The Westsider™ · Vol. 1
Field notes from the west side of Austin
Cover story · No. 07
Full again. What the lake level means for lakefront homes.
By Diana Roberts · The Westsider™
The Westsider™ · Vol. 1
Field notes from the west side of Austin
As of October 22, 2026, the Lake Travis water level is about 677 feet, roughly 94% full, after the lake filled in July for the first time since 2019. That’s good news. But if you own or are buying a lakefront home, this week’s level matters less than where your house, your dock and your shoreline sit across the whole range this lake moves.
Lake Travis isn’t a pond with a steady edge. It’s a water supply lake and a flood control lake at the same time, and it has moved almost 100 feet between its lowest and highest days on record. I live in Serene Hills, a few minutes from the lake. Here’s how I read those numbers, and what I’d check on any lakefront home before you buy, sell or set a price.
Where is the Lake Travis water level now?
On October 22, 2026, the lake stood at 677.47 feet above mean sea level, 94.0% full, according to the Texas Water Development Board’s daily figures, which come from LCRA. A year earlier it was at 669.69 feet and 81.8% full. In April it was down at 663.49 feet, 72.9% full.
Then July happened. Heavy rain upstream pushed the lake up about 9 feet in a single day, and it reached 681 feet on July 17, full for the first time since July 2019. The next day, LCRA opened floodgates at Mansfield Dam, also for the first time since 2019. Lake Travis and Lake Buchanan together were reported at 102% full, and LCRA said the area was out of drought. Its spokesperson had a line for anyone new to Austin: “welcome to life in Flash Flood Alley.”
Since then it has eased back below full. It climbed about two feet between late September and mid-October, and as of October 22 it sits about three and a half feet below full.
Lake Travis, the last 12 months
From 73% to full in three months.
Percent full of conservation storage, from LCRA data published by the Texas Water Development Board (Water Data for Texas), October 22, 2026. July 17 is the day the lake reached 681 feet, as reported by CBS Austin. Above 681 feet the lake is in its flood pool and reads more than 100%.
What do 681, 714 and the other lake numbers mean?
Lake levels are measured in feet above mean sea level at Mansfield Dam. A few numbers do most of the work:
681 feet is full. LCRA considers Lake Travis full for water supply at this level. Above it, LCRA can start releasing water through the dam.
681 to 714 feet is the flood pool. This is the room the lake keeps to hold floodwater and protect Austin and everyone downstream. When the lake is in the flood pool, the water sits higher on the shoreline than its “full” line.
714 feet is the spillway. Above it, water would flow over the spillway at Mansfield Dam. That has never happened.
The record high is 710.44 feet, on December 25, 1991.
The record low is 614.18 feet, on August 14, 1951. In September 2013 the lake fell to 618.56 feet, and in October 2023 it reached 626.93 feet.
The numbers on the dam
Almost 100 feet of range. One shoreline.
- 714feetSpillwayMansfield Dam’s spillway. Above this, water flows over it. It has never happened.
- 710.44feetRecord highDecember 25, 1991. Less than four feet from the spillway.
- 683.65feetJuly 2026After the July floods, about 2.6 feet into the flood pool. LCRA opened floodgates at Mansfield Dam.
- 681feetFullFull for water supply. Above this, LCRA can release water through Mansfield Dam.
- 677.47feetThis weekOctober 22, 2026. About 94% full.
- 626.93feetOctober 2023October 25, 2023, the fifth lowest level on record.
- 618.56feetSeptember 2013The lowest point of the 2008 to 2016 drought.
- 614.18feetRecord lowAugust 14, 1951.
Water supply, up to 681 ftFlood pool, 681 to 714 ftAbove the spillway
Feet above mean sea level, measured at Mansfield Dam. Sources: LCRA, Texas Water Development Board, Austin American-Statesman, KXAN, Fox Weather. Each bar runs from 610 to 720 feet.
So the same shoreline can be a wide, dry beach one decade and under water the next. That isn’t a flaw in the lake. It’s what the lake was built to do. It just means a lakefront home on Lake Travis has to be judged across the range, not on the day you see it.
Why Lake Austin and Lady Bird Lake don’t swing like Lake Travis
Not every lake on the west side of Austin moves like this. LCRA built Lake Travis and Lake Buchanan to rise and fall: they store water in wet years for the dry ones. The smaller lakes in the chain, Lake Austin and Lake LBJ among them, are generally run within a small range, though they still rise in a flood. Downtown, the City of Austin’s Longhorn Dam holds Lady Bird Lake at a steady level, about 428 feet.
Even the steady lakes get lowered on purpose now and then. Right now, from October 12 through November 30, 2026, LCRA is drawing Lake Austin down about 10 feet at the City of Austin’s request, so shoreline owners can work on docks, bulkheads and boat slips. Lake LBJ, out past Travis County, gets lowered from time to time for dam work and so owners can clear sediment around their docks.
The rivers matter too. Highway 71 crosses the Pedernales River near Spicewood, and the Pedernales flows into Lake Travis. In July it reached its highest level since 1979, and Travis County limited recreation on the Pedernales and part of Lake Travis while flood debris was cleared.
The lakes around the west side of Austin
One lake swings. The others mostly don’t.
- Lake TravisLCRA · Mansfield Dam
Water supply and flood control. Built to rise and fall.
Almost 100 feet between its record high and low.
Lakeway, Hudson Bend, Rough Hollow, Spicewood
- Lake AustinLCRA · Tom Miller Dam
Generally run within a small range.
Drawn down about 10 feet, Oct 12 to Nov 30, 2026, for dock and bulkhead work.
Westlake, Tarrytown
- Lady Bird LakeCity of Austin · Longhorn Dam
Held at a steady level, about 428 feet.
Changes little outside floods.
Downtown, mostly parkland
- Lake LBJLCRA · Wirtz Dam
Generally run within a small range.
Lowered from time to time for dam work and dock clearing.
Burnet and Llano counties, outside Travis County
The bars illustrate how much each lake moves compared with Lake Travis; they are not measurements. Sources: LCRA (Highland Lakes, FAQs, Lake Austin drawdown notice of Aug 20, 2026), City of Austin (Longhorn Dam). Drawdown dates and levels can change; check LCRA before planning dock work.
Buying a lakefront home on Lake Travis when the lake is full
Every lakefront listing looks wonderful right now. Water at the dock, full coves, green banks. It’s the best time to see a lake home, and the hardest time to judge one, because a full lake hides the differences between lots.
When the lake drops, two homes that look alike today can live very differently, in Hudson Bend, Lakeway, Rough Hollow or Spicewood alike. One keeps water at the dock through a long dry spell. The other looks out at a dry cove and a long walk down to the water. Lots on the main body of the lake and in deep coves generally hold water longer than shallow coves, but every lot is its own question, and the answer is in the shape of the land under the water, not in this year’s photos.
The other direction matters too. In July, local news showed lake water reaching back patios in at least one Lakeway neighborhood while the lake was in its flood pool. Before you buy, know the elevation of the house itself, not just the lot.
What I check on a lakefront home at any water level
These are the questions I want answered before a buyer falls in love with the view:
Before you buy on the water
Six things a full lake won’t show you.
The house elevation
The finished floor elevation, from an elevation certificate or survey, checked against the current FEMA flood map for that lot.
Flood insurance
Whether the lender requires it, and a real quote for this house before your option period ends.
The dock
Its permit, its condition after July, and how far it can follow the water down in a dry year.
Water in a dry year
How the cove looked in 2013 and 2023. Older aerial photos tell you more than this fall’s listing photos.
Shoreline and slope
Stairs, trams, retaining walls and erosion control between the house and the water.
Septic and permits
Whether the home is on a septic system, and who permits it. Near the lakes, that can be LCRA.
General guidance from Diana’s experience as an appraiser, not flood zone, insurance or legal advice.
A note on elevation: Travis County development documents have cited 722 feet as the 100-year flood elevation on Lake Travis. Flood maps are updated over time, so check the current FEMA map for the specific lot, and ask the seller for an elevation certificate if one exists.
If you’re buying, have the dock and shoreline inspected along with the house. I wrote about reading a long inspection report in The 70-Page Report, and a lake home adds a few pages of its own.
Diana’s read
As an appraiser, I don’t value a lake home on the day I see it. I value it across the range. Lakefront homes are some of the most complex appraisal assignments I take, and the water is the reason.
A full lake lifts the mood of a market. Buyers who tour this fall will see every lot at its best, and that’s fine, as long as the price makes sense for the lot in a dry year too. The homes that hold their value through the low years are the ones with reliable water at the dock, a dock that’s permitted and sound, and a house that sits well above the flood pool. Those are the homes I’d pay up for. It’s also why I never price a Lake Travis lot off a Lake Austin sale. On Lake Austin the water is at the dock in a dry year too, and buyers pay for that steadiness. For the rest, a full lake is a great season to sell, and a season for buyers to slow down and do the homework.
What this means if you own, buy or sell on Lake Travis
If you own on the water, and July touched your dock or shoreline, document it now with photos and written repair bids. That record helps with insurance and with a buyer later. Keep your elevation certificate and dock permit where you can find them. If the damage isn’t repaired by January 1, it’s also evidence for next spring’s appraisal notice. I explain how in The Westsider No. 06.
If you’re selling, a full lake is the best backdrop you’ll get. Photograph the home now, even if you plan to list in the spring, and have the elevation, dock permit and low-water history ready, because good buyers will ask.
If you’re buying, ask for the elevation and the dock permit up front, look at the lot in low-water photos, and price the home for its worst year, not its best. My Lake Travis and Lakeway (78734) market reports show what lake homes are selling for now, and my Luxury Appraisal page covers how I value them.
Lake levels are from LCRA, as published by the Texas Water Development Board, and change daily. Check LCRA’s Hydromet site for the current level. General information, not legal, insurance or flood zone advice.
Quick answers
What is the Lake Travis water level in October 2026?
On October 22, 2026, Lake Travis was at 677.47 feet above mean sea level, or 94.0% full, according to Texas Water Development Board figures from LCRA. The lake is considered full at 681 feet. It reached full on July 17, 2026, for the first time since July 2019, after heavy rain upstream.
What does it mean when Lake Travis is full?
LCRA considers Lake Travis full for water supply at 681 feet above mean sea level. Above that level the lake is in its flood pool, which runs up to the Mansfield Dam spillway at 714 feet. When the lake is forecast to rise above 681 feet, LCRA can release water through the dam’s floodgates under federal flood control rules.
What are the record high and low levels on Lake Travis?
The record high was 710.44 feet above mean sea level on December 25, 1991. The record low was 614.18 feet on August 14, 1951. More recently the lake fell to 618.56 feet in September 2013 and 626.93 feet in October 2023, then rose above 683 feet in July 2026, a swing of more than 60 feet in about 13 years.
What should buyers check before buying a lakefront home on Lake Travis?
Diana Roberts, a Certified General Appraiser, suggests checking the home’s finished floor elevation against the current FEMA flood map, the cost of flood insurance, the dock’s permit and condition, how much water the lot keeps when the lake is low, the shoreline and slope, and whether the home is on septic. A full lake can hide the differences between lots.
Does a full lake raise lakefront home values on Lake Travis?
A full lake improves how lakefront homes show and can lift buyer interest, but Diana Roberts values a lake home across the full range of lake levels. In her view, homes that keep reliable water at the dock, have a sound, permitted dock and sit well above the flood pool hold their value through dry years better than homes whose water depends on a full lake.
Why does Lake Austin stay full when Lake Travis drops?
Lake Travis and Lake Buchanan are LCRA’s water supply reservoirs, built to store water in wet years and release it in dry ones, so their levels rise and fall. Lake Austin, below Mansfield Dam, is one of the smaller Highland Lakes that LCRA generally operates within a small range, so it stays fairly steady. LCRA does lower it for maintenance at times, as it is doing from October 12 to November 30, 2026.
If you’re looking on the water this fall, I’ll set up your private, curated Austin home search and send you the lake homes worth your time, with what the photos leave out. Start My Compass Collection.