ramp in the event of damages, vandalism or other behavior issues.
This boat ramp is operated by the Water Oriented District of Comal County. For more information click here.
OPEN: Boat Ramp #19
Canyon Lake Marina, boat ramp #19, is private and costs $30 to use. The marina is in the process of moving the dock 150 feet out, into deeper water. It will be closed weekdays for the foreseeable future but open on weekends. Exercise caution because construction is ongoing.
Rules for Non-Motorized Watercraft
It is now legal to launch non-motorized watercraft like canoes and kayaks from county boat ramps #1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 22 and 23 and at the ramps operated by the Water Oriented Recreation District of Comal County (WORD), # 3, 4 and 18.
Paddle Canyon Lake reopened at Comal Park on the south side of Canyon Lake and rents stand-up paddle (SUP) boards and kayaks. Other locally owned companies also rent this equipment and deliver it to visitors at locations around the lake.
Expect complete construction closures at boat ramps #1, 2 and 5 throughout the summer. Click here to learn more.
General Information
The 909-foot measurement is the elevation above sea level, not depth. If the lake were to get down below 800 feet mean sea level, it would be just about dry. The original river channel that was flooded to create the lake is significantly above sea level.
To learn more about individual boat ramps, click here.
To learn more about the real-time status of county-operated boat ramps, along with maps of each ramp, visit the Comal County Engineers’ website and click on “Boat Ramps.”
For detailed information about Canyon Reservoir visit this page by the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority.
For more information about the history of Canyon Lake and lake levels in general, click here.
Boat Ramps
There are 23 boat ramps around Canyon Lake. Twenty-two ramps are on the main body of the lake, and one ramp is upstream on the Guadalupe River.
Most boat ramps are operated by either Comal County or by USACE.
County Boat Ramps:
1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 22 and 23.
#1 Canyon Lake Village, 579 Skyline Dr. Closes at 897.60
#2 Canyon Lake Village West, 2410 Colleen Dr. Closes at 898.50
#5 Canyon Lake Forest, 3150 Canyon Lake Forest Dr. Closes at 905.80
#6 Canyon Lake Hills 1 – East, 2078 Canyon Lake Dr. Closes at 890.00
#7 Canyon Lake Hills 2 – West, 2050 Ledgerock Landing. Closes at 904.76
#8 Canyon Springs Resort, 1298 Canyon Springs Dr. Closes at 899.86
#11 Cypress Cove, 3850 Tanglewood Trl. Closes at 901.60
#22 Canyon Lake Shores, 808 Park Shores. Closes at 903.87
#23 Mystic Shores, 22100 N. Cranes Mill Rd. Closes at 903.31
USACE Boat Ramps:
10, 17, 20 and 21.
# 17 and #21 are open for day users.
#20 is for campers only.
Water Oriented Recreation District of Comal County (WORD) Boat Ramps:
3, 4 and 18
USACE rules also apply to 3 and 4 in Comal Park and 18 in Canyon Park. These ramps are leased to the Water Oriented Recreation District of Comal County (wordcc.com).
There is a courtesy dock at #18 in Canyon Park.
These parks close for the winter season and reopen on March 1.
Other Boat Ramps:
Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA): 14, 15 and 16.
Crane’s Mill Marina: 10
Canyon Lake Marina: 19
Canyon Lake Yacht Club: 12
How It Works
The status of each boat ramp depends on the level of water in the Canyon Reservoir. The parameters are not the same for each boat ramp. The water level in Canyon Lake can change rapidly during periods of drought or heavy rainfall. Canyon Lake/New Braunfels area is prone to flash-flooding. Some boat ramps may not be open due to construction or park closures.
For real-time, official updates on the status of boat ramps operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), click here. The phone number for USACE’s Canyon Lake office is 830-964-3341.
Comal County Engineer’s Office is another good source for real-time information about the status of county-operated boat ramps and road closures in the area. The phone number for CCEO is 830-608-2090.
Call 830-964-3576 for information about JBSA ramps or visit the JBSA Canyon Lake Facebook page.
Rules
Boat ramps can only be used to launch or recover boats. No fishing, partying, swimming or loitering allowed. For more information about the county’s rules, click here. Other offenses include parking, picnicking, obstructing, and ignoring requests or orders from law enforcement.
To learn more about the Guadalulpe-Blanco River Authority’s (GBRA) water-safety rules and regulations affecting Canyon Lake — including rules about swimming — click here.
Visit https://www.swf-wc.usace.army.mil/canyon/ for answers to questions about rules for boat ramps operated by the USACE. Recreationalists are bound by Title 36. Under Title 36, USACE boat ramps are operated in accordance with all state and local laws. County rules and regulations apply to Canyon Lake boat ramps. Click here to review Title 36.
If you are already at a boat ramp and don’t know how to interpret the rules or where to park, the law-enforcement officer on duty will make the call about what is or isn’t allowed. They may issue a warning or citation for violations.
MyCanyonLake.com is a news site. We do not speak on behalf of the county, USACE or GBRA and cannot provide official answers to unique or specific circumstances.
General Information
Trying to decide which boat ramps are best … and why? Click here for more information along with some general pointers about where to fish and swim in the lake.
Trying to figure it all out? Boat ramps can be confusing. USACE Park Ranger Samuell Price developed this handy map and fact sheet for all Canyon Lake boat ramps. Here is a link to the status of each boat ramp, park, dock, and fishing pier operated by USACE.
An entrance and/or boat ramp fee is charged at several parks in Canyon Lake. For a list of hours and fees for 23 boat ramps, click here. To find more information about boat ramps located in one of the seven major parks operated by the Army Corps of Engineers, click here then click on one of the points on the map or a name in the chart shown on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s (TPWD) list of public access facilities.
TPWD uses a different numbering system for boat ramps.
Here’s a great link about Comal County boat ramps. Look for the green or red markers that indicate the status of each boat ramp. You can zoom in for particulars. The county site also provides metrics for closed lows and closed highs. These vary by ramp, so always check maps in the event of heavy rain or drought.
To see a map of county boat ramps, click here.
USACE Boat Ramps: 3, 4, 10, 17, 18, 20 and 21.
USACE Canyon Lake Ranger Sam Price created this map of Canyon Lake boat ramps to answer questions USACE frequently hears from visitors. The Corps provides three downloadable maps that include locations of ramps only, ramps and fish attractors, and depth contours. For more maps, click HERE.
Why is ramp 23 closed
Yes why we have small jet skis and live in mystic shores can we not launch
Why is boat ramp 5 permanently closed?
It’s temporarily closed due to low water levels in Canyon Lake.
A lot of people use boat ramp # 6 and it is hard to fine a place to park your boat after you unload or you want to load your boat
due to rocks. There is only one good spot to the side to pull up your boat with out hitting rocks. I have live up here for many years
and do know there is some boat ramps that have docks for unloading or loading boats. Why can’t boat ram # 6 have a dock for unloading and loading boats? A dock for boats only and with a time limit for tie up and no fishing off dock and no swimming around dock.
Which area and boat ramp would be best for paddle boarding?
Are residents allowed to load their boats and jet skis into the lake where there is no boat ramp? This is occurring in The Oaks and is dangerous for people who are swimming or floating in our small cove.
Hi Susan. It can be confusing! We’re the newspaper not the official source so suggest you reach out to WORD or USACE. Another great source of information is the Canyon Lake Boat Ramps Community Alliance, they have a Facebook page. I would also check with the experts who follow Everything Canyon Lake Facebook page. You’ll get lots of responses.
Thanks a lot for sharing this!
I noticed on the chart listing the various ramps information about available parking is included. I do not agree that Turkey Cove has “24” parking spaces available! There is a lodge at this boat ramp #2 and their guests have some parking too. Parking has become a nightmare for residents living near the boat ramp as people are parking in front of their houses up and down the streets near the ramp. Listing 24 spaces available parking is very misleading.
Why are ramos closed when lake is almost full?
Why are any boat ramps closed when lake is almost full?
Who makes these decisions? And why is media not asking questions?
The stories should not be about the ramps closing as much as questioning why they are closing ? That would be a better story.
Am I allowed to kayak in canyon lake ????
Yes.
Why don’t they extend the length of some of these boat ramps while the water is low . We deal with this every year . Can’t enjoy the lake if you can’t get on it. Everyone I call about this just passes the buck. I wonder how much water were pumping out of the lake and sending to San Antonio so they can water their grass?
#6 is in the process of extension right now
Looks like we have17cfs flow in and release 63cfm know wonder the lake is low. Why let out more water than what is coming in. This doesn’t even account for what we pump out and send south
This article has Cranes Mill and Canyon marinas boat ramp identification numbers reversed. Cranes Mill is 10 and Canyon Park Marina is 19.
Good catch and thank you!
The only Canyon Lake boat ramps still open are #18 and #19. #18 is open on weekends only. #18 is open seven days a week.
Open on weekends only and 7 days a week????
18 is only open on weekends