Lake Austin Fishing Report: Topwater Bites, Catfish Crushing, and Crappie Update

Good morning, fellow anglers—this is Artificial Lure with your October 3rd, 2025, Lake Austin fishing report, with all the latest from the heart of Central Texas.

We’re coming off a mild front, with overnight lows dipping into the upper 60s and afternoon highs expect to reach the low 80s. Skies are partly cloudy today and there’s a crispness in the air that’s shifting the fall fishing patterns into gear. Sunrise hit at 7:23 AM, and sunset will tuck in at 7:05 PM, so there’s still decent daylight to get your lines wet, especially for those dawn and dusk bites.

If you’re planning your outing, know that the current moon phase is waxing and we’re headed toward a full moon on the 6th—a recipe that’s traditionally excellent for night and early morning action, especially for bass and blue cats. There’s manageable wind on tap out of the south, which should keep bait moving and fish active along the wind-blown banks.

Water temps on Lake Austin have tapered to the high 70s, with clarity holding fair for this time of year—expect that signature green stain. The shad have pushed up into the creeks and coves, leading to scattered schools and surface boils around first light. Following those bait balls is where you’ll strike gold with the bigger predators.

Let’s talk catches—recent days have seen *largemouth bass* action picking up, especially early. Local tournaments last weekend brought in respectable bags, with the best stringers topping just shy of 14 pounds for five fish. Winners are focusing on shallow points and brush at daylight, then shifting deeper as the sun climbs. Topwater lures—like small buzzbaits and Zara Spooks—are doing the trick before eight, but don’t forget to slow down with Carolina rigs, green pumpkin jigs, or crankbaits off the ends of main lake points as the sun gets up. A subtle, downsized presentation is key; as one Tournament angler reported on KABZ-FM in a Hot Springs report, local bass are dialed in on smaller shad, so reach for a quarter-ounce topwater or a 4-inch swimbait if they’re chasing bait.

Catfish are still hungry all over the lake—this is the time to bring in eater blues and channel cats on cut shad, stink bait, or even a hunk of nightcrawler fished on bottom near the upper lake docks or deep bends. Bring your jug lines or rods and try shallow in the evening and deeper holes during the late morning.

White bass have been sporadic but can be found stacking up on sandy and rocky points. Vertical jigging with chrome spoons or burning a white Road Runner will get bites when you locate the schools. Don’t ignore those breaking fish at first light; keep a pencil popper or small topwater handy if you notice any surface commotion.

Crappie have been fair and scattered—target brush piles and submerged timber about 12-20 feet deep with live minnows or a two-inch black and chartreuse jig.

Hot spots? Two must-try stretches:
- **The City Park cove up by Emma Long**: Fish the edges of hydrilla for bass and check deeper creek mouths for catfish and the odd white bass burst.
- **Under the Loop 360 Bridge**: Always a classic—work the pilings and channel edge for mixed bags, especially as daylight breaks.

Wade anglers and kayakers are also reporting some nice action around the Steiner Ranch flats as shad push tight to the bank. If you’re after numbers, that’s the place at both dawn and last light.

For bait, you absolutely can’t go wrong with fresh shad or nightcrawler for cats, soft plastics and downsized topwaters for bass, and live minnows or jigs for crappie.

That’s your scoop for today from Lake Austin! Thanks for tuning in to your local lines and lures update. Don’t forget to subscribe to keep up with every hot tip and breaking bite—this has been a quiet please production. For more, check out quiet please dot ai.

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