AUSTIN, Texas — Memorial Day is one of the busiest lake days. But the ongoing Texas drought means lake levels are low, and activity on the lake isn't like before.
"Right now, we're 42 feet below the full level of the lake," said Chris Mueller, captain at Freedom Boat Club. "It's a little lower. It makes the lake smaller and makes it more dangerous as the river comes closer together."
Freedom Boat Club's co-owner, Bill Marquardt, said many places along the lake are going to look different this Memorial Day weekend. We could see more "sometimes islands" or more debris out in the lake.
"The water level has changed, which means there are going to be some new things under the surface," Marquardt said. "You need to watch out for trees, shrubbery, lines coming off from the docks ... they'll sometimes get tangled up in your anchor."
Something else to keep in mind is that because water levels are so low, many docks are closed. Marquardt predicts lines to get your boat in the water will be hours long.
"On Lake Travis, almost all public launches are closed, so it's really just Mansfield Dam," he said. "There's only one entrance in and out, so that is going to affect how long it takes to get on and off the water."
While wait times will be long, people shouldn't run into too much trouble effectively getting their boat in the water. But once you're in Lake Travis, remember this:
"It is a flooded river," Marquardt said. "If you stay in the center of the lake or in the cliff side, you're going to be in a fairly decent situation."
Remember to stay away from the shore. And if you decide to jump off your boat and get in the water, don't dive.
"There's a lot of things at the bottom that could entangle you," Marquardt said.