Lake Dunlap, Texas, USA

Also known as:  Dunlap Reservoir

Lake Dunlap is one of several lakes formed by impounding the Guadalupe River with construction of dams along its course. Lake Dunlap is located near New Braunfels on the border of Texas Hill Country and Prairies and Lakes tourism regions. This reservoir was completed in 1931 for water supply, hydroelectric power generation, and recreation. Management of the lake and dam was taken over by the Guadalupe-Blanco River…
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    • All About Lake Dunlap, TX

    Lake Locations: USA - US Southwest Region - Texas - Hill Country Region, TX -

    Lake Dunlap is one of several lakes formed by impounding the Guadalupe River with construction of dams along its course. Lake Dunlap is located near New Braunfels on the border of Texas Hill Country and Prairies and Lakes tourism regions. This reservoir was completed in 1931 for water supply, hydroelectric power generation, and recreation. Management of the lake and dam was taken over by the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority in 1963. Lake Dunlap is part of the Lake McQueeney and Lake Placid triumvirate along the Guadalupe River. It is the longest (7 miles) of the three that can be navigated by boat. This makes for great fishing, boating, water skiing, wakeboarding, and jet skiing. There are some unmarked stumps and shallow spots, so take care.

    Lake Dunlap is a residential lake with limited public access. Public access to Lake Dunlap is a boat ramp located at the Highway 35 overpass. Fishing is one of the top recreational activities on the lake. Game species include black basses (largemouth bass, Guadalupe bass, spotted bass, smallmouth bass), catfishes (channel catfish, blue catfish, and flathead catfish), crappie (white crappie and black crappie), and sunfish (redear and redbreast sunfish).

    Largemouth bass in excess of 7 pounds are caught year round in Lake Dunlap. Drop a line around boat docks and bridge pilings for your record catch. The area near the dam holds a stump field that often has fish. Popular bait used in the spring and winter includes black jig ‘n’ pig. In the summer and fall use topwater crankbaits and buzzbaits. Early morning and late evening will produce better catches due to heavy boat traffic during the middle of the day.

    Just minutes from Lake Dunlap is New Braunfels, a German town in the middle of Texas Hill Country. Attractions in the area include Gruene Hall (Texas’ Oldest Dance Hall), Natural Bridge Caverns, Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch, and a resort waterpark. The Guadalupe River, which runs through the middle of Lake Dunlap, is one of the top floating and paddling rivers in the state.

    The Guadalupe River is 230 miles long and runs from Kerr County to San Antonio Bay on the Gulf of Mexico. It is popular with rafters and paddlers, hosting one of the longest paddle races in Texas each year. River flow is set by the dam at Canyon Lake, which determines the water levels on the reservoirs downstream such as Lake Dunlap, Lake Placid, and Lake McQueeney.

    Lake Dunlap is also conveniently located less than an hour from Austin to the northeast and San Antonio to the southwest. Bastrop State Park, Buescher State Park, and Lockhart State Park are just a short drive away. Other nearby small towns await your exploration, including San Marcos, Seguin, McQueeney, and Wimberley.

    Vacation rentals are available on Lake Dunlap, so pack your bags for a fun-filled stay.

    Things to Do at Lake Dunlap

    These are some activities in the Lake Dunlap, TX area visitors can enjoy:

    • Vacation Rentals
    • Fishing
    • Boating
    • Canoeing
    • Kayaking
    • Jet Skiing
    • Water Skiing
    • Wakeboarding
    • Wildlife Viewing
    • State Park

    What Kind of Fish Are in Lake Dunlap?

    Lake Dunlap has been known to have the following fish species:

    • Bass
    • Black Bass
    • Black Crappie
    • Blue Catfish
    • Catfish
    • Channel Catfish
    • Crappie
    • Flathead Catfish
    • Largemouth Bass
    • Redbreast Sunfish
    • Redear Sunfish (Shellcracker)
    • Smallmouth Bass
    • Spotted Bass
    • Sunfish
    • White Crappie
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    Find Places to Stay at Lake Dunlap

    If you’re considering a Lake Dunlap lake house rental or hotel, we’ve made it super easy to find the best rates and compare vacation accommodations at a glance. Save time using this interactive map below.

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    More Sites to Book a Lake Dunlap Vacation

    Our interactive Lake Dunlap lodging map above is an easy tool for comparing VRBO rental homes and nearby hotels with Booking.com, but there could be times when you need to expand your search for different types of accommodations. Here are some other lake lodging partners we recommend:

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    Lake Dunlap Statistics & Helpful Links

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    Lake Type: Artificial Reservoir, Dammed

    Water Level Control: Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority

    Surface Area: 410 acres

    Shoreline Length: 20 miles

    Normal Elevation (Full Pond): 545 feet

    Minimum Elevation (Min Pond): 540 feet

    Maximum Elevation (Max Pond): 550 feet

    Average Depth: 20 feet

    Maximum Depth: 40 feet

    Water Volume: 5,900 acre-feet

    Completion Year: 1928

    Lake Area-Population: 5,000

    Trophic State: Eutrophic

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