Lake Austin Fishing Update: Bass, Cats, and Panfish in Peak Season

Artificial Lure here, bringing you today's Lake Austin fishing report for Saturday, August 16, 2025.

We're kicking off with weather: the early morning saw mild humidity and temps in the low 80s, rising toward the upper 90s by lunch. Winds will stay light, perfect for casting, but keep hydrated and pack extra sunscreen. Sunrise splashed the water at 6:54 a.m. and expect sunset around 8:10 p.m.--so you’ve got plenty of daylight to put fish on the deck.

Lake Austin continues its summer trend: steady bass and panfish action is what locals love. Right now, the *largemouth bass* are responding best near shaded brush, dock pilings, and grass lines. Bite windows have been strongest near dawn and again late afternoon as the sun starts to settle behind the cypress. Midday fishing is still productive if you shift to deeper structure.

In recent catch reports, anglers off Walsh Landing and the Pennybacker Bridge recorded solid numbers of 2- to 4-pound bass earlier this week, with several larger buckets in the mix. That’s consistent with Instagram chatter from Austin Rose Fishing, who mentioned multi-species hauls--five different kinds in one session, including bass, bluegill, and channel catfish. Bluegill and sunfish are stacked in coves and along riprap; worms or small plastic grubs are landing plenty according to the local pier crew.

Best baits right now:

- For **bass**: Texas-rigged soft plastics, watermelon or June bug colored, work wonders around grass and docks. Ned rigs and drop shots with finesse worms are clutch when fish are finicky--that’s a tip echoed by the Leech Lake tournament this week, and it holds true here. Topwater frogs and buzzbaits got reaction bites at first light, especially up near Emma Long Park and the Steiner Ranch cliffs.

- For **catfish**: Night crawlers and stink baits worked along the bottom are seeing steady hits, especially after dusk. Channel cats and the occasional flathead are being coaxed from deeper ledges.

- For **bluegill and sunfish**: Live worms, small spinners, or tiny crappie jigs do the trick in the shallows and around submerged brush.

If you’re looking for hot spots, don’t skip these:

- **Pennybacker Bridge (360 Bridge)**: Deep rock edges and nearby drop-offs are holding quality bass and catfish.
- **Emma Long Park shoreline**: Early morning topwater and soft plastics pay off; afternoons are good for panfish.
- **Walsh Landing**: Dock structure and adjacent grass lines are putting up good bass numbers, with bluegill biting steady.
- **Sunrise Cove, upstream of Tom Miller Dam**: Early hours are productive for lunker largemouth, especially on spinnerbaits and shad-imitating baits.

Lake Austin isn’t tidal, but typical reservoir fluctuations mean shallow fish are on the move early and late, so time your approach for low-light hours. Water clarity is decent, but after last night’s light rain, expect a mild stain in northern coves—adjust lure color accordingly.

Remember, it’s catch-and-release for most areas unless you’re out for bluegill or catfish table fare—be sure to check local regulations.

That’s it for today’s fishing forecast--thanks for tuning in and don’t forget to subscribe for more updates. 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

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Artificial lower here bringing you today's Lake Austin fishing report
for Saturday, August sixteenth, twenty twenty five. We're kicking off
with weather. The early morning saw mild humidity and tempts
in the low eighties, rising toward the upper nineties by lunch.
Winds will stay light, perfect for casting, but keep hydrated
and pack extra sunscreen sunrise. Splash the water at six

(00:21):
fifty four am and expect sunset around eight ten PM,
so you've got plenty of daylight to put fish on
the deck. Lake Austin continues its summer trend. Steady bass
and panfish action is what locals love right now. The
star largemouth bass are responding best near shaded brush, dock
bilings and grass lines. Bite windows have been strongest near

(00:41):
dawn and again late afternoon as the sun starts to
settle behind the cypress. Midday fishing is still productive if
you shift a deeper structure. In recent catch reports, anglers
off Walsh Landing and the Pennybacker Bridge recorded solid numbers
of two to four pound bass earlier this week, with
several large buckets in the mix. That's consistent with Instagram

(01:02):
chatter from Austin Rose fishing who mention multi species hauls
five different kinds in one session, including bass, bluegill, and
channel catfish. Bluegill and sunfish are stacked in coves and
a long rip. Rap Worms or small plastic grubs are
landing plenty, according to the local peer crew. Best baits
right now for asterisks, texas rigged soft plastics, watermelon or

(01:27):
June bud colored work wonders around grass and docks. Ned
rigs and dropshots with finesse worms are clutch when fish
are finicky. That's a tip echoed by the leech Like
Tournament this week, and it holds true here. Top water
frogs and buzz baits got reaction bites at first light,
especially up near Emmelong Park in the Steiner Ranch cliffs

(01:48):
for catfish, nightcrawlers and stink baits got reaction bites at
first light, especially after dusk. Channel cats in the occasional
flathead are being coked from deeper ledges. For catfish, live worms,
small spinners or tiny crappy jigs do the trick in
the shallows and around submerged brush. If you're looking for
hot spots, don't skip bees. Pennybacker Bridge three sixty bridge

(02:11):
deep rock edges and nearby drop offs are holding quality
bass and catfish. Then Emma Long Park shore. Early morning
topwater and soft plastics payoff afternoons are good for panfish.
Then Walsh Landing dock structure and adjacent grass lines are
putting up good bass numbers with bluegill biting steady. Then
Sunrise Cove upstream of Tom Miller Dam early hours are

(02:33):
productive for lunker largemouth, especially on spinner baits and chat
imitating baits. Wake Austin isn't tidal, but typical reservoir fluctuations
mean shallow fish are on the move early and late,
so time your approach for low light hours. Water clarity
is decent, but after last night's light rain expect the
mild stain in northern coves ads leered color. Accordingly, remember

(02:57):
it's catch and release for most areas unless you're out
for bluegill or catfish table fair be sure to check
local regulations. That's it for today's fish and forecast. Thanks
for tuning in, and don't forget to subscribe for more updates.
This has been a quiet please production. For more check
out Quiet Please dot ai