Posted: Tue, 5 Jul 2011 11:56 AM - 15,301 Readers

By: Jeff Stensland

The hot weather of the Fourth of July weekend had many Central Texans hitting area lakes. In fact, some sought smaller crowds and chose smaller lakes as a result.

Lake excursions are normal for Cherie Littles and her neighbors. They visited Lake Pflugerville for the first time Saturday.

“Decker Lake and Lake Travis,” Littles said. “You know, we dabble.”

Also on Littles’ list was a place where they could relax and not be overwhelmed by droves of people. A unique spot on Lake Pflugerville's south shore seemed to fit.

“It's probably going to get crowded at Lake Travis and all,” Little said.

The Littles said there are a lot of places outside of Lake Travis, Lake Austin and Lady Bird Lake where you can find warm water and beachfront, as well as have a lot of fun.

Saturday was also the first-ever swim for nine-week-old Waylan. The black lab is the newest addition to the Tessman family. They just moved to the Austin suburb of Pflugerville this past week from Wisconsin. A neighbor told them to try Lake Pflugerville.

“They said they came out here and ran 5Ks and that kind of stuff,” Chris Tessmann said. “It's a beautiful lake and a good place for the family to go.”

Tessmann also liked the safety he felt with the smaller setting, since he could watch his young daughter more closely. It's a spot Tessman says will be at the top of his family's list of lakes.

“Hopefully it won't get too crowded,” he said. “It's a nice place for an afternoon.”

If you’re heading out to area lakes or parks, you'll want to think twice before you pack for your outing. Take food that does not need to be cooked, since open flames are not allowed at most area parks due to the extreme drought.