Lake Austin Winter Fishing Report: Largemouth, Guadalupe Bass, and Catfish

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Lake Austin fishing report.

We’re sitting on a classic Central Texas winter pattern. National Weather Service data shows cool mornings in the 40s climbing into the low 60s by afternoon, light north breeze, and clear high pressure skies. That’s pushing fish tighter to structure early, then sliding a bit shallower when the sun warms the rocks.

Sunrise is right around 7:15 a.m. with sunset close to 5:30 p.m., so your real prime windows are first light to about 10 a.m. and then 3 p.m. to dark. Lake Austin isn’t tidal, but with this steady weather and relatively stable levels, the bite has been most consistent when Austin Energy bumps flows a bit out of Mansfield Dam — watch for moving water around bridges and constrictions.

Recent chatter from local anglers and shop talk around Austin-area tackle stores says **largemouth bass** have been solid but not fast and furious: lots of 1–3 pounders, with a few 5–7 pound fish coming off docks and deep grass edges. A handful of **Guadalupe bass** mixed in up-lake around rock and current. Night fishermen are still pulling some **blue and channel cats** on cut shad and stinkbait off deeper bends and marinas.

For bass, think winter finesse with some power options mid‑day:
- **Best lures right now:**
• Green pumpkin or watermelon red **Ned rigs** and **drop‑shots** on 8–10 lb fluoro along dock walkways and retaining walls.
• 3/8–1/2 oz **bladed jigs** and compact **swimbaits** in shad colors slow‑rolled on main‑lake points – patterns that shined on nearby Lake Travis in Major League Fishing events translate well here.
• Small **jerkbaits** in translucent shad worked with long pauses over 10–18 feet.
• For dock-skippers, a 3/8 oz brown or green pumpkin jig with a beaver‑style trailer is money around the shady side of floats.

Best natural bait:
- Live **shiners** or small **bluegill** on a Carolina rig near grass edges for a bigger bite.
- For catfish, **cut shad**, **chicken liver**, or punch bait fished on the bottom in 20–30 feet off channel swings.

Couple of local hot spots to hit today:
- **Pennybacker Bridge / 360 Bridge area:** Work the pilings, nearby rock, and downstream points with a jerkbait and Ned rig. Bass have been suspending here when the sun gets up.
- **City Park / Emma Long stretch:** Docks and seawalls on the outside bends are holding a mix of largemouth and Guadalupe bass. Skip a jig or wacky worm under the docks and drag a drop‑shot along the first break.
If you want a quieter pattern, ease upriver toward Quinlan Park and target chunk rock and any remaining grass with a small swimbait.

Overall activity is “fair but steady”: you’ll work for them, but if you slow down, fish vertical structure, and let that finesse gear do its thing, you can put together a nice bag.

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