Lake Austin was supposed to be dropping by now, about a foot a day toward a level roughly ten feet below normal. The City of Austin and the Lower Colorado River Authority had planned to start lowering it on October 12 and keep it down until November 30. On September 24, the City canceled the drawdown. LCRA says it does not plan to lower any of its pass-through lakes in 2026, so the lake on the western edge of Northwest Hills will not be drawn down this fall. Getting to it is harder on land this year. The nearest county ramp has ten trailer spaces and takes only cash, and Emma Long has no running water until January.
Why the lake was going to drop, and why it isn't
Drawdowns are mainly for the people who live on the water. LCRA explains that it occasionally lowers the pass-through lakes so lakeside owners can maintain docks, retaining walls and shoreline structures "in the dry" rather than underwater. It lowers Lake Austin only when the City asks, because the City has jurisdiction over dock rules and vegetation management on this lake.
The plan announced on August 20 called for lowering the lake about ten feet, no faster than about a foot a day. It would have reached its target range in roughly three weeks. Refilling with water released from Lake Travis would have started November 24, with the lake back to normal by November 30. Some people assume a drawdown is a weed treatment. At a council committee briefing, City staff said a drawdown would not kill hydrilla, though it could affect Eurasian watermilfoil.
The cancellation came after the City heard from people who use the lake. According to the City's release, stakeholders raised concerns about lake-dependent businesses, the fall wedding season, University of Texas football games and Formula 1. Some suggested moving it to January and February 2027. LCRA said no. Since Winter Storm Uri in 2021, it no longer lowers lakes in winter, so the hydroelectric generators at the Highland Lakes dams stay available to the Texas power grid during cold weather.
"City staff will continue evaluating economic, operational, environmental and community considerations associated with potential future drawdowns, and we will remain engaged with LCRA and Lake Austin stakeholders as future opportunities are considered."
Assistant City Manager Mike Rogers said that in the City of Austin's September 24 release.
What the cancellation means for dock owners on the 360 side
For anyone with a dock or bulkhead on the Northwest Hills stretch of the lake, the main point is the timing. LCRA's lake-lowerings page says it does not plan to lower any of the pass-through lakes in 2026. It will decide about 2027 in late summer 2027, based on conditions then. With winter now ruled out, a spring 2027 drawdown is unlikely, because the earliest decision point is late summer.
These windows don't open often. A City memo dated August 20, 2026 counts eight Lake Austin drawdowns from 2001 through 2011 and only one since, in January and February 2017. Those earlier drawdowns usually lowered the lake 10 to 12 feet and took about seven weeks from start to refill. This fall's drawdown would have been the first in more than nine years.
The work owners were planning still needs the same paperwork. In its August announcement, the City said permits are required for new docks, for repairs to existing docks and bulkheads, and for sediment removal. It was also drafting a simpler exemption application for minor repairs made during the drawdown. The City's Lake Austin page is where any updates will appear. This is general information, not legal or permitting advice. Shoreline owners should confirm what their project requires with the City and their own contractor or attorney.
The closest public ramp has ten parking spaces
If you're putting a boat or a paddleboard on the lake this fall, these are the public access points closest to Northwest Hills, with the conditions they post right now.
Loop 360 Boat Ramp, 5019 Capital of Texas Hwy N. Travis County runs this ramp beneath the south end of the Pennybacker Bridge. The ramp is open 24 hours a day. The park itself is open from sunrise to civil twilight. Day-use fees are $5 per person, $3 for seniors 62 and up, free for children 12 and under, and $7 per trailer per day. Because of TxDOT construction, parking is limited to the 10 boat-trailer spaces inside the park, and the county suggests rideshare for anyone meeting friends or a charter there. The gate takes cash only. There are no equipment rentals on site.
Walsh Boat Landing, 1600 Scenic Dr. The City's concrete launch charges $10, paid by card at the parking-lot kiosks. So between the two closest ramps, one takes only cash and the other takes only cards. Keep both in the truck.
Emma Long Metropolitan Park. The City's closures page still shows the boat ramp closed and swimming prohibited from October 12 through November 30. That entry was last updated August 20, before the cancellation. The Emma Long park page says the drawdown was canceled as of September 24. One project there is still going ahead. Water has been off at the park since October 12 for scheduled maintenance and is expected to stay off until January 15, 2027. That means no showers, sinks, fountains or hose bibs, only portable toilets for day use and camping, and possible construction noise from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The park is open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and holds 250 cars. Bring your own water, and rinse your kayak at home.
Bull Creek District Park, 6701 Lakewood Dr. The City lists the park at 48 acres. City parks generally open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. unless signs say otherwise. It's the closest of the four for a walk along the lower creek, and no trip planning is needed.
The rocky lookout above the Pennybacker Bridge is a separate spot from the county ramp below it. Travis County Parks says the overlook is not part of its system, so the ramp's posted hours and fees don't apply there.
On the water without a boat of your own
Paddleboards and rentals are a short drive down Lake Austin Blvd. Lake Austin Calm lists itself as open year-round, daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., at 3825 Lake Austin Blvd. It rents stand-up paddleboards and self-captained electric donut boats that hold up to 10 people. It also advertises Thursday movie nights on the water. Hula Hut lists the same address and is open until 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, until 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and until 10 p.m. Sunday, with weekend openings at 10:30 a.m.
Starting November 20, the lake gets busier after dark. Austin Rental Boats runs 45-minute Lake Austin Lights cruises from Hula Hut through January 3, 2027. Shared tickets are $34.95 for ages 14 and up, $19.95 for ages 4 to 13, and free for children 3 and under. Private boats run $400 to $700 before taxes and fees. A ten-foot drawdown ending November 30 would have overlapped these cruises' first ten days.
Next to the water, and under it
Some of this fall's best lake-adjacent outings don't require a launch fee. At Laguna Gloria, The Contemporary Austin has HOST: Laura Lit on the grounds through January 17, 2027, with newly commissioned sculptures around the Driscoll Villa. The Living Temple: The World of Moki Cherry opened September 18 and runs through the same date. It includes textiles, costumes, ceramics, sculpture, video, sound and archival material. The Spread & Co. café on the grounds is open Wednesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Next door, Mayfield Park at 3505 W. 35th St. is open 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, though the walled gardens may be closed when someone has rented them.
The most local item on this list is about the water under Northwest Hills. Through October and November, Stillhouse Hollow Nature Preserve at 7810 Sterling Dr. is hosting The Dragons of Stillhouse Hollow, a ROAM Really Small Museum installation by artist Danny Martin. It imagines two native salamanders, the Western Slimy and the Jollyville Plateau, as intertwined dragons guarding the preserve. The piece draws on how water moving through ancient limestone connects underground passages to spring-fed habitat.
The lake calendar from here to January
- Through November: The Dragons of Stillhouse Hollow at Stillhouse Hollow Nature Preserve.
- Through November 20: Early-bird tickets for the Mozart's Festival of Lights are $7. The price goes to $8 on November 21. Children under 18 months are free.
- November 20: Lake Austin Lights cruises begin departing from Hula Hut.
- November 21: Mozart's 16th Festival of Lights opens at 3825 Lake Austin Blvd. Shows start at 6 p.m. nightly and run until 9 or 10 p.m., depending on the date.
- January 3, 2027: Last night of the lights cruises and the Mozart's show.
- January 15, 2027: Water service at Emma Long is expected to come back on.
- January 17, 2027: Both Laguna Gloria exhibitions close.
- Late summer 2027: LCRA decides whether any Highland Lakes will be lowered in 2027.
If you own on the water and the canceled drawdown changed your plans for repairs, or if the timing now affects a sale or purchase, Jason Heffron can help you think through what a dock in its current condition means for pricing, inspections and timelines. Book a consultation and we'll work it out together.
