The best way to escape the scorching summer sun in Texas is to jump in the lake! If you live near beautiful Canyon Lake, Texas, you’re lucky, as it’s one of the best in the Lone Star State! The lake here offers visitors the opportunity to swim, scuba dive, kayak, and enjoy other fun activities. However, if you’re more of a landlubber, Canyon Lake in Texas offers fishing, hiking, camping, hunting, biking and horseback riding. In short, it’s got practically everything you need to cool off (and have fun) on a hot Texas day! To find out how, where, and what to do in Canyon Lake, Texas, read on!
Scuba Dive Through the Ghostly Remains of Former Towns
What surprises many new residents of Canyon Lake, TX, is that it’s a fantastic place to scuba dive. In fact, it’s one of the most popular scuba diving locations in Central Texas! One reason is that you can see about 20 feet, which is good visibility for a lake.
The other reason Canyon Lake is a scuba diving mecca is this; ghost towns underwater. You see, before there was a lake, there were towns here in Canyon Lake, Texas. However, the area was flooded in the 1950s and 1960s by the US Army Corps of Engineers to make the lake.
Of course, the Army Corps of Engineers warned the townspeople well ahead of time, but many left things behind. They include, for example, homes, fences, lampposts, buildings, and even graveyards! In short, you can scuba dive into Canyon Lake and explore an underwater ghost town! (Don’t worry, the ghosts are very friendly.)
Fish in Canyon Lake, Texas
If fishing is your passion, Canyon Lake, Texas, will be your home away from home. That’s because the lake offers an abundance of finned creatures the like of which most people never see. That includes several types of catfish and several kinds of bass, including:
- Smallmouth Bass
- Guadalupe Bass
- White Bass
- Striped Bass
- Channel Catfish
- Blue Catfish
- Flathead Catfish
- Crappie
- Sunfish
- Longnose Gar
As you can see, there are more fish species here than you can shake a fishing pole at! Even better, the Corps of Engineers has placed plastic and cedar fish attractors around the lake. They help the fish find a home and help you find the fish! You can also get more Canyon Lake fishing info, including daily conditions, here.
Hit the Beach and Swim To Your Heart’s Content
We talked about cooling off in the Texas summer sun, and Canyon Lake is a great place to do just that! You’ll find three beautiful parks around the lake, and all three have excellent beaches. So you can relax in the sun, cool off in the lake, play with the kids, whatever you like!
One thing to keep in mind is that none of the three beaches here have lifeguards. In other words, it’s what they call “swim at your own risk.” For that reason, using a lifejacket might be a good idea for those who can’t swim so well. (The water is very calm and not deep near the beach, though, so by no means risky.)
Go Back in Time in Canyon Lake Gorge
Have you ever seen rocks that were 111 million years old? If not, you definitely need to explore Canyon Lake Gorge, a mile-long crevice made in 2002. That was when torrential rains and flooding sent nearly 70,000 cubic feet of water per second over the Canyon Lake spillway.
The water washed away millions of years worth of dirt and sand, exposing the ancient rock underneath. It also revealed dinosaur footprints, fossils, and more, a true geologic time-capsule that’s amazing to see! Many teachers take their students to Canyon Lake Gorge because it’s a time machine to Earth’s past!
Enjoy the Spectacular Scenery around Canyon Lake via River Road
Canyon Lake and the surrounding area are, in a word, gorgeous. With river crossings, ranches, tree tunnels, and more, there’s a lot of natural eye candy to enjoy. The best way to see it all is to take a drive down River Road! Lined with gigantic Cypress trees, River Road is 10 miles of the most beautiful scenery Texas offers.
River Road travels parallel to the Guadalupe River, between Canyon Lake, TX, and New Braunfels, TX. It ends at Overlook Park, which we highly recommend exploring. (It’s lovely!) Cruising River Road is truly the best way to see everything Canyon Lake offers.
Where to Store Your Fishing, Boating, and Exploring Gear in Canyon Lake, TX
As we’ve seen, there’s a lot to do in and around Canyon Lake, TX. From fishing and boating to scuba diving, swimming, hiking, camping, you name it, Canyon Lake has it!
Of course, you’ll need lots of gear to enjoy all those activities. The question is, where to store it. The answer? In a Canyon Lake, TX storage unit from iStorage!
Here at iStorage, we rent safe, secure storage units to store all your gear. Boats, for example, scuba gear, kayaks, bikes, tents, and, well, you get the picture. So affordable and clean, you can store practically anything in your Canyon Lake storage unit (as long as it’s not flammable).
If you have questions, please chat with us online at your leisure. Even better, visit our Canyon Lake self-storage location and meet the on-site manager. They can show you some storage units, answer questions and get your rental started. Until then, we hope you enjoy all of the exciting, engaging, and relaxing activities Canyon Lake, Texas offers!