Boat Lanes and Marker Buoy System on Toledo Bend Lake

Guide to Boat Lanes and Marker Buoys on Toledo Bend Lake

Toledo Bend Lake

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Introduction:

As of May 1, 2004, Toledo Bend Reservoir had 2,000 marker buoys and 183 miles of marked boat lanes. The boat lanes and buoy marker system is currently in a state of change. The purpose of this page is to provide you with information on the buoy marker system, boat lanes, and changes being effected by the Sabine River Authority (the agency responsible for the buoys).

Pictures:

There are pictures at the bottom of the page showing the old and new markers, one of the SRA buoy tenders, and a map of the lake and boat lanes.

Boat Lane Width:

Main boat lanes (usually North/South) are generally about 100' wide. Secondary boat lanes (usually East/West) are generally 30' - 40' wide.

North - South Boat Lanes:

The lake has over 70 miles of North/South boat lanes. All North/South lanes are marked on both sides of the lane. The North/South lanes generally follow the course of the Sabine River. Especially in the north part of the lake, the boat lanes may be somewhat winding - caution must be used to follow the lane and not "cut through" a curve as the area not in the lane is likely to have standing timber that may damage your boat. The SRA is making every effort to gradually straighten out these curves by cutting the submerged timber and re-marking the lanes with a straighter course; this has been done to a large degree on the south end of the lake. These north/south lanes are marked in two ways:

Old Markers: Red markers are on the East/Louisiana side of the lane; Green markers are on the West/Texas side of the lane. These buoys are 10" in diameter. The old markers are generally about 500 feet apart.
New Markers: All of the old markers are gradually being replaced with new markers. The new markers are 4" diameter white PVC pipe with either a red or green stripe on them (Red is for the East/Louisiana side; Green is for the West/Texas side). The new markers are ultimately planned to be about 150 feet to 200 feet apart. During this transitional stage, sometimes old markers are simply replaced with new ones, so the new ones may be 500' apart in these instances, in other instances the old markers are replaced 3 to 1 with new markers - currently this just depends on availability of new markers.
Mixed Markers: Since old markers which come loose or become damaged are replaced with new markers, it is entirely possible to go through sections of boat lanes where the markers are mixed - old and new.

East - West Boat Lanes:

All East/West boat lanes are marked with a single row of buoys in the center of the boat lane. Generally these lanes are 30' - 40' wide. CAUTIONARY NOTE: Please note that since the East/West lanes are marked with a single line of buoys and the lanes are generally not as wide, you should make it a habit to always run your boat on the windward (The side FROM which the wind is blowing) side of the buoys. Why? The buoys need enough slack in the lines mooring them to allow for the lake to be at its maximum level. When the lake is lower, there is slack in these lines and the wind will cause the buoys to float to the leeward (The side TO which the wind is blowing) side of the lane. Since these lanes are only 30' - 40' wide to start with, this can possibly leave a buoy at the very edge of the lane and as your boat goes by it if you are on the leeward side, it may be out of the lane and in danger. Staying on the windward side means you will always be in the lane. Since the North/South lanes are wider and marked both sides, this is generally not a problem with them. The east/west lanes are marked in two ways:

Old Markers: Orange markers are placed down the center of the East - West boat lanes. These buoys are 8" in diameter. The old markers are generally about 300 feet apart.
New Markers: All of the old markers are gradually being replaced with new markers. The new markers are 4" diameter white PVC pipe with a stripe on them - the stripe may be either red or green and the stripe color has no significance (stripe color for east/west lanes is determined by what is available at the time the buoy is placed). The new markers are ultimately planned to be about 150 feet to 200 feet apart. During this transitional stage, sometimes old markers are simply replaced with new ones, so the new ones may be 300' apart in these instances, in other instances the old markers are replaced with multiple new markers - currently this just depends on availability of new markers.
Mixed Markers: Since old markers which come loose or become damaged are replaced with new markers, it is entirely possible to go through sections of boat lanes where the markers are mixed - old and new.

Boat Lanes Are Changing

The SRA is gradually adding new boat lanes and changing existing ones. Certain areas (commonly subdivisions) occasionally request a new boat lane and, if the SRA favorably considers the request, this results in a new lane being added. Also, as underwater timber cutting is done new lanes may be added or old lanes, formerly following the river or creek beds, are straightened out.