Lakeside Boat Rentals — Local services in Volente

After the tragic flooding in Kerrville, there were widespread concerns and news reports about bacterial contamination in Lake Travis. All week leading up to our scheduled rental on July 12, 2025, the news was warning about elevated bacteria levels in the lake — including E. coli. I had a boat booked with Lakeside Boat Rentals and was extremely proactive. I reached out multiple times — not only asking about bacteria levels and water safety, but also checking to see if rescheduling might be necessary or if there were any potential issues we should be aware of.

They took two days to respond to my initial email, and when they finally did, they told me there was no risk, that their part of the lake was “unaffected,” and that everything would go forward as planned. Even less than 24 hours before launch, I asked again and was told the water was “crystal clear.” They continued to downplay any concerns and gave me no indication that our trip might be canceled.

Then, on the morning of our rental, Lake Travis was officially closed to all recreational use due to dangerously high levels of E. coli. When I called, they confirmed the closure but said we could still sit on the docked boat and listen to music — no swimming, no cruising — which was clearly not what we paid for.

I want to be clear: I fully understand that the lake closure wasn’t their fault. But what was their responsibility was being honest and transparent when I was actively asking the right questions all week. If they had been upfront, I could have made the decision to ask for a reschedule early in the week — before anyone traveled from out of town and paid for hotels. Instead, they waited until the last minute, gave us false confidence, and left us with no options.

Meanwhile, other boat companies on the same lake canceled their trips that day and issued full refunds. Lakeside Boat Rentals chose not to. They exploited a deadly flooding situation for profit, gave false assurances, and left us with nothing after misleading...

My jet ski outing with Lakeside Jet Skis was so much fun! It was a gorgeous day and the scenery was beautiful. Tim (the owner) was absolutely wonderful and treated me so well. I had trouble finding the location and darn near drove my car down into the lake from a steep ramp coming down a hill - LOL! Thank goodness, Tim spotted me and flew like the wind down the ramp in his truck to intercept me and get me to stop my car and back up before I reached the point of no return and to prevent bottoming out my low-riding car on the rocky terrain.

Being handicapped, I was concerned about the 45-degree rough terrain getting down to the dock, so Tim drove me down the hill and held my hand to make sure I made it to the dock safely. He ensured I got on the jet ski without issue and he gave me great instruction on the use of the vehicle and rules of the waterway.

Mid-way through my jet ski outing, Tim came out and found me on his own jet ski to check on me and make sure I was doing okay. He had scouted some smoother water prior to finding me and he escorted me to another part of the lake where there was less boat traffic and waves so I could maybe ride at more than 11 mph speed (my own choice - nobody's fault). I enjoyed the smoother water and got up to 25 mph for a few seconds (I was so proud of myself - LOL).

At the end of my ride, Tim led me back into the right canal to bring the jet ski back to his dock. Everything went perfectly without a hitch. He made sure I got back onto the shore safely and even held my hand walking back up the steep hill. Tim really went the extra mile and made me feel very safe and taken care of all day. I'll DEFINITELY be riding again with him - probably next week! =-D Top-notch service, really enjoyable time, and extra special care from the heart....

We had a 50 person party barge rented for Labor Day weekend. We received a call yesterday canceling our trip due to mechanical issues. I do completely understand things happen! I do! But their exact words to my husband was “we are trying to give you enough time in advance!” Which meant 4 days before our scheduled boat ride the 30th. We have family & friends coming in from out of town, boat was booked long before and now we were scrambling to find something. I had to contact another company and reserve 2 boats just to accommodate all of us and spend more money than originally planned. I just feel he should have given us options to try and help out with this huge cancellation. The only option was switching our date, and giving us money off the next rental. He never offered 2 boats or any solution what so ever. I wanted to cry! It was very hard calling so many places being a holiday weekend. I know you have many good reviews and I was looking forward to using your company but with yesterdays incident I really am bothered and wish you had been accommodating with trying to help more or offer some type of solution to get us out on the water. Our deposit he said will be refunded by a company check mailed out. Not sure why they couldn’t refund us to the card on file they charged to begin with but it is what it is. Just be aware, this was a huge...