Lake Georgetown
Lake Georgetown is a reservoir on the San Gabriel River’s north fork in central Texas, United States. Lake Georgetown is a reservoir produced on the San Gabriel River by the North San Gabriel Dam, located about three miles west of Georgetown, Texas. The Fort Worth District of the United States Army Corps of Engineers manages the dam, lake, and all nearby property. The dam was formally completed on October 5, 1979, and it serves to manage flooding in the Georgetown community. Lake Georgetown also serves as a drinking water source for Georgetown and the neighboring city of Round Rock. The lake is also a popular recreation area.
Granger Lake, located downstream of Lake Georgetown near Granger, Texas, is the other reservoir on the San Gabriel River.
Fish populations
Lake Georgetown has been stocked with different fish species in order to improve the reservoir’s usability for recreational fishing. Largemouth bass, catfish, white bass, hybrid striped bass, crappie, and sunfish are among the fish found in Lake Georgetown.
Recreational uses
The US Army Corps of Engineers maintains recreational facilities at the lake in addition to maintaining the dam that generates the reservoir. Picnic places are available at Cedar Breaks Park, Russell Park, Jim Hogg Park, and Overlook Park. Boat ramps are available in Cedar Breaks Park, Jim Hogg Park, and Russell Park for recreational boating. Although Overlook Park is the only free entrance park on the lake, camping is not permitted.
The Goodwater Track is a 26-mile (42-kilometer) hiking trail that circles the lake, including trailheads at Cedar Breaks, Overlook, Jim Hogg, and Russell Park. Tejas Camp, while technically on the San Gabriel River rather than the lake, offers trail access and, aside from Cedar Breaks, is the only other entry or exit point to the path’s southern half. Mountain biking is permitted on the full length of the loop, thanks to the Austin Ridge Riders group’s efforts on the trail’s southern half. Beginner riders should stick on the North Shore because it allows for shorter journeys, water replenishing, and several exits. The southern shore, with its rocky terrain and sharp drop offs, is significantly more difficult to ride and is not suggested for beginners. Between Cedar Breaks and Camp Tejas, there are no water refilling stations or trail exits. (The distance is approximately 12 miles.) Sawyer Park, located around halfway between Cedar Breaks and Tejas, allows overnight primitive camping.
San Gabriel River
The San Gabriel River is a river in central Texas, United States. The confluence of the North Fork San Gabriel and the South Fork San Gabriel, both of which originate in Burnet County, forms the San Gabriel River in Georgetown. The river has two significant impoundments: Lake Georgetown on the North Fork and Granger Lake, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) below the confluence. Both are impoundments built by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Five miles south of Cameron, the San Gabriel River joins the Little River, which ultimately enters the Brazos River northwest of College Station. Georgetown has a city park near the junction of the North and South Forks, as well as a well-known local swimming hole (the “Blue Hole”) just upriver from the confluence on the South Fork.
The San Gabriel, like most Texas Hill Country rivers, has limestone river bottoms, some moderate rapids, small canyons, and muddy bottoms along slower-moving stretches west of the Balcones Fault; east of the Balcones Fault, the San Gabriel flows through the Blackland Prairie, where rock features at the surface are more rare and the deep, clay soils are rolling to level and support dryland farms and more lush pastures than the thin soils to the west. Given the previous tendency for periodic large-scale but short-lived floods prior to the construction of the large impoundments, much of the bottomland east of Georgetown is forested with a mix of native oak and pecan plus other varieties, though pecan orchards with grafted varieties have been established as commercial enterprises in some locations.
Canoeing, kayaking, and fishing are examples of recreational activities. Catfish, largemouth bass, sunfish, carp, longnose gar, and numerous bait fish species are common in the river. Many game fish and introduced species, on the other hand, can be found in the impoundments of Lake Georgetown and Granger Lake. The Apache Pass Amphitheater and Festival Grounds are located near Thorndale, south of San Gabriel. The cantilevered stage at Apache Pass, which stretches out over the river and is utilized for major concerts and other events, is a landmark of the park.
Next Point of Interest: Berry Springs Park and Preserve