Profile
Inks Lake is one of the Highland Lakes (Lake Buchanan, Lake LBJ, Lake Marble Falls, Lake Travis, and Lake Austin). The lake is 4.2 miles long, has a maximum width of 3000 feet, and covers 802 acres. The terrain is rolling hills, pink granite, cactus, and trees. A few houses, Camp Longhorn (a co-ed residential summer camp), Inks Lake State Park, and Highland Lakes Golf Course are along the shore. Inks Lake is a constant level lake and the depth seldom varies more than a foot.
Map
Sorry, no records were found. Please adjust your search criteria and try again.
Sorry, unable to load the Maps API.
It doesn't take long to cruise the whole lake and check out the local sights. We have always been able to find some calm water for skiing - watch out for shallow areas. We also like to head over to Devils Cove and swim and hike up and around the creek. Devils Waterhole is at the southeast end of the State Park. There are some nice coves for anchoring and swimming or fishing.
Inks Lake State Park has hiking trails through the trees, up and down the rolling hills, across the pink granite, and around portions of the Lake. Highland Lakes Golf Course is on the shores of the eastern side of the lake.
If you don't have a boat, you can rent canoes, paddleboats, or surf bikes at the State Park. They also have picnic areas and a fishing pier.
There are plenty of things to see and do nearby, some of which include:
- camping at Inks Lake - click here to read a review of the lake
- golf at the 9 hole Highland Lakes Golf Course, you can find more nearby golf courses here
- check out some of the other Highland Lakes
- Longhorn Caverns is 10 minutes away and has hiking and cave tours
- explore nearby Marble Falls for shopping, restaurants, and nightlife
- if we ever get some water in the lakes after the drought of 2006, take the Vanishing River Cruise
- explore Lake LBJ and the surrounding area - read the LBJ Thank God For Weekends
- head over to nearby Canyon of the Eagles and hike or run on over 14 miles of designated trails and enjoy nature in its colorful splendor, view eagles in their nesting ground, participate in complimentary group interpretative programs that are offered on-site daily and enjoy stargazing at the popular Observatory which is open nightly for your astronomy viewing.
If you are staying for awhile, there are lots of fun things to see and do near Inks Lake - check out our 25 Things To Do In The Highland Lakes area.
There are no restaurants or bars on the lake. Partners and The Ranch are a couple of fun bars with live bands on the weekends and they are about 10 minutes from Inks Lake. Head into Marble Falls or Burnet for restaurants and nightlife.
There usually isn't much boat traffic, so if the wind isn't howling, you should be able to find good water on any part of the lake. Watch the depth, granite will do your prop in!
If you like to fish, then call Texas Professional Fishing Guides, they will pick you up at the Inks Lake boat ramp and take you out to catch some big fish and filet them for you so you can cook them over your campfire! And they are offering Texas Outside visitors a discount, so make sure you print and present their coupon.
According to Texas Parks and Wildlife: "Inks Lake is noted for its picturesque scenery, but fishing can be good as well. It contains under-rated largemouth bass and Guadalupe bass populations, along with several species of sunfish (bream). White bass are regularly caught in the reservoir, and a low density white crappie population is present. Channel and flathead catfish occur throughout the reservoir.
Inks Lake offers a variety of cover and structure to fish. The shoreline contains numerous rock piles, ledges, and chunk rock banks. Several private boat docks, especially on the west side of the lake, hold fish year-round. Water color in the reservoir is fairly clear. Although the lake remains at a near constant level, no significant aquatic vegetation is present.
Largemouth bass anglers may find success by fishing topwater lures, metal flake willow leaf spinnerbaits and shallow- to medium-depth crankbaits worked along rocky banks. Flipping boat docks with jigs and plastic worms can also be productive. Bluegill and redbreast sunfish up 8 inches in length can be caught using meal worms, crickets, or pieces of earthworms fished under floats almost anywhere along the shoreline. Often, the larger sunfish can be caught in slightly deeper water without the use of a float. Starting in February, white bass begin congregating in the upper end of the reservoir as the urge to spawn motivates their movements. Productive lures for white bass include using twister tail jigs, small hair jigs, small crankbaits, and small topwaters. Live bait fishing with minnows is also productive, and usually catches crappie simultaneously. Catfish anglers can find channel and flathead catfish throughout the reservoir. Stinkbaits and cutbaits work well for channel cats, while live bait is preferred for large flathead catfish
We are not aware of any rental property or lodges on the lake. Inks lake State Park has great campsites and a limited number of mini cabins.
Inks Lake State Park has a two lane boat ramp. Gas up before you head out, there are not marinas on the lake.
1 Review on “Inks Lake”
This is our official Texas Outside rating