Fishes Llano River, San Marcos River
River · The Texas Hill Country edge and Blackland Prairie southeast of San Marcos · Texas
San Marcos River Fishing Guides
A spring-fed Hill Country river that runs clear and 72 degrees year round from its headwater springs, holding Guadalupe bass and one of the most stable flows in Texas.
Map of the San Marcos River
41 numbered points: 5 campsites, 1 outfitter, 15 bridges, 7 parks and conservation areas, 10 hazards, 2 springs, 1 USGS gauge. Tap a marker for details. Reviewed Oct 21, 2026.
- Campsite (5)
- Outfitter / canoe rental (1)
- Bridge crossing (15)
- Park / conservation area (7)
- Dam / hazard (10)
- Spring (2)
- USGS gauge (1)
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Points are curated from OpenStreetMap and state agency sources; confirm access and hours before you go.
Print it. Bag it. Bring it.Phones die, screens crack, and most of this water has no signal. Print this map, fold it into a zip-top bag or dry bag with your license, and you have a backup your electronics can’t give you. Every marker is numbered so you can say exactly where you are.
Open the printable mapAll 41 points on this map
| # | Point | Type | Lat, Lon | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Marcos Springs Head of the river, Spring Lake | Spring | 29.89407, -97.92992 | The river starts here: artesian springs rising through the bed of Spring Lake. Spring-fed and near-constant year round, which is why the San Marcos runs clear when the Blanco is low. |
| 2 | Spring Lake Texas State University, Meadows Center | Park / conservation area | 29.89322, -97.92940 | Protected headwater lake run by the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment. Closed to public swimming and private boats; glass-bottom tours only. Paddling starts below Aquarena Dam. |
| 3 | Aquarena Dam Spring Lake outlet weir | Dam / hazard | 29.89034, -97.93404 | The weir that holds Spring Lake. No passage; the top of the floatable river is the tailwater below it. |
| 4 | Weissmuller Spring Spring Lake outflow reach | Spring | 29.88957, -97.93646 | Named spring vent on the outflow reach. OSM spells it Weismuller; the usual spelling follows the swimmer-actor who filmed at Aquarena. |
| 5 | Aquarena Springs Drive bridge Loop 82 | Bridge crossing | 29.88903, -97.93416 | First crossing below the dam. |
| 6 | Sewell Park Texas State University | Park / conservation area | 29.88829, -97.93428 | University river park on the left bank, the best-known swimming reach in town. Campus rules apply and it is not a boat ramp. |
| 7 | San Marcos City Park City of San Marcos | Park / conservation area | 29.88579, -97.93415 | The main in-town put-in area for tubes and short paddles, with parking and the Lions Club tube chute alongside. |
| 8 | East Hopkins Street bridge TX 80 | Bridge crossing | 29.88390, -97.93552 | |
| 9 | Union Pacific Austin Subdivision bridge Railroad crossing | Bridge crossing | 29.88365, -97.93534 | First of two Union Pacific bridges; the second follows about half a kilometre downstream. |
| 10 | Rio Vista Dam Rio Vista Falls | Dam / hazard | 29.87865, -97.93247 | Three engineered drops rebuilt as a whitewater park: the signature rapid in town, runnable in the chutes. It is still a dam, so scout it and portage river left if in doubt. |
| 11 | Rio Vista Park City of San Marcos | Park / conservation area | 29.87881, -97.93381 | Park wrapped around the falls, with the usual put-in and take-out for the tube run above it. |
| 12 | Cheatham Street bridge | Bridge crossing | 29.87773, -97.93312 | |
| 13 | Interstate 35 bridges I 35 / Purple Heart Trail | Bridge crossing | 29.87520, -97.93149 | Four decks cross within about 150 m here, mainlanes plus frontage roads; one marker stands for the whole crossing. |
| 14 | Capes Dam Thompson Island reach | Dam / hazard | 29.87277, -97.93190 | Low-head mill dam, partly breached and the subject of a long removal fight. Treat as a portage. |
| 15 | Thompson's Island Dam | Dam / hazard | 29.86913, -97.92900 | Second low-head structure on the island reach. Portage. |
| 16 | Cumming's Dam | Dam / hazard | 29.85605, -97.90594 | Low-head dam below town. Portage. |
| 17 | North Old Bastrop Highway bridge CR 295 | Bridge crossing | 29.85719, -97.89691 | |
| 18 | San Marcos River Retreat Caldwell County, north bank | Campsite | 29.85898, -97.88937 | Private riverside campground and canoe livery, reservations in advance. TPWD's leased fishing-access pages list the site, with the lease period shown as ended. |
| 19 | Sculls Crossing bridge | Bridge crossing | 29.84960, -97.85684 | |
| 20 | Martindale Dam Martindale | Dam / hazard | 29.84056, -97.84628 | Mill dam at Martindale, head of the popular Martindale-to-Staples float. Portage; a road bridge sits 80 m below it. |
| 21 | Farm-to-Market Road 1979 bridge FM 1979 | Bridge crossing | 29.83205, -97.84237 | |
| 22 | Spencer Canoes and Shady Grove Campground Martindale, canoe and kayak livery | Outfitter / canoe rental | 29.83071, -97.84176 | Livery and riverside campground at Martindale, shuttling the Martindale and Staples reaches. Mapped in OSM as a campsite. |
| 23 | Farm-to-Market Road 1977 bridge FM 1977 | Bridge crossing | 29.78299, -97.83145 | |
| 24 | Staples Gin Dam Staples | Dam / hazard | 29.78242, -97.83116 | Dam at Staples, immediately below the FM 1977 crossing. Portage; the usual take-out is above it. |
| 25 | Texas 130 bridges TX 130 Toll (Pickle Parkway) | Bridge crossing | 29.76880, -97.80511 | Twin toll-road decks; one marker for the crossing. |
| 26 | Leisure Resort Private RV and cabin resort | Campsite | 29.74663, -97.77564 | First of the riverfront camping cluster above Luling. |
| 27 | San Marcos River Resort Private RV park | Campsite | 29.74625, -97.77464 | Riverfront RV park a few hundred metres below Leisure Resort. |
| 28 | Son's River Ranch Private riverside camping and day use | Campsite | 29.74363, -97.77584 | Mapped in OSM as a campsite on the right bank; confirm season and day-use rules before planning a take-out here. |
| 29 | Saint Joseph Street bridge CR 247 | Bridge crossing | 29.72835, -97.76185 | |
| 30 | Stairtown Road bridge CR 119 | Bridge crossing | 29.71256, -97.73859 | |
| 31 | Union Pacific Glidden Subdivision bridge Railroad crossing above Luling | Bridge crossing | 29.66838, -97.70123 | First of two Union Pacific crossings about a kilometre apart. |
| 32 | Zedler Mill Park South City of Luling | Park / conservation area | 29.66475, -97.65394 | Luling's river park and the put-in for the Zedler Mill reach; parking and restrooms at the mill complex. |
| 33 | Zedler Mill Dam Zedler Mill, Luling | Dam / hazard | 29.66656, -97.65135 | Mill weir beside the restored Zedler Mill. Portage on the park side. |
| 34 | USGS 08172000 San Marcos River at Luling Stage and discharge | USGS gauge | 29.66634, -97.65086 | The gauge this float reads off; it sits just below the Zedler Mill dam. Check it before committing to the Luling or Ottine reaches. |
| 35 | Southside Park City of Luling | Park / conservation area | 29.66246, -97.64855 | Park on the left bank just below the mill, the usual take-out for the short Luling float. |
| 36 | River Bend RV Park Private RV park, Luling | Campsite | 29.65654, -97.65495 | |
| 37 | Son of Ottine Rapid Above Ottine | Dam / hazard | 29.63877, -97.60161 | Named ledge drop, mapped as a dam in OSM. Scout it; it is the hardest water on the lower river. |
| 38 | Palmetto State Park Texas Parks and Wildlife Department | Park / conservation area | 29.60288, -97.58177 | TPWD park on the Ottine reach with camping, river frontage and the dwarf-palmetto bottomland it is named for. Pole-and-line only in state-park waters. |
| 39 | Ottine Dam Ottine | Dam / hazard | 29.60032, -97.58780 | Low dam at Ottine inside the park reach. Portage. |
| 40 | County Road 232 bridge | Bridge crossing | 29.56349, -97.54381 | |
| 41 | US 90 Alternate bridge US 90 Alt above Gonzales | Bridge crossing | 29.51384, -97.49363 | Last mapped crossing before the Guadalupe confluence at Gonzales. |
Guides on the San Marcos River
Claimed profiles take booking requests. Unclaimed profiles are built from public records so the river is never empty; the guide can claim or remove one any time.
Order on this page: premium and outfitter plans first (labelled Premium placement), then claimed free profiles, then unclaimed — one published price, no bidding for position. How placement works
About the San Marcos River
The San Marcos begins at Spring Lake in the city of San Marcos, where the Edwards Aquifer surfaces through one of the largest spring complexes in the American Southwest. That origin gives the river a property almost no other Texas stream has: it runs clear and close to seventy-two degrees every day of the year, regardless of season or drought. The gauge downstream at Luling watches eight hundred and thirty-eight square miles and reports discharge and stage without a live temperature series, but on a spring-fed river the temperature is the one variable that does not need watching.
That thermal stability supports an unusual biological community, including several endangered species found nowhere else, and it makes the upper river a heavily protected and heavily studied stretch of water. It also makes the San Marcos one of the most dependable paddling rivers in the state, floatable in August of a drought year when almost everything else in central Texas has gone to disconnected pools.
For anglers the draw is the Guadalupe bass, the Texas state fish and a black bass endemic to the Hill Country. The San Marcos holds a good population alongside largemouth, the occasional smallmouth, and Rio Grande cichlid, which is a native perch-like fish that fights far above its size and is a favorite target on light fly tackle. Catfish occupy the deeper lower river toward Luling.
The trade-off is crowding. The upper river through town, especially the reach at Rio Vista Falls and City Park, is one of the busiest tubing and paddling stretches in Texas from May through September, so guided fishing tends to work either early mornings or the quieter water well downstream. The stretch below Thompson’s Islands toward Luling sees a small fraction of the traffic and holds the larger fish, which is the trade most guides make without being asked.
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It is a regional stand-in, honestly captioned but generic — we will not put a name to a river we cannot prove. Send us a photograph you took here and it replaces the stand-in, with your credit on it.
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Access
Spring Lake and the Meadows Center - the headwater springs, glass-bottom boat tours, restricted access.
San Marcos City Park and Rio Vista Falls - the busiest urban paddling and tubing reach.
Ramon Lucio and Cheatham Street accesses - in-town bank and launch points.
Thompson's Islands - a technical paddling reach below town with better fishing.
Westderfer Crossing - a common launch on the middle river.
Palmetto State Park near Luling - lower river camping and access near the gauge.
The Guadalupe confluence at Gonzales - the bottom of the river.
Seasons
Spring: strong spring flows, excellent Guadalupe bass fishing before the summer tubing crowds arrive.
Summer: constant cool spring water and heavy recreational traffic through town; fish early.
Fall: crowds thin out and the river is at its best for paddling and fishing together.
Winter: quiet and clear, with the same steady spring temperature and very little use.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the San Marcos River?
As of Nov 2, 5:45 am, the USGS gauge San Marcos Rv at Luling, TX reads 101 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the San Marcos River?
Anglers target Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Guadalupe Bass, Largemouth Bass, Longear Sunfish, Rio Grande Cichlid, Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass on the San Marcos River in Texas.
Are there fishing guides on the San Marcos River?
GuidedFloats lists 2 guides and outfitters on the San Marcos River. Claimed profiles accept booking requests; unclaimed profiles are built from public records and link to the business.
Where can you access the San Marcos River?
Spring Lake and the Meadows Center - the headwater springs, glass-bottom boat tours, restricted access. San Marcos City Park and Rio Vista Falls - the busiest urban paddling and tubing reach. Ramon Lucio and Cheatham Street accesses - in-town bank and launch points. Thompson's Islands - a technical paddling reach below town with better fishing. Westderfer Crossing - a common launch on the middle river. Palmetto State Park near Luling - lower river camping and access near the gauge. The Guadalupe confluence at Gonzales - the bottom of the river.
When is the best time to fish the San Marcos River?
Spring: strong spring flows, excellent Guadalupe bass fishing before the summer tubing crowds arrive. Summer: constant cool spring water and heavy recreational traffic through town; fish early. Fall: crowds thin out and the river is at its best for paddling and fishing together. Winter: quiet and clear, with the same steady spring temperature and very little use.
Where are the fishing regulations for the San Marcos River?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Texas agency site: https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/fishing/