FISHING

Do you want to go fishing on Lake Travis, but you don’t have a boat or you’re looking for some professional Lake Travis fishing guides to help you catch that trophy fish? Listed here are some Lake Travis fishing guides who can help you hook the big one.  Lake Travis is noted for producing good numbers of largemouth bass. White bass runs occur in the spring (February-May) in the major creek arms, the Pedernales River and the upper end of the Colorado River arm. A low-density striped bass fishery is available in the extreme lower end of the reservoir. Blue, channel, and flathead catfish occur throughout the reservoir.

BassMan Guide Service 512 632-6088 – Robert Brown, Austin area Fishing Guide, for a great day of bass fishing.

Allen Christenson 512 441-6682 – Fishing guide on Travis for over 30 years.

Git Bit Fishing Guide Service 512 773-7401. Extensive background as a professional angler.

DINING

For a great experience, jump in your boat and drive to one of the following lakeside restaurants!

Lakehouse Cafe 406 Sleat Dr at Briarcliff Marina (512) 264-7040. Tucked away, along the south shores of Lake Travis, yet conveniently located just west of Austin, the Lakehouse Cafe offers a unique blend of great food, natural beauty and the legendary hospitality of the Texas Hill Coutry. Whether from the modern renovated interior or the beautiful oak-shadded decks, views of the lake and surrounding hills, live music and great cocktails enhance your dining experience at this authentically Austin eatery.

Carlos ‘n Charlies 5923 Hiline Road (512) 266-1683. Carlos’n Charlie’s is where you can go to get loose, get loud and get some potentially valuable photos of your friends doing the same thing. Sure, they have some decent food and the best drinks in town. But let’s face it – they are really all about fun.

Johnny Fin’s at Hurst Harbor Marina (512) 266-8534. They are a full service floating restaurant with the capacity to entertain as many as 1000 people. Their 2 story, state-of-the-art facility is the largest of it’s kind in Texas. They offer the versatility of 5 dining areas, 3 bars, 2 outdoor patios, and a professional staff to assist you with your party. The upstairs facility offers a full service bar and an outdoor deck. It can accommodate 125 seats or up to 200 persons in a cocktail setting, and is encompassed by nine foot open-air windows overlooking beautiful Lake Travis and the surrounding marina. Johnny Fins is a comfortable 20-minute drive from down town Austin.

The Shore Club (formally The Blue Parrot) 16107 Wharf Cove (521) 258-5109. Shore Club Volente Beach or SCVB for short is located on the shores of Lake Travis and is the perfect getaway for children and adults alike on a hot summer day. They have pools for children and an adult only pool with a swim up tiki bar. They have their own sandy beachfront and 3 volleyball courts (2 lighted, 1 not). Although SCVB offers an upscale casual restaurant specializing in hand-cut steaks and fresh seafood and a beach bar & grill with the best burgers on the lake, picnics are permitted, so load up the cooler and come on out. They have plenty of options for the kids as well, including pizza, funnel cakes and ice cream.

Iguana Grill 2900 N. RM 620 (512) 266-8439. Overlooking beautiful Lake Travis, upscale Mexican food drinks since 1995. They expanded including a new paved parking lot and expanded bar and seating areas. Live music almost every week.

Hula Hut 3825 Lake Austin Blvd (512) 476-4852. A favorite place to eat, drink, and meet people before going out to the movies, or downtown Austin, & even just for dinner. This place is hip, and cool. Great for watching the sunset and people watching at the outside bars. First come, first serve out on the patios which makes it easy to get in and get out for the young adults.

The Gnarly Bar 18200 Lakepoint Cove, Point Venture, TX 78645(512) 267-1845. Fabulous view and the restaurant is on the water on the North Shore of Lake Travis across from Lakeway. Accessible both by land and water and they have a pier to dock your boat. Live music on the weekend nights.‎

PARKS , PICNIC & HIKING AREAS ON LAKE TRAVIS

Pace Bend Park, featuring limestone cliffs, rocky coves, bike paths and nature trails over nine miles of scenic shoreline along Lake Travis, is one of the most popular parks in the Hill Country of Travis County. Pace Bend offers visitors a wide array of activities and recreational opportunities and is mostly accessible by vehicle via a seven-mile roadway that circles the park.

Map of Lake Travis (open new browser window)

Location address for each park mentioned below from the LCRA.

• Camp Creek offers boating, fishing and picnic areas.

• Grelle affords horseback riding and a two-mile hiking trail.

• Muleshoe Bend is equipped with a 6.5-mile mountain bike trail and basic camp facilities.

• The Narrows has the only public boat ramp on the lake’s upper south side.

• Shaffer Bend spans 523 acres—one of the largest recreation areas on the lake.

• Turkey Bend supplies 400 acres ideal for horseback riding, camping and fishing.

• Arkansas Bend has two miles of shoreline offering opportunities for hiking, fishing, camping, picnicking and lake access via an excellent boat ramp.

• Bob Wentz is perfect for picnicking, swimming, windsurfing, sailing and scuba diving.

• Cypress Creek is a small, easy-to-reach park ideal for boating, picnicking and fishing.

• Dave Reed is a more primitive park for hiking and picnicking.

• Dink Pearson stretches over 3.6 acres with amenities for water and land activities.

• Hippie Hollow has remained the only clothing-optional public park in Texas and is popular for sunbathing and swimming.

• Laura Reed is a primitive park for picnicking.

• Mansfield Dam is a newly renovated recreational area offering amenities for scuba divers, swimmers, boaters, picnickers and nature enthusiasts.

• Sandy Creek, a 25-acre park, is an ideal spot for swimming, nature walks, bird-watching, camping and fishing.

• Tom Hughes is a scenic park perfect for water and land activities.

• Bee Cave Central Park, located off Bee Cave Parkway, west of RR 620. The 50-acre park features a two-mile hike and bike trail, an 18-hole disc golf course, two play areas, a sport court, a dog park and two pavilions.