Canyon Lake was 97.1% full on October 18, with a daily mean level of 907.66 feet. Six months earlier, on April 18, it sat at 58.3%, according to the Water Data for Texas reservoir tracker. That 38.8-point rise turned a summer of mudflats and closed ramps into a full lake.
The timing works against the parks most people think of first. WORD of Comal County's Canyon Park, Comal Park and Cranes Mill Park all end their operating season this Saturday, October 31. After Saturday, getting on the water depends on a different set of operators: the Army Corps of Engineers, Comal County's neighborhood ramps, Joint Base San Antonio and the marina. Most of those spots stay open all year.
Three Ramps Carried the Summer
In early July, KSAT reported that only three of the lake's ramps were open to motorized boats: ramp 14 at JBSA's Jacobs Creek, ramp 18 at Canyon Park and ramp 19 at Canyon Lake Marina.
Then the July rains came, the water rose, and floating debris kept shutting ramps again soon after they reopened. On August 25, My Canyon Lake reported that all nine county-operated ramps were open again, including ramp 5 in Canyon Lake Forest. Pct. 1 Commissioner Doug Leecock credited WORD and the Corps for "equipment operators and county resources" that cleared the blocked access points.
By October 18, My Canyon Lake's ramp list showed every one of those county ramps open: 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 22 and 23. WORD ramps 3, 4, 10 and 18, JBSA ramp 14 and marina ramp 19 were open too. Of the three ramps that carried the lake through July, ramp 18 at Canyon Park is the one that goes quiet once WORD's season ends.
What Wraps Up Saturday
For October, all three WORD parks have run shorter fall hours, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily with last entry at 4:30 p.m. Each lists March 1 through October 31 as its operating season. Canyon Park's Swim Beach 1 was already marked closed for the season while the rest of the park stayed open this month.
Closing the WORD parks takes more than a few ramps out of the rotation. Comal Park, near Startzville, has ramps 3 and 4 and the kayak and paddleboard rentals at its swim beach. Cranes Mill Park has ramp 10 and a swimming area. Unless you own a paddleboard, the lake's easiest rental spot is gone until spring.
The Winter Lake, Gate by Gate
This is what stays available once the WORD gates close. The hours below come from each operator's current page.
| Access point | Operator | Winter status | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Little Jacobs Creek, ramp 17 | Army Corps of Engineers | Open year-round, free | Two-lane ramp, courtesy dock, vault toilet |
| Potters Creek Park | Army Corps of Engineers | Open year-round | Ramps and fishing pier; the beach is for campers |
| Cranes Mill campground | Army Corps of Engineers | Open Oct. 1 through end of March | Entrance 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.; sites 31 to 64 unavailable |
| Jacobs Creek, ramps 14 and 15 | JBSA Recreation Park | Open to the public | 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sun. to Thu., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fri. and Sat. |
| Ramp 19 | Canyon Lake Marina | Ramp and amenities operational | Cantina open Thursday through Sunday |
| County and neighborhood ramps | Comal County | Several listed open all year | Includes Rebecca Creek, County Ramp 23, Tom Creek 1 and 2, Turkey Cove, Skyline Park/Canyon Dam |
A few entries need more explanation.
Little Jacobs Creek is the simplest winter launch. The Corps' park page lists ramp 17 as free and open year-round. My Canyon Lake's October 18 list also shows ramp 17 open, under the Corps heading.
Potters Creek has two sets of posted hours. The Corps lists gate hours of 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Recreation.gov lists fall and winter gate hours of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Planning around the shorter window keeps an early fishing trip from starting at a locked gate.
"Cranes Mill" can mean two different places. The WORD day-use park on Cranes Mill Road closes October 31. The Corps campground called Cranes Mill runs a winter season from October 1 through the end of March. The campground being open doesn't keep the WORD park open.
Ramp 23 matters on the north side. The county ramp at 22100 N. Cranes Mill Road, by Mystic Shores in Spring Branch, is on the October open list. It's also on Texas Parks and Wildlife's list of ramps open all year.
JBSA's Recreation Park takes the big holidays off. The park closes on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. A Thanksgiving-morning launch has to happen somewhere else.
One rule holds no matter who runs the ramp. In the same August report, My Canyon Lake quoted county spokesperson Cary Zayas, who wrote on the county's Facebook page that "swimming in the boat ramp area is strictly prohibited."
Off the Water, the Lake Is Still There
A full lake looks best from the shoreline, and two of the area's best shoreline spots don't close for the season.
Overlook Park is free and open daily, year-round, from 7 a.m. to sunset, with trails that lead down to the water, according to Canyon Lake's tourism site. Below the dam, GBRA's Canyon Lake Gorge lists its hiking trails Monday through Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., with last entry at 3 p.m. Guided tours run Tuesday through Saturday. If out-of-town guests show up over Thanksgiving week and the WORD parks are closed, these two spots still cover a morning.
The Lakeside Table Is New This Year
The longest-running waterfront dining question on the lake got a new answer in 2026. My Canyon Lake reported that the Breakwater Grill & Cantina closed for good in 2025. Canyon Lake Marina planned a replacement called Canyon Lake Cantina. It's open now, and the marina's site says the Cantina, ramp and all amenities are operational.
Canyon Lake Cantina's posted hours are Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. It's cashless. The page doesn't say whether that schedule continues through December, so look before driving over on a cold Sunday.
The Cantina has already shown it can stay open when the marina can't. On August 29, My Canyon Lake reported that storm debris temporarily closed Canyon Lake Marina and ramp 19, and the Cantina stayed open.
Boat owners have one more marina service worth knowing about now that the water is back. The marina runs a winterization request form and advertises emergency service within 72 hours of a freeze.
The Off-Season Calendar Runs Along FM 2673
With the lake parks closed, the community calendar mostly moves indoors and onto the main road:
- Thursday bingo, 6 to 10 p.m., is on the Canyon Lake Chamber calendar every Thursday from November 5 through December 17.
- An all-ages beekeeping workshop at Tye Preston Memorial Library runs Saturday, November 21, from 10:15 a.m. to noon. The library closes at 5 p.m. on December 23 and all day December 24 and 25.
- The Canyon Lake Noon Lions Christmas Parade runs Saturday, December 12, at 11 a.m. on FM 2673 in Sattler, with Tiffany Quiring as grand marshal. The Lions took over sponsorship of the parade in 2008 and full management in 2015, and the 2026 entry form is on their site.
If you're wondering how close a home sits to one of the year-round ramps, or what lake access looks like from a particular street in Canyon Lake Village or Mystic Shores, Jason Campbell and the Option One Real Estate team are happy to talk it through, no pressure. Contact Us.
