Lake Austin Summer Fishing Forecast - Topwater, Plastics & Deeper Structure Bite

Saturday, August 9, 2025, the sun cracked the Lake Austin horizon at 6:48 AM with a forecast calling for clear skies and muggy late-summer warmth. We saw sunrise at 6:48 and can expect sunset just shy of 8:21 this evening, which means anglers have a healthy window of peak light activity and some cooling shade for those dusk bites. Winds are starting out gentle from the south at 5–10 mph. Lake levels remain stable, and water surface temps are running a touch above 87°F after another hot Texas week.

Fish activity has been solid, with summer patterns still holding strong. Bass anglers reported the action picking up early, with largemouth responding best during the first few hours after sunup. Topwater bites peaked with walking baits like the Heddon Zara Spook and buzzbaits thrown tight to shaded banks and clusters of hydrilla near Emma Long Park. The last two mornings, soft plastics—mainly green pumpkin and watermelon red flake stick worms and creature baits—have been the ticket once the sun rises higher. A handful of solid keepers were boated by folks flipping Texas rigs around boat docks and submerged brush, with one boat hauling in a 6-pound largemouth on a chartreuse/white spinnerbait slow-rolled near the Pennybacker Bridge.

Crappie are staging deeper on brush piles and bridge pilings, hugging the shady side. Wired2Fish and other locals favor slip float rigs paired with small live minnows or 2-inch white and chartreuse tubes. If you can find brush in 15-20 foot depths, stay patient; bites are coming light, and a subtle approach with 4–6 lb fluorocarbon maximizes hookups. Channel catfish are biting cut shad and stink baits on bottom rigs along the rocky ledges south of Walsh Landing, with a few reported blues caught overnight on fresh chicken liver.

Sunfish and bluegill action remains steady for families and the fly crowd, especially in shallower coves west of Tom Miller Dam. Live worms and crickets under corks will keep the rod bent, and micro-jigs of black or yellow work well for panfish on ultralight tackle.

Best bait for today:
- **Bass:** Topwater plugs (early), soft plastic worms, spinnerbaits.
- **Crappie:** Live minnow under slip float, 2-inch jigs in white/chartreuse.
- **Catfish:** Cut shad, stink bait, chicken liver.
- **Sunfish:** Live worm, cricket, tiny hair jig.

Hot spots to check right now:
- The shaded docks between Oyster Landing and the 360 Bridge—these have been reliable for decent size bass and crappie.
- Eanes Creek outflow at first light, especially for topwater bass.
- Deeper water adjacent to City Park (Emma Long) for a mix of bass and occasional schooling white bass pushing shad.

Recent catch reports from around the lake show most anglers landing mixed bags: 4–6 keeper largemouth bass per outing before midday, with the larger fish favoring weedlines or shade. Crappie catches have slowed a bit, averaging 8–12 per trip, mostly smaller slabs with the occasional kicker. Catfishers are doing best just before dawn and after sunset; if you’re a night owl, target rocky bottom with fresh bait and you’ll get dinner.

This week, with the heat, best results are coming to anglers who start early or fish right before dusk. As always, keep an eye out for shaded structure and bait balls—summer predators love chasing schools when the light is low.

Thanks for tuning in! Don’t forget to subscribe for updates, tips, and daily fishing inspiration. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Saturday, August ninth, twenty twenty five, the sun cracked the
Lake Austin horizon at six forty eight a m. With
a forecast calling for clear skies and muggy late summer warmth.
We saw sunrise at six forty eight and can expect
sunset just shy of eight twenty one this evening, which
means anglers have a healthy window of peak light activity
and some cooling shade for those dusk bites. Winds are

(00:21):
starting out gentle from the south at five to ten
miles per hour. Lake levels remain stable and water surface
tempts are running a touch above eighty seven degrees fahrenheit.
After another hot Texas week, fish activity has been solid,
with summer patterns still holding strong. Bass anglers reported the
action picking up early, with large mouth responding best during

(00:41):
the first few hours after sun up. Top water bites peaked,
with walking baits like the head and zaraspook and buzz
baits thrown tight to shaded banks and clusters of hydrilla
near Emmelong Park. The last two mornings, soft plastics mainly
green pumptin and watermelon, red flake, stickworms and creature baits
have been the tilicket once the sun rises higher. A

(01:02):
handful of solid keepers were boted by folks flipping Texas
rigs around boat docks and submerged brush with one boat
hauling in a six pound large mouth on a Chartura's
white spinner bait, slow rolled near the Pennybacker bridge crappy
or staging deeper on brush piles and bridge pilings, hugging
the shady side. Wired two fish and other locals favor

(01:23):
slip float rigs paired with small live minnows or two
dash inch white and chartreuse tubes. If you can find
brush in fifteen to twenty foot depths, stay patient. Bites
are coming light and a subtle approach with four to
six pound flora carbon maximizes hookups. Channel catfish are bit
and cut shad and stink baits on bottom rigs along

(01:44):
the rocky ledges south of Walsh Landing, with a few
reported blues caught overnight on fresh chicken liver. Sunfish and
bluegill action remains steady for families in the fly crowd,
especially in shallower coves west of Tom Miller. Dan Live
worms and crickets under quarks will keep the rod bent
and micro jegs of black or yellow work well for

(02:04):
panfish on ultra light tackle. Best bait for today mess
copwater plugs, topwater plugs, spinner baits, crappie, live minnow, under
slip float, two inch jigs and white chartreuse cutshad, stink bait,
chicken liver, sunfish, live worm, cricket, tiny hair jig. Hot

(02:25):
spots to check right now the shaded docks between Oyster
Landing and the three sixty bridge. These have been reliable
for decent sized bass and crappy ain's creak outflow at
first light, especially for topwater bass. Deeper water adjacent to
City Park Emma long for a mix of bass and
occasional schooling white bass, push and shad. Recent catch reports

(02:47):
from around the lake show most anglers landing mixed bags
four at a six keeper largemouth bass per outing before midday,
with the larger fish favoring weed lines or shade. Crappy
catches have slowed a bit, averaging eight to twelve per trip.
Mostly smaller slabs with the occasional kicker catfishers are doing
best just before dawn and after sunset. If you're a

(03:09):
night out, target rocky bottom with fresh bait and you'll
get dinner this week. With the heat, best results are
coming to anglers who start early or fish right before dusk.
As always, keep an eye out for shaded structure and
bait balls. Summer predators love chasing schools when the light
is low. Thanks for tuning in. Don't forget to subscribe

(03:30):
for updates, tips and daily fishing inspiration. This has been
a quiet Please production. For more check out Quiet Please
dot ai