Five Highland Lakes near Burnet County are fully infested

TPWD marks lakes Buchanan, Inks, LBJ, Marble Falls, and Travis as fully infested with zebra mussels. The animals cling to hard surfaces and can travel on boats, trailers, anchors, and gear. A short tow between Highland Lakes can still spread water and hitchhikers.

Texas requires boaters to drain water before leaving or approaching public fresh water. Remove visible plants, mud, and animals too. Keeping live zebra mussels is illegal. Cleaning and drying the boat and gear adds another layer of protection.

The legal drain rule applies statewide, not only at a lake already marked infested. TPWD's live status map is still useful because it shows where the problem is established and why careful boat handling matters so much in Burnet County.