Canyon Lake measured 908.02 feet on October 4, 2026. That works out to 97.9% of conservation capacity. On the same date a year earlier it stood at 891.30 feet and 66.2%. The difference is about seventeen feet of water. Most of it arrived in one burst in mid-July, so the lake fully came back after Memorial Day and the Fourth of July had already passed.
Now the calendar is moving the other way. The three day-use parks run by the Water Oriented Recreation District of Comal County, known as WORD, have been on off-season hours since October 1. All three close for the season on October 31. As of today that leaves 27 days of park shoreline access with the lake within about a foot of full pool. After that, lake access shifts to other places.
Seventeen days in July
The lake read 61.2% full, or 888.21 feet, on July 4. In April it had read 58.9%. According to My Canyon Lake, all but one of the lake's 23 boat ramps were closed before the heavy mid-July rains. Drought had also dried up the upper Guadalupe River and cut flows below Canyon Dam.
On July 21 the lake reached 909 feet, which is full conservation pool. It was the first time since November 2021. Comal County put the gap at four years, seven months and 23 days. The jump from 61% to full took 17 days.
The parks reopened the same day. WORD reopened Ramp 18 in Canyon Park and Ramp 3 in Comal Park at 10 a.m. on July 21. County Ramps 1, 2, 6 and 7 also came back that day, and Canyon Lake Marina and Cranes Mill Marina were both reported open and fully operational. KENS 5 covered boaters and jet skiers returning. One longtime visitor called it a homecoming and a chance to ride jet skis with family again.
The lake peaked at 909.09 feet, or 100.0%, on September 4. It has eased about a foot since then. That is a small drop next to where the lake sat this spring, and it is why the October park schedule matters this year more than usual.
The October clock, park by park
All three WORD parks are on the same off-season schedule. They open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, last entry is at 4:30 p.m., and they close for the season on October 31. My Canyon Lake reports that the three parks reopen March 31, 2027. WORD's own Cranes Mill Park page lists that park's operating season as March 1 through October 31, so check the date with WORD before an early-spring visit. These parks are run by WORD, not the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. That matters when you are looking up hours or fees.
| Park | October hours | Season ends | What to know this month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canyon Park, 1769 Canyon Park Road | 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., last entry 4:30 p.m. | Oct. 31 | Swim Beach 1 closed Sept. 30. Areas 2, 3 and 4 remain open. Hosts Fall Fest on Oct. 25. |
| Comal Park | 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., last entry 4:30 p.m. | Oct. 31 | Ramp 3 reopened July 21 with the refill. |
| Cranes Mill Park, 16700 Cranes Mill Rd. | 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., last entry 4:30 p.m. | Oct. 31 | First season under WORD. $5 per vehicle with a Comal County registration sticker, $20 otherwise. |
Last entry at 4:30 p.m. leaves a short afternoon. Anyone hoping for a weekday swim or picnic on the near-full lake should plan for an early start, not an after-work visit.
Cranes Mill's first season is ending on a full lake
Cranes Mill Park is the one this October marks a first for. In April 2026, WORD signed a lease with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to take over management of the park near Startzville. WORD said the park would go back to a public day-use model and set the reopening for May 2. WORD's current listing describes a swimming area, picnic sites, restrooms and 30 RV sites. A local campground operator runs the overnight side.
The park reopened in May with the lake below 60% full. It is ending its first season under WORD with the lake within about a foot of conservation pool. WORD has also described phased improvements for the park. The plans include developed swim beaches, a designated kayak launch, a lawn games area, new playground equipment and space for sports and group recreation. No timeline was given. The park's spring reopening will be the next chance to see what has changed. My Canyon Lake gives that date as March 31, 2027, and WORD's park page lists a season that starts March 1.
What keeps running after the parks close
The October 31 date applies to WORD's parks. It does not close the lake. Several ways to reach the water run on their own schedules.
Boat ramps. In June, My Canyon Lake described Ramp 19 at Canyon Lake Marina as one of only two ramps still open on the lake. Its October 2 update listed nine county ramps as open: 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 22 and 23. WORD, Corps, JBSA and marina ramps appear in separate lists in that report, without an open or closed status for each one. Check a specific ramp before you tow.
Canyon Lake Cantina. The Breakwater Grill space at Canyon Lake Marina, 280 Marina Dr., has reopened as Canyon Lake Cantina. Breakwater Grill closed in 2025. The marina lists the Cantina as open Thursday through Sunday. Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday and Sunday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Payment is cashless. This is its first fall season with a full lake in front of it.
Canyon Lake Gorge. GBRA moved the Gorge to a new schedule starting September 8, 2026. It is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., last entry is 3:30 p.m., and it is closed Sundays. Because it is closed Sundays, plan a Gorge visit for a Saturday or a weekday.
One late-October weekend on the calendar
Two community events land on the last full weekend before the parks close.
- Fall Fun & Pumpkin Carving, Saturday, Oct. 24, 4 to 6 p.m. This free event is co-hosted by the Heritage Museum and Tye Preston Memorial Library, according to the Canyon Lake Chamber's calendar.
- Canyon Lake Fall Fest, Sunday, Oct. 25, at Canyon Park. The New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung's October roundup lists games, local vendors and food trucks. It falls six days before Canyon Park closes for the season.
Below the dam, the season is just starting
The tailrace calendar starts as the parks close. The refill matters there too. In April, WORD described releases from Canyon Lake as consistently above 60 cubic feet per second. GBRA's latest reading at Sattler was 105 cfs at 8:20 p.m. on October 3, with a forecast Canyon release of 100 cfs that may change with the weather.
Guadalupe River Trout Unlimited's September fisheries update forecasts four stockings totaling 16,000 pounds of rainbow trout this season, and it expects a stronger holdover population. The update's conditions snapshot is dated August 10, so the flow outlook may have changed since then. Exact stocking dates for 2026-27 have not been published yet. Texas Parks and Wildlife's posted schedule still covers 2025-2026.
GRTU's Lease Access Program gives members access to private stretches of the Guadalupe. Its newsletter says eligible members who finished the earlier validation and September orientation steps can buy a permit in October. GRTU lists the program at 800 memberships for $200 each. Troutfest TX, GRTU's three-day event in New Braunfels, is set for February 19 through 21, 2027. That is weeks before WORD's parks reopen in the spring.
Lake level, release and ramp figures in this post are snapshots from October 2 through 4, 2026. Water Data for Texas readings are provisional, so check the current numbers before you head out.
If the full lake has you thinking about building on one of the roads around it, fall and winter are a good time to work through lot questions, septic and site planning before the parks open again in spring. BGA Design & Build helps Canyon Lake landowners plan sitework and custom homes with a clear schedule from the first walk of the property to move-in. Contact BGA Design + Build to start the conversation.