While a boat ownership rate of 19.8 vessels per 1,000 residents might not be among the highest in the nation, Texas is actually home to 4.89% of all boats in the United States for a total of more than 624,000 watercraft of over 14-feet in length. The Lone Star State has a truly unbeatable mix of boating and yachting destinations, including around 7,000 bucolic lakes and ponds, 191,000 miles of pristine river and 367 miles of wide open Gulf Coast, perfect for back-water boating and offshore cruising alike.
The biggest marina on the Gulf is the Seabrook Marina, home to over 650 slips for vessels up to 125-feet in length and boasting prime access direct onto Galveston Bay. Conveniently located for those based in Houston, you can fish for black drum, flounder and speckled trout in the Bay itself, or tack out for the Gulf and cast your line in the fresh salty seawater for wahoo, mahi-mahi, marlin and tuna. When in the area also check out the Houston Yacht Club based near La Porte. Dating from 1897, this is Texas’s most historic yachting institution, is home to an Olympic sailing silver-medallist, and is housed in vintage, stucco-lined club-house affectionately known by locals as “The Pink Palace”. Head south for sizzling hot boating close to the Mexican border at the many marinas based near Corpus Christi and the Padre Island National Seashore, a windswept coastal bar that has 65 unbroken miles of sugar white sands. Dock in at South Padre Island itself, a charming resort town, for speedboating on Laguna Madre, offshore fishing in the Gulf and the chance to spot a SpaceX lift-off or land at nearby Starbase.
The largest lake in Texas is the Toledo Bend Reservoir, a 182,490-acre body of water with around 1,200 miles of shoreline located right on the border with Louisiana. Flanked by the lush Sabine National Forest, this lake is popular with boaters seeking to float above the sunken woodlands and fishers looking to land large cat-fish and Florida Bass. Not far from here lies the Sam Rayburn Reservoir, the biggest lake located entirely within the state, which is so well-stocked with bass that it hosts regular fishing tournaments like the Bassmaster Elite Series, BASS Champs, the Toyota Series and McDonald’s Big Bass Splash.
Some of the most popular lake destinations in the state surround the Dallas-Forth Worth conurbation. Check out more than a dozen large reservoirs in this area, including Grapevine Lake, an 8,000 acre retreat perfect for fishing. The largest marina here is Scott’s Landing Marina, home to 600 wet-slips and 300 dry storage lots, full-service facilities and fine Tex-Mex dining at Big Daddy’s floating restaurant.
Texas can boast the 3rd biggest recreational boating industry in America, worth over $11.8 billion dollars per year supporting more than 38,000 jobs. Top boat-building firms located here include Skeeter Boats, who are known for high-speed bass boats and bay boats, Xpress Boats, originators of the all-welded aluminum boat, and Port Lavaca’s Freedom Boats USA, builders of shallow-water fishing boats.
Since 1964, SI Yachts has been helping our clients through the processes of buying and selling boats, many times it's their 10th or more boat sale with us. We take service very seriously and we are able to retain some of the best service talent in the industry giving us an incredible advantage when it comes making sure our customers enjoy their boating lifestyle. When you buy a yacht from us, our industry-leading mobile service team is just a phone call away. With a service facility located in Staten Island and mobile service throughout the Northeast and South Florida, SI Yachts has a true north-to-south connection for our seasonal cruising clients.
