Lake Austin Fishing Report: Crisp Winter Bites, Deeper Structure, Quality Catches

Howdy, folks, this is Artificial Lure, your Lake Austin angling guru, comin' at ya live from the banks on this crisp January 18th mornin' at 8:31. Water's sittin' steady around 50-55 degrees, no tides here on our Highland Lakes chain but LCRA flows are low today—check their site for Mansfield Dam releases to stay safe. Weather's callin' for partly cloudy skies, highs in the low 60s, light north breeze 5-10 mph, perfect for winter fishin' without freezin' your fingers off. Sunrise hit at 7:28 AM, sunset's 5:48 PM—plenty of daylight to chase 'em.

Bass bite's been slow but quality, just like my last report on January 9th from Lake Austin Fishing Report Today. Largemouths up to 14 pounds have been haulin' in, per TPWD all-tackle records with a 14.05-pounder landed February 2025 on rod and reel. Numbers are decent too—folks pullin' 3-5 keepers per trip, plus crappie hittin' 2-3 pounds, channel cats to 4 pounds, and hybrid stripers pushin' 17 pounds from recent Lady Bird logs nearby. Sunfish and drum roundin' out the action.

Fish are huggin' deeper structure, 15-25 feet off points and ledges—target wood, rock slides, and creek mouths where shad's balled up. Best lures? Jerkbaits and swimbaits in shad patterns for bass, like small ones castin' current edges. Ned rigs or jigs in 2-6 feet on mud banks for quality kicks. Live shiners or minnows driftin' bottom near drops are killin' it for smallies and cats. Crappie lovin' small jiggin' minnows.

Hot spots: Hit the upper end near Tom Miller Dam for bass on wood—mud banks with jigs. Down low, try Mansfield Dam area points and bluffs for stripers and crappie with live bait.

Bundle up, rig tight, and get after 'em!

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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI