Granger Lake
Granger, TX
Website
Texas Outside Rating: 4.5

Acres Of Water & Miles Of Shoreline
4,009 acres and 34 miles of shoreline

Brief Overview:
Granger Lake is a small lake located about 10 miles northeast of Taylor, Texas, and about 35 miles east of Austin. It is surrounded by relatively flat Texas black land which is primarily used for agriculture. Granger Lake is in a rural setting, well off the beaten path from the more heavily utilized lakes nearer to Austin.

The lake is in an area prone to high winds. These winds can turn the water turbid and keep it that way for a few days following the storm. The lake is located at river mile 31.9 on the San Gabriel and is downstream from Georgetown Lake.

A Typical Texas Outsider Day
Folks visiting Granger Lake typically come for the fishing as other recreational options are limited. Most find lodging and restaurants in Austin.

The Chamber of Commerce of the town of Taylor maintains a website with a complete listing of all area businesses, including local lodging and restaurants, click here to visit the Chamber's site.

The Chamber describes Taylor as “Not too big, not too small. Not too gentrified, not too country. In Central Texas, one of those special places is Taylor. You can still get world-renowned barbecue on a piece of butcher paper. You can still score an architectural gem at a bargain price. Kids can still enjoy Saturday movie matinees at the newly restored theater on Main Street.”

Other Cool Things To Do:
There are four Corps of Engineer Parks at the lake which feature picnic sites, boat ramps, equestrian trails, playgrounds, beaches, and more. See this site for more info.

What To Do If No Boat:
If fishing is what you desire, just contact Holding The Line Guide Service.

If it is boating or skiing you prefer, we are not aware of any boat or personal watercraft rentals closer than Austin.

Nearby Activities:
Austin is the closest place with lots of fun things to see and do, go here to learn more about what to do in Austin.

Restaurants, Bars, & Music:
Go to Austin, Taylor, or Georgetown for restaurants and nightlife.

Wake Boarding & Skiing:
Due to the small size of the lake, standing timber, and turbidity, such pursuits are uncommon on this lake.

Fishing:
Crappie is the most popular sportfish in this reservoir. Large numbers of legal-size crappie are present. Channel, flathead, and blue catfish are present in good numbers. White bass are also present and provide a consistent fishery. Largemouth bass are present in small numbers and provide a marginal fishery.

Granger Lake is dominated by flooded willows, stumps, and laydowns. Generally speaking, it is a very shallow reservoir with turbid water. The best cover/structure can be found in the old creek channels, main-lake humps and ridges, and up the San Gabriel River. In the main lake submerged man-made brush piles consistently attract crappie.

Crappie fishing is at its best in the spring. The fall can be good as well. In February, crappie move to shallow water in preparation to spawn. They start spawning around 56°F; during this time they can be found in water as shallow as a foot deep. Anglers should concentrate their efforts near flooded trees and laydowns, which are found in abundance in the creeks and upper end of the reservoir. During the summer, concentrate on main-lake humps, ridges, and drop-offs that have brush. Most of this brush is man-made, placed there by anglers. Good electronics will be necessary to find this structure. For fish that are actively biting, it's hard to beat a 1/16-1/8 oz tube jig. Small or medium minnows are always a good bet, and can produce a stringer when little else works.

Catfish anglers can find channel, flathead, and blue catfish throughout the reservoir. Stinkbait and cutbait work well for channel and blue catfish, while live bait is preferred for flathead catfish. Trotline and jugline fishing are popular techniques for large catfish. They can also consistently be caught on hook and line fishing snags and laydowns in the river portion of the reservoir. White bass can be caught in the spring up the San Gabriel River and the Willis Creek arm if inflows are adequate. Whites school and chase shad in the main part of the reservoir during summer and early fall. If it is white bass you’re after, contact Holding The Line Guide Service for year ‘round action on conventional tackle or fly gear.

Species	Poor	Fair	Good	Excellent
Largemouth Bass
Catfish
Crappie
White Bass

*Courtesy of Texas Parks and Wildlife

Day Use Parks, Camping, Lodges, & Cabins

Ramps & Marinas
Texas Parks and Wildlife provides a good listing of ramps and access points listed here.

Texas Outside Rating of Granger Lake
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