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The Llano River · Texas Hill Country

The Llano River

Clear water running over open pink granite — one of the great fishing and paddling rivers of the Hill Country, famous for Guadalupe bass and the wide stone slabs that give it its character. Flashy and rain-fed, big when it's big and a trickle when it's dry.

Check the river level ↓What to know
Live Conditions
Llano River at Llano · USGS 08151500 · Llano County
Full chart & history →
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Flowcubic feet / second
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Gauge heightfeet
Fetching live readings from USGS…
Source: USGS Water Services. The Llano is a flashy, rain-driven river — it can read low for weeks, then rise many feet fast after rain upstream. These are live readings, not a safety rating — check the gauge and the forecast before you go, and never cross or enter rising or fast-moving water.

About the river

Pink granite, clear water, legendary bass.

The Llano forms at Junction where its North and South forks meet, then runs east over wide sheets of pink granite past Mason and through the town of Llano before joining the Colorado at Lake LBJ. It's a fishing river first — home water for the Guadalupe bass, the Texas state fish — and a fine paddling and swimming river when the flow is up. The name is simply Spanish for "plain."

On the river:Junction · Mason · Llano · Lake LBJ ↗

At a glance

The Llano, by the numbers.

Headwaters
North & South Llano
meet at Junction
Length
~100 miles
to the Colorado at Lake LBJ
Feature
Pink granite slabs
and native Guadalupe bass
Park
South Llano River SP
near Junction
Live gauge
USGS 08151500
Llano Rv at Llano
River towns: Junction Mason Llano South Llano River SP

What to know

A fishing river worth protecting.

The Llano's claim to fame is the Guadalupe bass — a native Texas fish whose strongholds are these Central Texas rivers and nowhere else. Keeping that fishery healthy is part of why the small things matter here: handle fish gently, pack out your line and trash, leave the granite and gravel as you found them, and tread lightly on a river that runs low for much of the year.

Cast for Guadalupe bass

The Llano is some of the best wade and fly fishing in Texas for the state fish — clear, granite-bottomed water, best up around Junction and the South Llano.

Camp at South Llano

South Llano River State Park, just outside Junction, is the easiest public access to the river — swimming, paddling, birding, and camping on the South Llano fork.

Explore the network

The Llano is one of ten Hill Country rivers. See them all on the HillCountry.ai rivers hub ↗

Common questions

Llano River, answered.

How is the Llano River running right now?

Check the live USGS gauge at the top of this page (station 08151500, Llano at Llano). The Llano is rain-fed and runs over open granite, so it can drop to a trickle in a dry summer and rise hard and fast after a storm — it's a famously flashy river. The live reading is the honest picture on any given day.

Is the Llano good for fishing?

It's one of the best fishing rivers in the Hill Country, known above all for Guadalupe bass — the Texas state fish, native to these Central Texas rivers and nowhere else. Clear water over granite makes for excellent fly fishing and wade fishing, especially up around Junction and the South Llano.

Is the Llano good for paddling and swimming?

Yes, when there's water in it. The clear granite-bottomed runs are great for kayaking and swimming at the right flow, with the river's signature pink-granite slabs and crossings. Because it's so flow-dependent, check the gauge before planning a paddle — and never get on it when it's rising.

Where is the Llano River?

It forms at Junction, where the North and South Llano forks meet, then runs east past Mason and through the town of Llano before joining the Colorado River at Lake LBJ. South Llano River State Park, just outside Junction, is the easiest place to know it. The name is simply Spanish for "plain."

Is the Llano River prone to flooding?

Very much so. The Llano has a long record of dramatic, dangerous floods — open granite and steep watersheds mean rain upstream can send the river up many feet in a short time. Always check the live gauge and the forecast, heed flood warnings, and never cross a flooded low-water crossing on foot or in a vehicle.

When is the best time to visit the Llano?

Spring and early summer usually bring the best flow for paddling and swimming; fall is prime for fishing and cooler days on the water. Since the river is rain-driven and flashy, the live gauge is the best guide to any specific week.

Good to know

Read the water before you go.

The Llano is rain-fed and famously flashy — it can read low for weeks, then jump many feet after a storm. Clear water over open pink granite makes for great fishing and, when it’s up, paddling and swimming. The live gauge above is the honest read on any given week. Glass is banned, there are no lifeguards, low-water crossings flood first, and a rising Llano is no place to be. Check the level, then go.

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Respect This Place — Texas Hill CountryThe River CodeRead the code ▾

Built with the locals who know these rivers best. The Frio and the Guadalupe show what happens when a river gets loved too hard — these are the few things that keep the rest the way they are.

  1. Pack out everything you bring in. Bottles, cans, butts, bait tubs — all of it. Bring an extra bag and grab what someone else left.
  2. No glass near the water. Broken glass in a swimming hole ends a perfect day in the ER. Cans and plastic only.
  3. Know where you're allowed to be. Most of this is private land. Stick to public crossings, parks, and posted access.
  4. Park with respect. Not on the crossings, the bridge, or in front of a ranch gate.
  5. Respect the water. Check the gauge; never cross a flooded crossing — on foot or in a truck.
  6. Leave the rocks where they lie. Stacked-rock towers wreck fish habitat. Let the riverbed be a riverbed.
  7. Don't drive in the riverbed. Trucks and ATVs crush the gravel beds and everything living in them. Park up top and walk down.
  8. Leave the wildlife alone. Don't feed it, chase it, or take it home — fish and turtles included.
  9. Keep it quiet, keep it dark. Skip the speaker. Leave the next person the water sounds and the stars.
  10. Mind fire and burn bans. Summers run dry and bans are common. Check before you light anything, and never leave a coal smoking.
  11. Leash 'em and clean up after 'em. Keep dogs close on shared water and private land, pick up after them every time, and don't let them chase wildlife or disturb other visitors.
  12. Spend your money in the river towns. Gas, food, supplies — the small towns are what keep these rivers accessible. Keep them alive.