Floating the Frio: What the Law Says About River Access

Under Texas law, a river is public if its streambed averages 30 feet wide from its mouth upstream. Public rivers allow boating, floating, swimming, wading, and fishing — all within the water and the streambed. Even if a private landowner holds a deed to the riverbed, the state keeps public navigation rights.

The catch: you cannot trespass on private land to get into the river. You must use a legal public access point, like a road crossing or a public park such as Garner State Park. If you float downstream and need to portage around a dam or hazard, there is no clear legal authority in Texas establishing a right to step onto private banks — the law on portage is unsettled, and doing so could expose you to a criminal trespass claim. Texas Parks and Wildlife has a plain-language FAQ on river navigation rules at tpwd.texas.gov.