Boats for Sale in Texas
Texas boating splits between huge inland reservoirs, from Lake Travis to Sam Rayburn, and a long Gulf coast of bays and lagoons where shallow-draft fishing boats are king.
Titles and registration in Texas
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) handles boat titles and registration. All motorized boats need to be registered, as do sailboats 14 feet or longer. Texas also issues ownership documents for outboard motors, so a used outboard should come with its own paperwork separate from the hull. You can do transfers at TPWD law enforcement offices and many county tax assessor-collector offices.
When buying, make sure the seller signs both the boat title and the outboard ownership record. A boat sold with a motor that has no paperwork is a common headache at the counter.
Boater education
Anyone born on or after September 1, 1993 must complete a boater education course to operate a personal watercraft, or a boat with a motor of more than 15 horsepower (or a windblown vessel over 14 feet), unless supervised by a qualified adult. TPWD runs the course.
Zebra mussels: drain everything
Texas requires boaters to drain all water from boats and onboard receptacles, including livewells, bilges and motors, before leaving or approaching any public fresh water. Zebra mussels are established in a growing list of lakes, including Texoma, Lewisville, Ray Roberts, Belton, Travis and others. Leaving a drain plug in can earn a citation, and moving an infested boat spreads them.
Where Texans boat
In Central Texas, Lake Travis and Lake LBJ on the Highland Lakes chain draw the wake and party-cove crowd. Around Dallas-Fort Worth, Lewisville, Grapevine, Ray Hubbard and Eagle Mountain are the go-to lakes, with Lake Texoma on the Oklahoma line for striper fishing. Houston boaters head to Lake Conroe or Galveston Bay. East Texas has the bass meccas: Sam Rayburn, Toledo Bend and Lake Fork, where trophy largemouth have made the lake famous.
The coast runs from Sabine Pass to the Rio Grande. Galveston Bay, Matagorda, Rockport, Port Aransas and the Laguna Madre off Corpus Christi and South Padre are full of shallow flats.
Popular boats
Bass boats are everywhere in East Texas. On the coast, the Texas-style shallow-draft bay boat and tunnel-hull "scooter" boats are built for skinny water in the Laguna Madre, and several builders are based on the coast. Pontoons and wakeboats sell well on Travis, Conroe and the DFW lakes.
Season
Practically year-round. Summer heat is the main limit, and winter fronts on the coast can blow water out of the bays for days.
Buying tips for Texas boats
Check that the TPWD registration number on the hull matches the paperwork and that the outboard has its own title. On lake boats, look for zebra mussel shells in the raw-water intake, sea strainer and trim tabs, especially if the boat lived on an infested lake. Coastal boats need the full saltwater inspection: corrosion on the trailer, the lower unit, wiring and hydraulic steering.
Texas heat is hard on upholstery, vinyl and batteries. Boats stored outdoors without a cover age fast, so price that in.
2 boats for sale
Frequently asked questions
Do outboard motors need a title in Texas?
Yes. TPWD issues ownership documents for outboard motors, separate from the boat's title.
Do I have to pull my drain plug in Texas?
Yes. Texas law requires draining all water from the boat and its compartments before leaving or approaching public fresh water.