Canyon Lake closes boat ramps as waters hit highest levels in years

This video created with the assistance of AI.

UPDATE: 4:30 p.m., Friday, July 17:

Canyon Lake has now risen to 81.3% full as of Friday afternoon, July 17. Despite the lake rising by more than 20% in only a few days, that doesn't mean folks will be able to rush onto the waters.

Comal County informed residents in a Facebook update that all nine county-maintained boat ramps are closed, meaning no boats will be able to launch, while swimming, kayaking and water activities are strongly discouraged while officials evaluate conditions.

"The sun is finally shining, lake levels are rising and it feels like summer again but we're asking you to hold off a little while longer," Comal County writes. "The recent flooding pushed a large amount of dangerous debris into the lake, and it isn't always visible from the surface. Our crews and our partners on the lake, including the Water Oriented Recreation District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, need time to evaluate conditions before it's safe to reopen."

UPDATE: 8 a.m., Friday, July 17:

As of Friday, July 17, Canyon Lake had continued to rise and now sits at 76.3% full with a mean water level of 897.09. The new height surpasses its growth from the July 4, 2025 floods and stands as its highest levels since 2023, according to Water Data for Texas.

Original story

While officials have been urging caution and heavy rains have flooded rivers and closed roads, one major body of water in the Texas Hill Country has received a major boost from the flash flooding. Canyon Lake has risen to its highest level in years due to heavy rain, but it hasn't come without consequences.

Canyon Lake shot up from 60.9% full on Tuesday, July 14, all the way to 67.4% full on Thursday, July 16, as the Hill Country was hit with rains and floods that saw the Guadalupe River surge to dangerous heights and the Comal River close to recreation. With a mean water level of 891.99, Canyon Lake is now fuller than it was one year ago on July 16, 2025, when it was 65.9% full, according to Water Data for Texas.

Unfortunately, the surge in water has caused a large amount of debris and sediment to enter Canyon Lake, threatening the many communities that rely on it for drinking water. With a high presence of turbidity, which can cause nausea, cramps, diarrhea and associated headaches, the Texas Commission on Enviromental Quality (TCEQ) has ordered multiple Canyon Lake communities to boil their water prior to drinking, cooking and ice making in order to kill any bacteria and microbes.

The communities under a boil water notice as of 8:19 a.m. Thursday are as follows:

Bulverde Hills, City of Bulverde, City of Blanco water customers, Copper Canyon, Cypress Springs on the Guadalupe, Edgebrooke, Hidden Trails, Hwy 281 North, Lantana Ridge, Oakland Estates, River Crossing, Riverwood Estates, Saddleridge, Singing Hills, Spring Branch Meadows, The Crossing @ Spring Creek, The Woods @ Spring Branch, Canyon Lake Acres, Canyon Lake Island, Canyon Lake Shores, Canyon Ranch, Cascada at Canyon Lake, Canyon Lake Villas, Canyon Lake Vistas, Comal Hills, Cougar Ridge, Deer River, Devils Backbone Heights, Enclave Subdivision, Glenmare, Goldsmith, Hancock Canyon, Hancock Oaks Hills, Hancock, Hillcrest Estates, Lake of the Hills, Lakewood Hills, Mystic Bluff, Mystic Shores, North Lake Estates, Rancho Del Lago West, Rocky Creek Ranch, RCM – Cypress Lake at Gardens, RCM – Rebecca Creek Estates, RCM – Rebecca Creek Park, RCM – Springs at Rebecca Creek, Scenic Terrace, Serenity Oaks, Stallion Estates, Stallion Springs, Summit North, Tamarack Shores, Tanglewood Shores, The Cedars, The Point, and The Summit at Fischer. 

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