Lake Travis prepares for Labor Day

LAKE TRAVIS, Texas (KXAN) - A Cubano sandwich, fried shrimp and burgers were already flying out of the kitchen by Friday afternoon at the Gnarly Gar on the Lake Travis, and the final holiday weekend of the summer had barely started.

"I'm expecting for this year that we'll probably be up 10 or 15 percent from the previous year," said Todd Haynes, the owner of the Point Venture business.

Haynes said summer sales have been better than expected, even though lake levels are about eight feet lower than they were in June. But aside from the continued drought, soaring gas prices have been another challenge.

Three months ago the price at one boat gas pump was $4.39 a gallon. On Friday, it tipped $5. Despite the price, Haynes sold a lot more gas than he thought he was going to sell this summer, saying that when it's time to have fun, boaters will pay whatever the price.

"We have to raise the prices along with what's happening in the market," he said. "People that are out here on the lake, and enjoying the lake and are out here on their boats. They're going to pay what the price is on the pump."

Trustin Volesky was among them. He said he's got a bunch of friends coming this weekend.

"We're here to have fun, so were not really going to put a budget on it," said Volesky.

Ryan Garner, another boater, said low water levels are more of a deterrent than the price of fuel.

"Really, the lake level's keeping me away," said Garner. "There's nowhere to put the boat in unless you know someone that has a boat in the water."