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Nestled between Austin and San Antonio on the Guadalupe River, Canyon Lake is a popular boating spot – and it’s actually known as the Water Recreation Capital of Texas and the “jewel of hill country.” With 80 miles of clear, gentle waters, it’s easy to see why. Plan a day to fish for striped bass or rainbow trout, or perhaps you just want to spend the day swimming, hiking around the lake, or tubing. Water sports and activities are naturally the mainstay of the area but there are other things to do and discover in and around Canyon Lake.
You don’t have to own a boat to enjoy this fantastic lake. All types of watercraft are available to rent, from top of the line wakeboarding and water-skiing boats to single-person kayaks. If fishing is your thing, you can catch catfish or several kinds of bass aboard shaded fishing boats. Rent a pontoon with your family on Canyon Lake for a casual day of cruising. Jet skis and wave runners are great for thrill-seekers. Houseboats, canoes, inner tubes – you name it, you can find it at Canyon Lake.
The floods of 2002 carved out the Canyon Lake Gorge below the lake’s spillway. You can witness waterfalls, marine fossils, beautiful geologic formations, and 110 million-year-old dinosaur tracks. Take a tour of the Canyon Lake Gorge – just know that it takes a little bit of forethought since only guided tours are available. The hike is three hours long and a bit strenuous, so shouldn’t be attempted if you have a health condition. It is also only open to children seven years and older. Plan your trip and book your tour here.
This Heritage Museum of the Texas Hill Country is just a few minutes from lakeside, and it’s a fantastic excursion that isn’t quite as physically intensive as the gorge tour. Sitting on almost 25 acres, the museum features over 200 dinosaur tracks on 28 different trackways. Well-versed docents lead tours throughout the day. There are also local history exhibits and plenty of fossils to see. Don’t miss the gorgeous nature trail that highlights native plants. The open-air picnic area is a great place to enjoy your lunch.
Whether you are interested in Canyon Lake boat rentals, Guadalupe River tubing, ancient geologic history or dinosaurs, the Canyon Lake area is an awesome destination. Pack your sunscreen and water gear, and be prepared to make life-long memories.
Boat rental prices on Canyon Lake start at $125/hour for a pontoon rental and can go up to $250/hour for a powerboat rental. There are many reasonably priced pontoon rentals available on Canyon Lake.
The best time of year to visit Canyon Lake in Texas is during the early summer or autumn months. April through June and September and October can be really pleasant with sunny days and warm weather. July and August can be unbearably hot, even if you’re renting a boat and going swimming.
The water temperature of Canyon Lake stays around 60-70℉ year-round. It is warmer in the summer months of June, July, and August, and the coldest in January and February.
You must be at least 18 years old to rent a boat in Texas, but operators can be as young as 13 years old if they have the proper safety education and certifications. A boating safety course is recommended before renting a boat in Texas.
I wish I could give more than 5 stars! We made last minute reservations that we thought would be impossible! They accommodated our needs perfectly and our captain was excellent! We will definitely be referring our friends and family and will be renting in the future. This truly made our family vacation so much more memorable and will officially be a new tradition!
We highly recommend this trip! Brian was our tour guide and he was excellent - we thoroughly enjoyed our trip. The boat was super clean and we appreciated the tour he gave us - very informative. Everything was just perfect and we would definitely do this again!
Excellent communication. The boat was perfect. Good Instructions to get us going. Canyon Lake was beautiful, as always. Highly recommend Sandy’s boats!
Great booking! The whole process was simple and offered great pre-trip offerings and during the trip the captain was so patient and helpful as we tried to learn to wake board and was a good teacher too!
Awesome experience!! Brenda was the sweetest and very organized. The boat was very clean and well equipped. If your looking for a worry-free boating experience look no further!
Great service and experience. Excellent communication and very helpful when we had questions about the boat and the lake. Already planning our next trip!
GetMyBoat has 46 listings for boating experiences in Canyon Lake with 500 reviews.
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