The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has already shut down the Lake Lavon access points it plans to close permanently. The upgrades meant to make up for them haven't started yet. As of the Corps' status page updated Oct. 2, 2026, Bratonia Park, Pebble Beach Park and Little Avalon are all marked closed. East Fork Park and Avalon Park are open, and they are now the only Corps-run lake parks tied to Wylie's future. For anyone in Wylie who launches a boat, swims or picnics at the lake, this fall shows what the next several years will probably look like. You get the same two parks, the same fees and the same facilities, while a lease and a bond election are worked out.
How the Plan Came Together
The Corps' Fort Worth District started a study of Lake Lavon's recreation areas in August 2024. It covered all 17 parks the lake operated, and the question was simple: which parks to keep, which to lease to nearby cities and which to close for good. The approved plan was announced on April 7, 2026. Under it, cities will lease nine parks, the Corps will keep running five and three will close permanently.
Here is how the 17 parks were divided:
- City of Wylie: East Fork Park and Avalon Park
- City of Lucas: Brockdale Park and Highland Park
- City of Princeton: Clear Lake Park, Ticky Creek Park and Twin Groves Park
- City of Farmersville: Caddo Park and Lakeland Park
- Corps-managed: Elm Creek Park, Little Ridge Park, Mallard Park, Lavonia Park and the Stilling Basin
- Permanent closure: Bratonia Park, Pebble Beach Park and Little Avalon Park
The Corps described public support at its two public meetings as "overwhelming." That is the agency's own summary of the meetings, not a survey of Wylie residents.
What the Closures Took Off the Map
Of the three parks slated for closure, the two with the best-documented facilities are also the ones that offered free launches. The Corps' park listing is undated and may describe things as they were before the closures. It shows Pebble Beach with 21 picnic sites, a swim beach, restrooms and a free four-lane boat ramp. An older listing describes Bratonia with a free two-lane ramp and restrooms. On the current status table, the park, ramp and beach columns for Pebble Beach are all closed, and so are the park and ramp at Bratonia.
Little Avalon has less on record. It appears on the Corps' status page as closed. We couldn't find a current list of what it used to offer, so the clearest thing to say is that it is not an option this fall.
Add those closures up and the Wylie side of the lake has lost six lanes of free launching and one swim beach. Everyone who used those spots now goes to the two parks that are left.
The Two Parks Still Open
East Fork and Avalon serve different visitors, and the difference matters when you're picking one for a Saturday.
| East Fork Park | Avalon Park | |
|---|---|---|
| Status, Oct. 2, 2026 | Open: campground, ramps and beach | Open: ramp and beach |
| Boat launch | Two ramps | Four-lane ramp with dock |
| Swimming | Swim beach | Sandy swim beach |
| Overnight | 50 RV sites with electric and water, 12 tent sites with water, equestrian sites, group campground | Day use only |
| Gathering space | Picnic and day-use areas | 56 picnic sites, reservable group shelters, Hackberry Pavilion for up to 500 people |
| Posted fees | $5 per vehicle day use, $5 per day to launch, $30 a night for electric-and-water sites, $14 a night for tent sites | $5 per vehicle day use; ramp listed as free |
East Fork is the only one of the two that's open around the clock in any sense. The Corps lists it as open year-round. Its day-use area closes at sunset, and the vehicle gate stays closed from 10 p.m. to 10 a.m. If you camp, the nightly fee already covers the launch fee, so a weekend of fishing out of the campground won't cost $5 a day on top of the site.
Avalon is built for groups and day trips. Recreation.gov lists the Hackberry Pavilion's facility hours as 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Its four-lane ramp is the widest launch left on the Wylie side now that Pebble Beach has closed.
The Corps' own pages disagree on two points, so check before you load the trailer. The Corps fee and amenity pages carry no dates, which means rates and facilities may have changed since they were posted. The ramp page lists Avalon's launch season as April 1 through Sept. 30. Another Corps parks listing calls Avalon year-round, though. As of Oct. 2, the dated status table still shows Avalon's ramp and beach open, so that table is the best current guide.
The water level hasn't closed any of the remaining ramps. On Oct. 3, the U.S. Geological Survey gauge read Lavon at 488.08 feet. That's about 3.9 feet below the 492-foot conservation pool, and the reading is provisional. Even so, the Corps status table lists no ramp closures at East Fork or Avalon.
Why These Parks Won't Change Anytime Soon
The closures took effect with the plan. The improvements have to wait for paperwork. Before any city takes over a park, it has to survey the site, draw up plans, fit the work into a budget and sign a lease. Lake Manager Steve Perrin said in April that "the changes won't be seen immediately" for exactly that reason.
"I anticipate that it will take between 3-5 years to fully implement the plan," Perrin said.
Six months later, Wylie's lease is still in progress. On its bond page, the City of Wylie says it is working with the Corps to "potentially sign a lease agreement" for East Fork and Avalon. We found no public announcement of a signed lease. Until one is signed, the Corps runs both parks under its current fees, hours and facilities, the same ones in the table above.
Where Prop B Comes In
The next step on the calendar is a vote. On Aug. 11, 2026, the Wylie City Council voted unanimously to put five bond propositions totaling $90.5 million on the Nov. 3 ballot. Early voting starts Oct. 19.
Proposition B asks for $22.5 million for park improvements at Founders Park, Community Park, East Fork Park and Avalon Park. It also covers possible land purchases and the renovation of an existing building for parks maintenance. For the two lake parks, the city says bond money may pay for lighting, parking, land acquisition, and beach and waterfront improvements. The city also says the building renovation depends on Proposition D, a separate $5.5 million measure for a new Public Works complex, passing along with B.
The city's bond page also covers tax rates. Debt from Wylie's 2005 bond election will be paid off over the next three years, which lowers the interest-and-sinking part of the tax rate by about 10 cents. Any new debt issued for propositions approved in 2026 would push that part of the rate back up.
The order of events matters here. A bond can fund improvements, but the city can't improve East Fork or Avalon until it holds a lease on them, and the Corps' own estimate for finishing the whole lake plan runs three to five years from April 2026. Whichever way the vote goes on Nov. 3, a trip to the lake next spring will most likely look like a trip there this October.
Before You Head Out
A few practical checks will keep a lake day from turning into a wasted drive:
- Check the Corps' operational status page for Lavon on the morning you go. It's dated, and it's the most reliable record of which ramps and beaches are open.
- Bring cash or a way to pay the $5 day-use fee at either park, plus the $5 launch fee at East Fork if you aren't camping there.
- Plan on arriving at East Fork after 10 a.m., since that's when the vehicle gate opens, and leave the day-use area by sunset.
- Book the Hackberry Pavilion and Avalon's group shelters through Recreation.gov ahead of time. East Fork's campsites are reserved there too.
For more on everyday life around Wylie, from Historic Downtown to the lakeshore, see our Wylie neighborhood guide.
If you own or are thinking about a home near East Fork or Avalon and want to know how the lease timeline and the Nov. 3 vote might affect your plans, Alvarez Signature Group can talk through it with you directly. Robert and Lisa will keep an eye on the lease as it moves forward. Get in Touch.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
