Early Winter Fishing on Lake Austin: Patterns, Hot Spots, and Lures to Try

This is Artificial Lure with your Lake Austin fishing report.

We’re sliding into that early-winter pattern now. Cool, stable high pressure over Central Texas has the lake calm this morning, light north breeze around 5–10, and air warming from the 40s into the 60s by afternoon according to the National Weather Service in Austin. Clear skies mean plenty of sun and a slow but steady warmup on the surface.

Sunrise is right around 7:15 a.m. and sunset about 5:30 p.m. per Timeanddate and the US Naval Observatory, so your true power windows today are first light to about 10 a.m., then that 3 p.m. to dark slide when the shadows stretch over the bluffs.

Being on the Colorado River chain, Lake Austin doesn’t have real ocean tides, but the LCRA generation schedule will make the water rise or fall a bit. When they’re pulling water this time of year, treat it like a falling tide on the coast: fish the ends of docks, channel swings, and current breaks where bait washes past.

Texas Parks and Wildlife’s latest Colorado River-chain reports say largemouth are in a mixed pattern: some still shallow around docks and bulkheads, others sliding to the first break in 10–18 feet. Recent local chatter around Emma Long and Steiner Ranch says numbers have been decent, with quality fish scattered but catchable if you grind. Most folks are reporting 8–15 bass in a half-day when they stay patient, with a couple in the 3–5 pound class.

Best producers lately:

- **Bass:**
• Finesse plastics – green pumpkin or watermelon red trick worms and creature baits on a shaky head or Texas rig around docks and rock.
• Jigs – 3/8 oz football or casting jigs in green pumpkin/brown with a matching chunk along rock walls and bluff ends.
• Jerkbaits – suspending shad patterns over 8–15 feet when the wind puts a chop on it.

- **Stripers/white bass (occasional):**
• Small chrome spoons and 3–4 inch swimbaits around schooling activity in the main river channel.

- **Catfish:**
• Channel and blue cats on punch bait or cut shad on deeper bends, especially near creek mouths and marina basins.

Live bait is still hard to beat. Local guides report live shad and small bluegill flipped tight to shady docks turning some of the better largemouth. If you’re bank fishing, nightcrawlers and shrimp will still pick up panfish and the odd cat around park access.

Couple of hot spots to key on:

- **Emma Long / City Park stretch:** Classic Lake Austin: deep water close to shore, laydowns, and a maze of docks. Work a jig or Texas rig down the rock transitions, then hit dock walkways with a shaky head.
- **Steiner Ranch / River Place area:** Current seams, bluff walls, and secondary points. A suspending jerkbait or small swimbait along those channel swings can be deadly when the afternoon sun warms that first 5 feet of water.

Midday is going to fish tougher with the clear skies. That’s your time to slow down and drag a jig, Carolina rig, or drop shot on points and ledges. The bite should tick up again as the light drops and boat traffic dies.

That’s the rundown from your buddy Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in and don’t forget to subscribe. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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