Lakes

Lake Marble Falls

Lake Marble Falls water level

The short lake through the town of Marble Falls, between Wirtz Dam and Starcke Dam, and the last stop before the river enters Lake Travis.

Lake Marble Falls now

Lake Marble Falls is at 736.3 feet above sea level, within its normal range of 736.2–737.0 feet, LCRA reading of Nov 14, 5:50 PM CST.

LCRA reading Nov 14, 5:50 PM CST

Past 24 hours
—
Starcke Dam releasing
—

Past 7 days

—

Loading the week’s readings…

At Starcke Dam

Nov 14, 3:50 PM CST
Floodgates
Gates closed
Releasing
No current reading
Last full day
—
Below the dam
682.0 ft
Without floodgates
10,700 cfsthe most it releases without opening a floodgate
LCRA on the gates:
No gate operations to pass floodwaters are expected.
Inflows:
Inflows to Lake Marble Falls are below levels that would require gate operations to pass floodwaters at Starcke Dam.
Forecast:
The level of Lake Marble Falls is expected to remain within its normal operating range.

Releases can start suddenly — stay out of the water near the dams. Unofficial copy of LCRA’s flood operations report.

Hour-by-hour releases at Starcke Dam

Water in and out

Comes in from

Goes out to

Rivers: LCRA gauges, as of Nov 14, 3:41 PM. Dam releases: LCRA’s latest measured hour.

Lake Travis water level todayLake Marble Falls’s releases end up in Lake Travis, the chain’s big reservoir.681.4 ftAbove full pool

About Lake Marble Falls

Lake Marble Falls is the narrow lake through the town of Marble Falls: 5.75 river miles from Wirtz Dam down to Max Starcke Dam, 613 acres when full. Below Starcke Dam the river opens into the upper end of Lake Travis.

Its dam was finished in 1951 as Marble Falls Dam and renamed for Max Starcke in 1962. LCRA runs the lake as a pass-through lake between 736.2 and 737.0 ft, so what Wirtz Dam sends down passes straight on to Lake Travis.

The City of Marble Falls runs Lakeside Park and Johnson Park on its shore; Backbone Creek comes into the lake at Johnson Park.

Key facts

  • DamMax Starcke Dam, 1951
  • OperatorLCRA
  • Normal range736.2–737.0 ft
  • Surface area613 acres
  • Capacity7,597 acre-ft (2020 survey)
  • Length5.75 river miles
  • Deepest pointAbout 60 ft
  • Record high756.3 ft · Sep 11, 1952
  • Record low715.0 ft · Oct 4, 1983
  • CountyBurnet

Parks on Lake Marble Falls

Public places to get on or near the water. Check each operator for hours, fees and closures before you go.

All six Highland Lakes

Upstream to downstream along the Colorado River. Lake Buchanan and Lake Travis store water; the other four pass it through.

Lake Marble Falls questions

Levels, releases and how Lake Marble Falls fits into the Highland Lakes.

  • What is the water level of Lake Marble Falls today?

    This page shows LCRA’s latest reading from Starcke Dam at the top, checked every 30 minutes. LCRA holds Lake Marble Falls between 736.2 and 737.0 ft above mean sea level outside floods and planned lowerings.

  • What is the normal level of Lake Marble Falls?

    Between 736.2 and 737.0 ft above mean sea level. At 737 ft the lake covers 613 acres and holds 7,597 acre-feet, according to the Texas Water Development Board’s 2020 survey.

  • Where does Lake Marble Falls’ water go?

    Through Starcke Dam straight into Lake Travis. Lake Marble Falls is the last of the three lakes between Lake Buchanan and Lake Travis, so Starcke Dam’s releases are the Colorado River’s flow into Travis.

  • What are Lake Marble Falls’ record high and low?

    In LCRA’s records the highest level is 756.3 ft, on September 11, 1952, and the lowest is 715.0 ft, on October 4, 1983.

  • Does LCRA lower Lake Marble Falls?

    Occasionally, so owners can repair shoreline structures and to control nuisance vegetation. LCRA announces each lowering on its lake lowerings page; it had none planned for the pass-through lakes in 2026.