Overview
Inks Lake is an 831-acre constant-level reservoir on the Colorado River in Burnet and Llano counties, immediately downstream of Lake Buchanan in the Highland Lakes chain. Inks Dam was completed in the 1930s and is operated by the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) for hydroelectric power and recreation as a pass-through lake between Buchanan and the lakes farther downstream.
Despite its small size, Inks has about 7 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth near 60 feet, with granite outcrops, clear Hill Country water, and a compact basin that feels more intimate than the larger Highland Lakes. The shoreline mixes park land, residential development, and rocky points.
Inks is popular for swimming, paddling, camping, and fishing for bass, catfish, and sunfish, with fisheries managed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Inks Lake State Park is the primary public recreation hub and draws visitors from Austin and Central Texas.
Water levels are held near a constant full pool of 888 feet on the LCRA legacy MSL datum as a run-of-river / pass-through project with an uncontrolled spillway and no dedicated flood pool. Upstream Lake Buchanan and downstream Lake Travis dominate storage in the chain, but monitoring Inks levels still matters for park swimming areas, boating, and shoreline access.
Current Conditions
Inks Lake is currently 0.92 feet below full pool and has fallen slightly over the past week.
- 7-day trendFallingLatest movement can differ from the seven-day trend.
- 7-day changeDown 0.04 ft
- 30-day changeDown 0.02 ft
- Drought conditionsNo Drought
About This Lake
Learn how this lake is managed, what affects its water level, and where Lake Insights gets its data.
Inks Lake is a 831-acre reservoir on the Colorado River (from Lake Buchanan) managed by Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA).