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Canyon Lake

Spring Branch, Texas — Comal County.

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8,265Surface acres
125 ftMax depth
1964Impounded
16Public access sites
3.3 miShoreline trails

Surface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID 68378955); max depth from TPWD; TPWD lists 8,308 surface acres.

Location & fast facts

Where Canyon Lake is in Texas

The red circle marks Canyon Lake.

Fast facts

About Canyon Lake

  • County: Comal
  • Nearest city: Spring Branch (about 2.8 mi from the lake)
  • Location (TPWD): On the Guadalupe River, 16 miles northwest of New Braunfels in Comal County
  • Impounded: 1964 (TPWD)
  • Controlling authority: US Army Corps of Engineers · (830) 964-3341
  • Mapped as: Lake or pond (USGS National Hydrography Dataset)
  • Distance: about 36 mi from San Antonio and 40 mi from Austin, straight-line (not driving distance)

Towns and counties: U.S. Census Bureau boundaries overlaid on the USGS lake outline (Texas: incorporated places touching the lake, otherwise the nearest one).

Fishing in Texas

Official TPWD pages. Rules and fees change; check before you go.

Lake map

Canyon Lake shoreline, boat launches & beaches

Cranes Mill Park (campground)North Park (campground)Potters Creek Park (campground)Boat ramp (Boat launch)1Boat ramp (Boat launch)2Boat ramp (Boat launch)3Boat ramp (Boat launch)4Boat ramp (Boat launch)5Boat ramp (Boat launch)6Boat ramp (Boat launch)7Boat ramp (Boat launch)8Boat ramp (Boat launch)9Boat ramp (Boat launch)10Boat ramp (Boat launch)11Canyon Lake Marina (Boat launch)12North Cranes Mill-Mystic Shores Boat Ramp (Boat launch)13Ramp #2 (Boat launch)14Ramp #5 (Boat launch)15Ramp #7 (Boat launch)161 mileN

Numbers on the map match the list at rightbelow.

Boat launchShoreline trail Campground
  1. 1Boat ramp
    Boat launch
  2. 2Boat ramp
    Boat launch
  3. 3Boat ramp
    Boat launch
  4. 4Boat ramp
    Boat launch
  5. 5Boat ramp
    Boat launch
  6. 6Boat ramp
    Boat launch
  7. 7Boat ramp
    Boat launch
  8. 8Boat ramp
    Boat launch
  9. 9Boat ramp
    Boat launch
  10. 10Boat ramp
    Boat launch
  11. 11Boat ramp
    Boat launch
  12. 12Canyon Lake Marina
    Boat launch
  13. 13North Cranes Mill-Mystic Shores Boat Ramp
    Boat launch
  14. 14Ramp #2
    Boat launch
  15. 15Ramp #5
    Boat launch
  16. 16Ramp #7
    Boat launch

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 68378955), public domain. State outline: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb. Points: OpenStreetMap boat ramps (TPWD publishes ramp names per lake, not coordinates). Dashed trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Interactive map: Leaflet with © OpenStreetMap contributors. Not for navigation.

Shoreline trails

3.3 miTrail within 100 m of shore
Under 5%Of the shoreline
NoLoops the whole lake
North, east and west shoresWhere

OpenStreetMap shows about 3.3 mi of public hiking and walking trail within about 100 m (330 ft) of the Canyon Lake shoreline, mostly along the north, east and west shores.

Trails along the shore

Getting to the trails

No trailhead is mapped for these trails. The closest public access site is Boat ramp, right on a shoreline trail (OpenStreetMap boat ramp data).

The dashed brown line on the lake map shows these trails. We include paths, footways and marked trails that OpenStreetMap doesn't mark as private, and leave out roads, sidewalks and snowmobile corridors. Mapped trails can still cross private land or close for the season, and not every trail is mapped, so follow posted signs.

Trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL). Map data as of Oct 8, 2026. Trail lengths count only the parts within about 100 m of the USGS NHD lake outline.

Campgrounds near Canyon Lake

We found 16 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Canyon Lake, 6 of them within 5 miles. 3 are right on the shore. Distances are straight-line from the nearest point on the shoreline, so driving distance is longer.

10 more within 15 miles

All campgrounds & RV parks in Texas

Green tent icons on the lake map mark campgrounds near the shore, and the interactive map shows the closest 12. Amenities are listed only where a source records them; call or check the campground's website before you go, since seasons and rates change every year.

Campground data: Recreation.gov (RIDB) · OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Pulled Oct 12, 2026.

Conditions right now

Air temperature & conditions (nearest NWS station)Loading…
Fetching the latest National Weather Service observation…

Live from the National Weather Service API for the lake's coordinates (29.8867, -98.2363). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Canyon Lake. No live water-temperature sensor is shown because we haven't found a public one for this lake.

Sun, moon & best fishing times

Sun & moon at Canyon Lake

Best fishing times

Major periodMinor periodDaylight

    Based on solunar theory, an estimate. Major periods (about 2 hours) center on when the moon is directly overhead or underfoot; minor periods (about 1 hour) center on moonrise and moonset. The 0–100 activity score rises during those periods and gets a boost near sunrise and sunset and around the new and full moon. Weather, water temperature and pressure often matter more. Sun and moon times are calculated in your browser from the lake's coordinates with standard astronomy formulas, shown in CT (America/Chicago), and accurate to within a few minutes.

    Fish you can catch

    Largemouth bassSmallmouth bassGuadalupe bassWhite & striped bass ★CatfishRainbow trout ★Lone Star bass ★

    ★ = stocked recently (see Stocking). Predominant species from the TPWD Lake Finder.

    TPWD Lake Finder: Canyon Lake

    Fishing outlook & regulations

    SpeciesTPWD rating
    Largemouth BassGood
    Smallmouth BassFair
    CatfishExcellent
    CrappiePoor
    White & Striped BassExcellent
    SunfishGood

    Regulations (TPWD): All species are currently managed under statewide regulations.

    Aquatic vegetation (TPWD): None

    Conservation pool: 909 ft. msl

    Water-level fluctuation: Moderate

    Normal clarity: Clear to slightly stained

    TPWD Lake Finder page · Current fishing report · Lake records · Latest survey report

    Ratings are TPWD's own Poor / Fair / Good / Excellent scale. Statewide rules: TPWD Outdoor Annual, fishing. As of Oct 10, 2026.

    Stocking history

    TPWD has 73 stocking records for Canyon Lake from 1965 to 2026. The table shows 2022–2026.

    YearSpeciesFishSize
    2026Bass, Striped30,188Fingerling
    2024Bass, Striped43,150Fingerling
    2023Bass, Lone Star113,021Fingerling
    2023Bass, Striped49,115Fingerling
    2023Trout, Rainbow1,523Adult
    2022Bass, Lone Star118,659Fingerling
    2022Bass, Striped42,085Fingerling
    2022Trout, Rainbow1,824Adult

    TPWD stocking history for Canyon Lake

    Boat launches & access sites

    16 public access sites listed, 16 with a boat ramp or trailer launch.

    SiteTownOwnerTypeParkingFeeUsesMap
    Boat ramp——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating29.9136, -98.3387
    Boat ramp——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating29.8939, -98.2303
    Boat ramp——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating29.9054, -98.2674
    Boat ramp——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating29.9064, -98.2763
    Boat ramp——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating29.8832, -98.2849
    Boat ramp——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating29.8856, -98.2938
    Boat ramp——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating29.8888, -98.2907
    Boat ramp——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating29.8953, -98.2924
    Boat ramp——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating29.8610, -98.2517
    Boat ramp——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating29.8630, -98.2456
    Boat ramp——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating29.8937, -98.2141
    Canyon Lake Marina——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating29.8996, -98.2353
    North Cranes Mill-Mystic Shores Boat Ramp—Comal CountyBoat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating29.9146, -98.2923
    Ramp #2——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating29.8602, -98.2257
    Ramp #5——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating29.8699, -98.2548
    Ramp #7——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating29.8954, -98.2679

    OpenStreetMap boat ramps (TPWD publishes ramp names per lake, not coordinates)

    Fees, hours and rules change; confirm with the site owner before you go.

    Invasive species

    Reported on or near Canyon Lake

    Clean, Drain, Dry. In Texas the law requires draining water from boats and onboard receptacles when leaving or approaching public fresh water, and possessing or moving zebra mussels is illegal. TPWD rules.

    USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database

    USGS records matched to this water by location (within about 150 m of the outline) or by the place name in the record. A record shows a sighting was reported; it doesn't prove the species is still there. As of Oct 10, 2026.

    Contact & official info

    Lakes & ponds nearby

    Straight-line distance between lake centers. All Texas lakes & ponds · All waters in Spring Branch