Lake Amistad, Texas

~ 850 miles of shoreline, recreation and fun!

Just a 160 mile drive from San Antonio, straddling the Mexican and American border, lies a true gem in the desert, Lake Amistad. With over 850 miles of shoreline and 68,000 acres of sparkling water, it's one of the largest and most popular lakes in Texas. For houseboaters, Amistad may very well be one of the friendliest. In fact, the name Amistad means friendship in Spanish.

Boaters and fishermen at Amistad enjoy one of the longest and warmest lake seasons in the country with a boating season that starts earlier in the spring, and goes later in the fall than most other lakes in the US. It's just plain warm and wonderful most of the year. Sure, the desert region gets nippy at night in winter, and the area gets its share of rain with about 18 inches annually. But summers are long and warm with plenty of heat to dry you off after a swim.

Lake Amistad's lake level is currently the highest in 17 years!

Lake Amistad boasts some of the best lake snorkeling and scuba in the state, the best bass fishing in the world, and one of the largest collections of archaeological sites anywhere.

If you're a serious bass fisherman, you already know that Lake Amistad offers some of the best bass fishing in the world. Considered under-fished now for many years, as well as the recent increase in catch-and-release, Amistad is currently enjoying excellent stocks of America's most popular game fish, Large Mouth Bass, but also the hard-fighting Striped Bass, Crappie, and the popular Sunfish are plentiful.

Prehistoric Adventure on Amistad

With over 360 million years of history for you to explore in the cliffs and caves, along the shore, and in the whole Amistad National Recreational Area it's easy to step out of the water and back in time. Humans have lived in this area for over 12,000 years, and there are over 400 recorded archaeological sites to seek out and explore.

Take advantage of this season's high water levels and and explore the many excellent examples of 4,000 year-old rock art located in the upper reaches of the reservoir. Pictographs in Panther and Parida Caves are local favorites.

To learn more about how to really explore and enjoy Lake Amistad any time of season, be sure to stop in at the Marina Shop and ask our locals. With everything from world-class fishing, miles of shoreline dotted with private coves, ancient rock art sites and seemingly endless watersports, it's tough to choose just how to spend your time here at Lake Amistad National Recreation Area.