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Walter E. Long Lake

Austin, Texas — Travis County.

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1,219Surface acres
60 ftMax depth
1967Impounded
4Public access sites
0.8 miShoreline trails

Surface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID 109779079); max depth from TPWD; TPWD lists 1,269 surface acres.

Location & fast facts

Where Walter E. Long Lake is in Texas

The red circle marks Walter E. Long Lake.

Fast facts

About Walter E. Long Lake

  • County: Travis
  • City or town on the shore: Austin
  • Location (TPWD): Travis County, just east of the City of Austin; also known as Decker Lake
  • Impounded: 1967 (TPWD)
  • Controlling authority: City of Austin · (512) 974-6700
  • Mapped as: Lake or pond (USGS National Hydrography Dataset)
  • Distance: about 9 mi from Austin and 81 mi from San Antonio, 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

Walter E. Long Lake shoreline, boat launches & beaches

Boat ramp (Boat launch)1Boat ramp (Boat launch)2Boat ramp (Boat launch)3Boat ramp (Boat launch)41 mileN

Numbers on the map match the list at rightbelow.

Boat launchShoreline trail
  1. 1Boat ramp
    Boat launch · Austin
  2. 2Boat ramp
    Boat launch · Austin
  3. 3Boat ramp
    Boat launch · Austin
  4. 4Boat ramp
    Boat launch · Austin

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 109779079), 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

0.8 miTrail within 100 m of shore
About 5%Of the shoreline
NoLoops the whole lake
North shoreWhere

OpenStreetMap shows about 0.8 mi of public hiking and walking trail within about 100 m (330 ft) of the Walter E. Long Lake shoreline, mostly along the north shore.

Trails along the shore

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 Walter E. Long Lake

We found 22 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Walter E. Long Lake, 5 of them within 5 miles. Distances are straight-line from the nearest point on the shoreline, so driving distance is longer.

14 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: 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 (30.3019, -97.6003). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Walter E. Long 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 Walter E. Long 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 bassHybrid striped bassCatfishSunfishLone Star bass ★Palmetto bass ★Sunshine bass ★

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

    TPWD Lake Finder: Walter E. Long Lake

    Fishing outlook & regulations

    SpeciesTPWD rating
    Largemouth BassExcellent
    CatfishGood
    CrappiePoor
    Hybrid Striped BassGood
    SunfishGood

    Regulations (TPWD): This reservoir has special regulations on some fishes. See bag and size limits for this lake.

    Aquatic vegetation (TPWD): Hydrilla, pondweed species, bulrush, coontail, and southern naiad

    Water-level fluctuation: Nearly constant level

    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 58 stocking records for Walter E. Long Lake from 1967 to 2025. The table shows 2021–2025.

    YearSpeciesFishSize
    2025Bass, Lone Star81,380Fry
    2024Bass, Palmetto19,777Fingerling
    2023Bass, Sunshine19,359Fingerling
    2022Bass, Sunshine19,865Fingerling
    2021Bass, Sunshine8,079Fingerling

    TPWD stocking history for Walter E. Long Lake

    Boat launches & access sites

    4 public access sites listed, 4 with a boat ramp or trailer launch.

    SiteTownOwnerTypeParkingFeeUsesMap
    Boat rampAustin—Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating30.2962, -97.6080
    Boat rampAustin—Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating30.2844, -97.6070
    Boat rampAustin—Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating30.2975, -97.6058
    Boat rampAustin—Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating30.2905, -97.6142

    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 Walter E. Long 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 Austin