Lake Travis Homes For Sale

Work With Lake Travis Waterfront Specialists

Lake Travis is large, scenic, and genuinely variable. Those three things together create real complexity for buyers. Water levels can shift significantly with rainfall and drought, which means two properties at similar price points can deliver very different experiences depending on water depth, shoreline slope, dock type, and how the property holds up when the lake is running low. The range of distinct communities across the lake adds another layer: Lakeway, Lago Vista, Point Venture, Hudson Bend, Briarcliff, Spicewood, and the Pedernales River arm each have their own feel, price dynamics, and tradeoffs. Knowing which area fits a buyer's lifestyle and long-term goals is its own kind of expertise.

Hunter Croan, owner of The Lakefront Group, built the team around waterfront-specific due diligence and off-market access, including Lake Travis listings that active buyers searching public platforms will simply never see.

For Lake Travis, Brooke LeMond is the team's primary local voice. She has spent more than two decades selling Lake Travis waterfront and continues to spend personal time on the lake with her family, giving her community-by-community knowledge that matters when Lakeway, Hudson Bend, Lago Vista, and Spicewood all offer different lake access, price dynamics, and day-to-day experiences. As a certified KW Real Estate Planner, Brooke also brings structured thinking around 1031 exchanges and capital gains planning, considerations that come up regularly for buyers approaching Lake Travis as both a lifestyle and a long-term financial decision.

Billy Stephens spent more than a decade in building materials sales before moving into real estate. On Lake Travis, where floating dock systems and boat lifts are standard and water level fluctuations affect how those systems age and perform, his background helps buyers evaluate what they are inheriting and what it will realistically cost to bring a dock setup or lake house to the standard they want.

More About Lake Travis Real Estate

Most Popular Areas for Lake Travis Real Estate

Lake Travis runs for more than 60 miles, and the communities along it are as different from each other as the water in front of them. When you compare Lake Travis homes for sale, where a home sits on the lake shapes its water depth at low pool, its drive time into Austin, its school district, and its price. We maintain individual pages for the areas buyers ask about most.

Lakeway is the largest city on the lake, on the south shore near Mansfield Dam. It is a master-planned community that dates to the early 1960s, with golf, marinas, a resort, and its own airpark, and it is the first place we point buyers who want full amenities and the shortest commute into Austin. Waterfront here sits on some of the deepest water on the lake, which matters in a dry year.

Lago Vista and Point Venture share the north shore. Lago Vista is a full city with its own school district, golf, and a small airport, and it tends to offer a more accessible entry point to Lake Travis waterfront. Point Venture is a small village on a peninsula next door with golf, a marina, and a strong second-home and rental presence. Both are a longer drive from central Austin than the south shore.

Hudson Bend is an unincorporated peninsula just upstream of Mansfield Dam, a short drive from Lakeway and Steiner Ranch. Deep water, established marinas, and a mix of older lake cabins and new custom builds give it a character of its own, and the lack of a city government means fewer municipal rules than its neighbors.

Briarcliff is a small village on the south shore well up the lake, around the 26 mile marker in Cat Hollow. It has a village government and a property owners association, a full-service marina in a protected no-wake cove, and a nine-hole golf course once owned by Willie Nelson. It draws buyers who want a quieter stretch of the lake without giving up a marina next door.

Spicewood covers the upper lake and the confluence with the Pedernales River, spanning the Travis and Burnet county line. It is the most rural of the Lake Travis communities, with larger tracts, longer views, and a few luxury enclaves along the water. Water depth varies more here than near the dam, so shoreline and cove position matter.

Pedernales River is the 10.1 mile arm that joins Lake Travis from the southwest. Its winding, tree-lined course is sheltered from the wind, which is why it has a national reputation among wakeboarders, and homes here get a river setting with full lake access.

Beyond those six, Lake Travis is also home to Volente and Jonestown on the north shore, Steiner Ranch and the Bee Cave area near the dam, and the Leander and Cedar Park side of the north shore. The listings above include all of them. If one of these areas is where you want to be, tell us; that is exactly where a local agent network earns its keep.

Living on Lake Travis

Lake Travis is a boater's paradise thanks to its 57.6 miles of boatable waterways and deep water, with a maximum depth of about 210 feet near Mansfield Dam. That depth is perfect for cabin cruisers, houseboats, and wakeboard and wakesurf boats, since the deeper the water, the bigger the boat's wake. About 10.1 of those boatable miles are on the Pedernales River arm, one of the best places to wakeboard in the country thanks to its natural shorelines and winding curves, which nearly always leave a straightaway sheltered from the wind.

Lake Travis is not a constant-level lake, but its depth keeps most of the lake boatable through even the worst droughts. It also allows floating boathouses and lifts under LCRA permitting, which sets it apart from Corps of Engineers reservoirs such as Canyon Lake, where private waterfront improvements are not permitted. Most Lake Travis boathouses are built to entertain, with patios, slides, bars, and more. If you want a lake of similar size and feel that is constant level and allows waterfront improvements, our team also recommends Lake LBJ.

Lake Travis real estate works as a primary residence, a second home, or an investment. It is close enough to Austin for a daily commute from the south shore, it is a long-standing second-home market for families from San Antonio, Midland, and Austin, and its name recognition supports a strong short-term rental market. Lake Travis homes for sale run from established lake cabins to estates. For lower-maintenance lake living, take a look at Lake Travis condos for sale.

Lake Travis Water Levels: What 84 Years of Data Tell Buyers

Lake Travis is not a constant-level lake, and the numbers behind that label matter more than the label itself. We pulled the Texas Water Development Board's daily elevation record for Lake Travis, from October 1942 through September 2026, to see what the lake actually does over time.

Full pool is 681 feet above mean sea level, and the lake has been at or above that mark on only about 13 percent of days since 1942. The median level across the full record is about 671 feet, ten feet below full. The lake has spent roughly three quarters of its days above 660 feet and about one day in eight below 640 feet. That 640 to 681 range is the band to judge a property against: ask what the dock, shoreline, and cove look like at 660 and at 640, not only at full pool.

Season matters too. Averaged across the whole record, the lake runs highest in May and June and lowest in September, about six feet lower. A property toured in late summer is usually being seen near its seasonal low for the year, which makes it a fair test.

The lake reached full pool in 17 of the 31 years from 1996 through 2026. The stretch from 2020 through 2025 was six straight years without reaching full, the longest gap since 1946 to 1952, before the lake climbed back above 681 feet in July 2026 for the first time since 2019.

The records show how wide the swings can be. The all-time high is 710.31 feet on December 26, 1991, nearly 30 feet above full pool, and the lake topped 704 feet again in October 2018. Mansfield Dam was built to hold that flood water, which is why the elevation of a home and its improvements above full pool matters as much as its access at low water; our post on whether waterfront homes flood covers that side of the question. The record low since the lake first filled is 614.18 feet on August 14, 1951, and the modern low was 618.64 feet on September 19, 2013. The 2022 to 2025 drought bottomed out at 626.93 feet in October 2023, well above both. On September 12, 1952, the lake rose 56 feet in a single day. The typical swing within a year is about 22 feet, and 1952, 2007, 2015, and 2018 each saw swings of 50 feet or more.

Source: Texas Water Development Board daily average elevation records for Lake Travis, October 1, 1942 through September 11, 2026. For today's reading, see the current-level question in the FAQs below.

Entertainment and Recreation

One of the most exciting attractions in the area is Lake Travis Zipline Adventures in Volente. Its five lines include the longest zipline in Texas, and the tour gives you a bird's eye view of the clear blue and green water and the canyons that define this region.

After zipping above the Texas landscape, cool off with a visit to Waterloo Adventures, a floating obstacle course and private island on the lake near Leander that keeps kids busy for hours. Adults can enjoy a beer or margarita while lounging along the shore or rent a floating picnic table for a family meal out on the water.

Volente Beach Resort and Waterpark is another good place to spend a summer day. It combines a lakeside water park with a beach on the lake, an on-site bar and restaurant, and regularly scheduled live music.

Lake Travis Schools

Four school districts serve the Lake Travis area, and which one you land in depends on where you buy. Lake Travis ISD covers the south shore, including Lakeway, Hudson Bend, Bee Cave, and Briarcliff. Lago Vista ISD serves Lago Vista and Point Venture on the north shore. Leander ISD covers Jonestown, Volente, Steiner Ranch, and the Leander and Cedar Park side of the lake. Marble Falls ISD serves the upper lake around Spicewood. Attendance zones can differ street by street near district lines, so confirm the current zoning for any specific address with the district before you write an offer around a school.

Lake Travis Real Estate FAQs

Is Lake Travis a constant-level lake?

No. Lake Travis is a flood-control reservoir managed by the Lower Colorado River Authority and fluctuates with rainfall and drought. Water levels can vary by dozens of feet over time. This is one of the most important factors buyers should evaluate when comparing properties, particularly when it comes to dock usability, cove depth, and shoreline access. Read more about how lake levels affect property values in Central Texas.

What is the current Lake Travis water level?

Full pool on Lake Travis is 681 feet above mean sea level, and the lake has spent long stretches both well below that mark and briefly above it. The Texas Water Development Board publishes the daily Lake Travis level and percent full, drawn from LCRA gauge data. Before you tour a waterfront home, check the current level, then ask how the property's dock, shoreline, and cove perform when the lake is 20 or 30 feet lower. That question separates a property that works year-round from one that only works when the lake is full.

Can you have a private dock on Lake Travis?

Yes, but dock permitting on Lake Travis is regulated by the LCRA. Floating boathouses and boat lifts are common because of the lake's variable water levels. The condition, configuration, and permit status of an existing dock are all worth evaluating carefully before purchase. They can vary significantly from one property to the next.

Can you short-term rent a Lake Travis house?

Often, but it depends on exactly where the house sits. Lake Travis is a well-known lake with steady demand, which is why short-term rentals do well here, but the rules come from the specific jurisdiction. Homes inside a city such as Lakeway, Lago Vista, or Jonestown, or a village such as Point Venture or Briarcliff, fall under that city's ordinances, which can include registration, permits, or zoning limits. Homes in unincorporated Travis or Burnet County, such as much of Hudson Bend and Spicewood, face fewer municipal rules, but HOA covenants and deed restrictions still apply. Confirm the rules for the specific property before you buy with rental income in mind, and read our post on whether short-term rental lake houses are a good investment.

How does Lake Travis compare to Lake Austin?

Lake Austin is smaller, narrower, and maintains a constant water level year-round. Lake Travis is larger, more open, and fluctuates with rainfall and drought. Lake Austin sits closer to downtown Austin with a higher entry price floor, while Lake Travis offers a wider range of communities and price points. For a detailed comparison, read Lake Austin vs. Lake Travis.

How does Lake Travis compare to Lake Buchanan?

Lake Travis is closer to Austin, has more developed communities and amenities, and tends to carry higher property values. Lake Buchanan is more remote, offers larger and more rugged waterfront acreage, and appeals to buyers looking for a quieter, less developed lake experience. Read the full comparison: Lake Travis vs. Lake Buchanan.

What should buyers look for when comparing Lake Travis homes for sale?

Beyond the home itself, focus on water depth and how the property performs at lower water levels, the condition and permit status of any dock or boathouse, the slope from the home to the water, proximity to open water versus a sheltered cove, and neighborhood amenities. Two properties at similar prices can deliver very different water access experiences depending on these factors. Working with an agent who knows the lake, not just the listing, makes a real difference at every price point.

Let Our Lake Travis Realtors Find Your Perfect Home

If you're interested in Lake Travis real estate, our knowledgeable team at The Lakefront Group can help you find exactly what you need. We stay up to speed with all the latest Lake Travis homes for sale, including off-market opportunities, which we sell quite a few of each year. Let us do the leg work so you can spend more time playing on the lake.

Our associates bring decades of combined experience to the table. Contact us or call 830.253.5253 to begin your home buying journey by speaking with a true waterfront specialist who really knows Lake Travis.

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