Boating on Lake Ray Hubbard

The Closest Major Lake to Dallas

No other significant Texas lake sits as close to Dallas as Ray Hubbard. The I-30 east corridor delivers boaters from most Dallas neighborhoods to the lake in 30 to 40 minutes off-peak. This proximity shapes the entire boating culture here: Ray Hubbard sees year-round recreational boating activity that more distant lakes cannot sustain, and the weekday afternoon boating that requires a 55-mile drive to Cedar Creek is a 20-minute drive here. For DFW residents who want maximum lake time without maximum drive time, no lake in Texas offers the same calculation.

Rockwall Harbor: The Boat-Accessible Entertainment District

Rockwall Harbor on the north shore of the lake is the feature that makes Lake Ray Hubbard unique among all Texas inland lakes. The Harbor is a waterfront entertainment and commercial district with the Hilton Dallas/Rockwall Lakefront hotel, a 12-screen Cinemark theater, a civic center, multiple restaurants, retail shops, a lighthouse, waterfront walkways, and public plazas. All of it is accessible by boat. Ray Hubbard boaters can tie up at the Harbor marina, walk the waterfront, have dinner at a waterfront restaurant, see a movie at the Cinemark, and return to their boat. Summer concert events at the lighthouse draw crowds both from the shore and from boats anchored or rafted up in the Harbor approach.

There is no equivalent to Rockwall Harbor on any other Texas inland lake. It is the amenity that most fundamentally distinguishes the Ray Hubbard boating experience from everything else available within driving distance of Dallas.

Marinas and Boat Access

Lake Ray Hubbard has four primary marinas: Harbor Bay Marina and Chandler's Landing Marina on the north shore (Rockwall side), Bayview Marina on the south shore, and Elgin B. Robertson Park marina area operated by the City of Garland on the southwest shore. Marina facilities offer wet slips, dry storage, fuel, and basic services. For take-line property owners with sublease-enabled dock access, kept-at-water boat storage behind the property is the preferred option -- but marina slips are available for those without take-line structures.

Bass Pro Shops, located on the south shore of Ray Hubbard near I-30 in Garland, is another distinctive Ray Hubbard feature. The store is one of the original flagship Bass Pro locations and is accessible by car or boat from the lake, providing a full range of boating, fishing, and outdoor equipment essentially adjacent to the lake.