Lake Conroe’s 6 islands each have their own character and purpose. Here’s what to know

Since its completion in 1973, Lake Conroe has been regarded as a recreational playground of boating, fishing, camping, birdwatching and more for the Houston region. 

The lake covers a 21,000-acre area west of Interstate 45 in Montgomery County with the northern end reaching in to southern Walker County. Within the lake there are several distinctive islands each with its own character and purpose to recreation seekers and wildlife. 

Here’s what to know about the six islands within Lake Conroe:

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Basics of Lake Conroe 

According to a history of the lake from the San Jacinto River Authority, the lake was planned and constructed shortly after a record 7-year drought in the 1950s.

Through a partnership agreement, the river authority partnered with Houston and the Texas Water Development Board in 1968 to jointly construct a water supply reservoir, Lake Conroe, on the West Fork of the San Jacinto River.  

The Lake Conroe dam was completed in January 1973 and it was filled by Oct. 31, 1973, after the area received significant rain throughout the year.

Michael Hallett, a resident of the Harbour Town community on Lake Conroe, said when Lake Conroe filled there were shallow areas off the Seven Coves neighborhood that created Ayers Island and Bird Island, which rose up from the waters on the east side of the lake. 

Ayers Island 

Ayers Island is a well-known 1.5-acre island that can be reached by boat on the lake. There’s shallower swimming spots and several trees for a shady picnic. The island is maintained by the San Jacinto River Authority which mows, weeds and cleans up the island after major events like holiday weekends. 

In 2004, a $50,000 rehabilitation project took place at the island to build a bulkhead along the shoreline to prevent erosion and leveling the terrain to keep the area manageable. Boaters leaving trash on the island was also an issue and greater efforts were made to keep the island clean. 

Glass containers are prohibited on the island. Cruisin Tikis on Lake Conroe offers a three-hour swim cruise on their tiki vessel from Waterpoint Marina on the south end of the lake to Ayers Island. 

Bird Island 

Efforts are currently underway by several Lake Conroe residents to restore Bird Island off of the Seven Coves and Harbour Town neighborhoods. 

The piece of land that rises up from Lake Conroe is a roosting spot for a variety of native and migratory birds such as white “cattle” egrets, black cormorants, gray herons, ducks and the Anhinga, a black bird known more commonly as “water turkeys.” 

The migratory American White Pelican, a bird that is protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, also pass through from February to May. 

Hallett and Madi Bullock have launched a project to rehab the island. Hallett estimates the original size of Bird Island was at least 2 acres going back to the 1970s. He believes the island is now less than a quarter of an acre due to winds and erosion. It was three times that size when he moved in 17 years ago. 

They have launched the Bird Island Rescue website and are working with local agencies and elected officials on a plan for Bird Island’s future. 

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Bentwater islands 

The Bentwater community on Lake Conroe is just south of FM 1097 on the western side of the lake. 

The neighborhood has two islands that extend into the lake — Benthaven and Green Isle Beach. Both islands are attached to the main neighborhood by bridge and both are filled with nearly all waterfront homes. 

Benthaven is the larger of the two islands with approximately 40 to 50 homes on the island. Bruce Sellers, resident of Bentwater and Realtor, said they were both high spots in the lake adjacent to Bentwater when the lake was built in the early 1990s. 

Both are gated communities within Bentwater with their own homeowners groups. The groups own and maintain the bridges and the common areas of the island. 

He said the islands offer exclusive, higher-end homes. When former president Donald Trump was campaigning prior to the 2016 election, he was hosted at one of the homes on Benthaven island. 

Green Isle Beach is the smaller island with 10 homes and a park that juts out into Lake Conroe. 

National forest islands 

On the northern end of the lake, there are two undeveloped and unnamed islands within the Sam Houston National Forest. The islands are south of FM 1375 in Walker County and west of the Cagle Recreation Area. 

According to Mandy Chumley, public affairs specialist with the forest service, the islands are 11 and five acres in size, respectively.

“These islands are both accessible by water and we encourage visitors to recreate responsibly. The shoreline areas have vegetation and shallow waters; we ask that visitors respect the natural environment to ensure these areas remain pristine for future generations,” she said. 

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