Frequently Asked Questions

What riverfront ranch properties are available through HRC Ranch in Texas and Oklahoma?

HRC Ranch riverfront listings include properties with direct frontage on the Brazos, Colorado, Guadalupe, Frio, Nueces, Llano, Sabinal, and Medina rivers in Texas, as well as the Red River along the Texas-Oklahoma border and the Arkansas, Illinois, and North Canadian rivers in Oklahoma.

River frontage in the Texas Hill Country on the Guadalupe, Frio, and Nueces commands a strong premium because spring-fed clear water flowing through limestone terrain creates swimming holes, tubing runs, and bass and catfish fishing in a landscape that is visually distinctive from the surrounding brushland.

Red River bottom properties on the Texas-Oklahoma border combine riverine timber habitat, outstanding whitetail hunting in the draws and bottoms, and productive sandy loam cropland on the terraces. Oklahoma’s Illinois River in Sequoyah and Cherokee counties is a popular float fishing river with private frontage commanding premiums above comparable upland ground in the same county.

How much more does riverfrontage add to a Texas or Oklahoma ranch value?

Riverfrontage adds a significant and quantifiable premium to Texas and Oklahoma ranch values, with the magnitude depending on the specific river’s reputation and the nature of the water.

  • On Hill Country rivers with spring-fed flow and swimming hole quality, frontage premiums of 1,000 to 4,000 dollars per front foot above comparable upland value are common for the Guadalupe, Frio, and Nueces. A 500-acre Hill Country ranch with 1,500 feet of Frio River frontage might be priced 30 to 50 percent above an otherwise identical 500-acre ranch without river access in the same county.
  • On less iconic but still functional streams in North Texas and Oklahoma, river or creek frontage adds 20 to 40 percent to comparable upland values primarily because of the deer and turkey hunting improvement that riparian timber provides.

Intermittent creek frontage that only flows seasonally adds less value than perennial streams but still commands a premium over completely dry range land in the same area.

What fishing is available on Texas Hill Country riverfront properties?

Texas Hill Country riverfront properties offer fishing for Guadalupe bass, largemouth bass, catfish, sunfish, and seasonal rainbow and brown trout on the stocked stretch of the upper Guadalupe River near Hunt and Ingram.

The Guadalupe bass is the Texas state fish, native only to the Edwards Plateau river systems, and catching them on light tackle in clear spring-fed pools is a distinctly regional experience. The Frio River near Leakey and Concan and the Sabinal River near Utopia also produce good bass and catfish fishing on private reaches.

Landowners control access to their bank and can exclude non-invited anglers from entering their property, but the public retains the right to fish from the water itself when the river is navigable under Texas law. The navigability question is legally complex on many Hill Country rivers and HRC Ranch recommends buyers with specific exclusivity expectations consult a Texas water law attorney before purchasing.