Is Wakesurfing Allowed on Lake Austin? The Rules That Actually Apply

Yes. Wakesurfing is legal on Lake Austin, and no city rule bans it. What you do need to know is a short list of state and city rules that decide where, when, and how a boat can pull a surfer. Here is what actually applies, with the source for each one, so you can plan a day on the water without guessing.

The short answer

Wakesurfing on Lake Austin falls under two layers of law: the Texas Water Safety Act (Texas Parks and Wildlife Code, Chapter 31) and the City of Austin's waterway rules (City Code Chapter 8-5). Neither one bans wakesurfing. Together they set rules on speed, which side of the lake you run on, no-wake zones, daylight hours, and who has to be watching the rider.

Which side of the lake the boat must use

Austin City Code 8-5-81(B) says a person operating a motorboat on Lake Austin must stay on the right side of the lake, except when helping a downed water skier. Lake Austin is narrow, so this rule does a lot of work. It is the reason a good captain picks surf runs that stay in the right lane and turns around with care.

Speed: "reasonable and prudent"

Section 8-5-81(C) of the same code bars running a watercraft on Lake Austin faster than is reasonable and prudent for the conditions. Wakesurfing is a low-speed sport (see our guide on how fast a boat should go for wakesurfing), so the bigger concern is the wave the boat makes, not raw speed.

Hazardous wake and no-wake zones

Texas Parks and Wildlife Code 31.098 makes it a violation to operate so as to cause a hazardous wake or wash. A wakesurf wave is a big, deliberate wake, so where you surf matters. The City also makes it an offense under 8-5-2 to create a wake in a zone marked NO WAKE by buoys, and the Austin Police Lake Patrol notes that all of Bee Creek and Bull Creek are no-wake zones.

LCRA's lakewide rule also limits boats to headway speed within 50 feet of a shoreline, structure, swimmer, or restricted area on the Highland Lakes. A City of Austin document points out that this is an LCRA rule rather than a Texas Water Safety Act no-wake zone, but the practical lesson is the same: keep surf runs well off docks, swimmers, and the bank.

Daylight only

Under Texas Parks and Wildlife Code 31.103, water skiing, surfboarding, and similar towed activities are not allowed from half an hour after sunset until half an hour before sunrise, except at properly lit sanctioned events. If you are planning a sunset charter, the last surf set has to wrap up soon after the sun goes down.

Someone has to watch the rider

Texas requires a boat towing a person to have either an observer on board who is not the driver and is at least 13 years old, or a rearview mirror at least four inches high and four inches wide. Wakesurfers often ride without a rope once they are up, but the safe habit is the same: one person's only job is watching the surfer.

Life jackets

Austin Police Lake Patrol notes that children under 13 must wear a life jacket at all times while the boat is underway, unless the boat is over 26 feet long. For the rider in the water, a properly fitting Coast Guard approved life jacket or impact vest is the norm on any well-run charter. Our guide to what life jacket you need for wakesurfing covers fit and approval labels.

Holiday weekends

The City bans jet skis, wet bikes, and similar personal watercraft on Lake Austin over Memorial Day weekend, Labor Day weekend, and July 3 to 5 (City Code 8-5-81(A)). That ban covers personal watercraft, not regular inboard wakesurf boats, but the lake is busiest on those weekends, so plan for more boat traffic.

Swimming between sets

Lake Austin limits swimming: under City Code 8-5-46 you may swim only within 50 feet of the shoreline, in a designated swimming area, or while water skiing. A wakesurfer who falls and waits for pickup is part of the towed activity, but jumping off for a casual swim in the middle of the lake is a different matter. Ask your captain where a swim stop is allowed.

How a charter handles this for you

On a captained charter, the captain owns the rules: the right-side lane, no-wake buoys, distance from docks, daylight cutoffs, the spotter, and the life jackets. Your group's job is to show up, listen to the safety briefing, and surf. See our Lake Austin guide for the lake itself, check pricing, or book a charter when you are ready.

Sources

• City of Austin Code, Chapter 8-5, Waterway Access and Use (8-5-2, 8-5-46, 8-5-81): services.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=173264
• Austin Police Department, Lake Patrol: austintexas.gov/police/divisions/lake-patrol
• Texas Parks and Wildlife, Water Safety Act and violation codes (31.098, 31.103): tpwd.texas.gov/warden/water
• Towing observer and mirror requirement, Texas boater education study guide: boat-ed.com/texas
• LCRA 50-foot rule as described by the City of Austin: services.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=230287