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Texas | Prairies and Lakes
Colorado RiverUtley (FM 969) Bridge to Fisherman's Park
Official 14-mile Wilbarger trail from Utley / FM 969 down to Fisherman's Park in Bastrop. TPWD publishes the public endpoints and route identity, the Bastrop USGS gauge gives a direct downstream condition check, and the route stays conservative because the long mileage is not a beginner float.
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Route location
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Route overview
Trip details
Access rules, camping and seasonal notes.
Permits, camping and season
Access and shuttle
Launch at Utley / FM 969 and paddle 14 miles to Fisherman's Park for the official Wilbarger Paddling Trail. Use USGS 08159200 at Bastrop with a conservative 200 cfs lower-Colorado floor, then make a same-day call on low-water dragging, full-day pace, wood, heat, wind, and private-bank discipline.
Access map
Put-in
Utley (FM 969) BridgeTPWD publishes both endpoint coordinates, while LCRA identifies FM 969 / Utley Bridge as a TxDOT-managed access and Fisherman's Park as a City of Bastrop access.
Take-out
Fisherman's ParkBastrop River Co. calls Wilbarger a full-day trip and not for beginners. Do not launch late or assume the mostly calm water makes the distance casual.
Road shuttle
Stage Fisherman's Park first, then drive upstream to the Utley / FM 969 Bridge access. This is a full-day shuttle; local outfitter service is common, but private groups should confirm parking, daylight, and weather before committing.
Additional access notes
- This route uses a conservative minimum-only threshold from broad lower-Colorado guidance. If the Bastrop gauge is near the floor, expect slower travel, shallow dragging, and harder-to-avoid wood.
- Do not infer legal public camping from Scout Island, sandbars, or visible banks. Use a nearby campground or a separately arranged outfitter/permission-based overnight plan.
- Rainfall runoff and upstream release changes can alter current, debris, water quality, and sandbar availability on this lower Colorado reach.
More route and safety guidance
- Low water can make hazards harder to avoid and can stretch the 14-mile day with shallow dragging, while high or rising water can move wood and reduce reliable sandbar options.
- Use the Utley / FM 969 access and Fisherman's Park as the planned public access pair, and do not infer public camping or casual stopping rights from islands, sandbars, or private banks.
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Conditions
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Station details and river cameras
Station observations
USGS measurements
Measurement notes and coverage
These are observations at the station. Water depth and current can differ along your trip.
River camera · USGS
View at the gauge
Colorado Rv at Bastrop, TX. This view may be outside your paddling reach. Images are periodic and do not establish safe conditions.
Photos and recent reports
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Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
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Sources and methodology
Review source dates and published guidance below. We have not inspected this trip in person.
Why this scoreData reliability: checking
This rating reflects whether the gauge measures this part of the river, whether published water-level guidance is available, and how recently the data was updated.
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Data behind the scoreWater levels, published guidance and update times
These readings and published water-level limits help explain today’s score.
| Gauge site | Colorado Rv at Bastrop, TX |
| Discharge | Checking |
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| 24h trend | Checking |
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| Preferred range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | 200 cfs |
| High threshold | Water-level guidance unavailable |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Texas River Flows lower Colorado table |
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NotesPublished evidence and verification notes
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- Official route shapeUtley (FM 969) Bridge to Fisherman's Park, 14 mi
TPWD identifies the Bastrop Wilbarger Paddling Trail with Utley / FM 969 as the put-in and Fisherman's Park as the take-out; local outfitter notes corroborate 14 river miles and a 5-8 hour full-day paddle.
- Public endpoint coordinates30.1683, -97.4023 to 30.1119, -97.3250
TPWD publishes GPS coordinates for the Utley / FM 969 Bridge put-in and Fisherman's Park take-out.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-08-09USGS 08159200 at 579 cfs / 2.90 ft
This reading was saved when we checked the guide. It is not today’s water level. Check the current gauge and local conditions before paddling.
- Conservative low-water floor200 cfs minimum-only
Texas River Flows sets the first lower-Colorado floating-water level at 200 cfs. Treat it as a low-water cue for Wilbarger; check current conditions and do not read it as a safety limit.
- Safety and access contextFull-day route, low-water hazards, private-bank discipline
Bastrop River Co. says Wilbarger is a full-day trip that is not for beginners and warns that low-water hazards can be harder to avoid; TPWD and LCRA access records support the named public access pair.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
Other routes nearby
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