Largemouth Bite Slow But Quality Bass on Lake Austin - Fishing Report

This is Artificial Lure with your Lake Austin fishing report.

Lake Austin’s sitting just a touch below pool and running cool in the upper 50s, with stained water and light weekday boat traffic, based on the latest Texas Parks and Wildlife report and recent guide updates. That cooler water has the largemouth bite listed as fair, but if you slow down and fish smart, there’s quality to be had.

Sunrise is right around 7:30 a.m. with sunset close to 5:45 p.m., so your best windows are the first two hours of light and then that last hour before dark when the shade lines pull fish shallow. Being a river-run reservoir, there’s no true tide, but the “tide” here is generation on the Colorado. When they’re pulling water, current seams around bridges and bends will stack fish; no flow means you’ll want to target deeper holes and grass edges.

According to the most recent Lake Austin report from Texas Parks and Wildlife, bass action has eased off from the fall “good” rating to “fair,” with fish still relating to outside grass lines, docks, and midlake structure. Earlier this week, local guides reported numbers of 1–3 pound largemouth with an occasional 4–5 mixed in, mostly on slower presentations. Schooling activity is sporadic but still happening over midlake humps when the sun gets up.

Best lures right now:
- **Slow-rolled swimbaits** and **medium crankbaits** around midlake schoolers when they pop.
- **Weightless flukes**, **wacky worms**, and **Texas-rigged creatures** along the outside grass edges.
- **Dropshots** and **finesse jigs** on deeper docks and rock transitions for the tougher midday bite.
- At night or low light, a **black/blue jig** or **Texas-rigged worm** pitched under docks can produce some of the heavier fish.

For live bait, **shiners** and **large minnows** fished around deeper docks and brush piles will still draw bites from both bass and the occasional catfish. If you’re just looking to bend a rod with kids or casual anglers, bring some nightcrawlers and target marina docks and riprap for panfish and small bass.

Recent catches reported in the Austin area include solid numbers of keeper largemouth with a few fish in the 5-pound class out of the grass, mirroring what Texas Parks and Wildlife noted in their Jan. 7 Austin report: fair overall, but good opportunities if you commit to the grass bite and slow presentations.

Couple of local hot spots to try:
- **Under and just down from the 360 Bridge**: fish the pilings, nearby rock, and any visible grass with a jig or worm. When current’s moving, a swimbait through the eddies can be money.
- **The grass and docks from Emma Long (City Park) down toward Quinlan Park**: work the outside edge with Texas-rigged creatures, then skip wacky worms under the deeper docks.

Keep your retrieve slow, watch your line, and don’t be afraid to fish that 10–20 foot range a little more than you would in summer. The big girls are around; they’re just not chasing like they were in October.

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