On this page you can find my latest bass fishing reports for the various bodies of water that I offer guided trips on. You can find the guide for what the scores mean at the bottom of the page.
11/12/2025 – Belton Lake is sitting about a foot low with stained 2–3 ft visibility and water temperatures around 67°. The shallow bite has been good recently with the cooling weather and wind.
The best action has come from throwing squarebill crankbaits on windblown rocky points in less than 6 feet of water. This pattern has been producing both largemouth and smallmouth, particularly in areas showing signs of active baitfish. Stay mobile and focus on spots where wind is concentrating baitfish.
Big Bass Score = 2; Numbers Score = 2; Total = 4
02/21/2026 – Inks Lake is sitting at a normal level with stained water and 2–4 feet of visibility, with water temperatures around 60 degrees. Bass are in a mix of pre-spawn and spawning phases, with fish positioned both staging and actively moving shallow as the lake continues transitioning toward the primary spawn.
One of the more consistent patterns has been fishing crankbaits and drop-shot rigs around submerged vegetation in 8–12 feet of water. Bass are using these areas as staging and spawning transition zones, and slowing down around productive stretches of vegetation can lead to multiple bites in a relatively small area.
Big Bass Score = 3; Numbers Score = 3; Total = 6
Lady Bird Lake (AKA: Town Lake)
10/04/2025 – This one was a grind. We had a tough day on Lady Bird Lake, and there wasn’t much solid information to take away. Sometimes that’s just how it goes! 😂
Lake conditions were typical for early October — normal level, around 2–3 ft visibility with a tannic tint, and warm fall temps under bright skies.
If I were heading back out tomorrow, my best bet would be to lock a flipping stick in my hands with a heavy punching rig and flip grass all day, hoping to come across a productive stretch.
Big Bass Score = 2; Numbers Score = 1; Total = 3
02/19/2026 – Lake Austin is sitting at a normal level with mostly clear water averaging 4–6 feet of visibility and water temperatures around 64 degrees. The spawn is well underway, with large numbers of bass positioned shallow and actively on beds throughout the lake. One of the most consistent patterns has been fishing inside grass lines with drop-shot rigged finesse worms in less than 6 feet of water, where bass are staging and guarding spawning areas.
There are also large schools of nomadic bass roaming open water chasing shad, which can be effectively targeted using forward facing sonar and weightless soft plastic jerkbaits. Sight-fishing remains productive, though spawning bass often require rotating through presentations to trigger bites. Fishing pressure is high as anglers take advantage of the spawn, and while water clarity is generally clear, boat traffic can occasionally stain areas across the lake.
Big Bass Score = 3; Numbers Score = 2; Total = 5
03/07/2025 – Water temp is 49-52 on the lower end and 55-57 on the upper end. Water clarity also varies from being about 4 ft visibility on the lower end to only 2 ft visibility on the upper end. The bite has slowed down quite a bit and those bigger bites have gotten tougher to come by. The best pattern we’ve had going right now is just using drop-shot rigged finesse worms around rockpiles.
Big Bass Score = 2; Numbers Score = 2; Total 4
11/09/19 – Post cold front conditions made for some difficult fishing on this day. Just make sure to get out there before or during a cold front and you should catch them really well. Did well with a medium diving crankbait along rocky shorelines just before the front came through.
Big Bass Score = 2; Numbers Score = 1; Total = 3
Lake Lyndon B. Johnson
01/17/2025 – Lake LBJ is sitting at a normal level with stained water and 2–3 ft visibility. Water temperatures are around 54°, and the lake is settling into a typical winter pattern that should become even more pronounced following the upcoming cold front.
The most consistent bite has come from fishing crankbaits and jigs in 2–10 feet of water, focusing on rocky areas and docks with hard, rock bottoms. The bass are grouped up, and when you catch one in an area, it’s worth slowing down and working it thoroughly, as there are often multiple fish holding in a very small zone.
Big Bass Score = 2; Numbers Score = 3; Total = 5
Lake Marble Falls
03/03/2026 – Lake Marble Falls is sitting at a normal level with stained water and 2–4 feet of visibility, with water temperatures around 66 degrees. Bass are in various stages of the spawn, with fish positioned shallow throughout the lake as more bass continue moving up to spawn.
Some of the most consistent bites have been coming on wacky-rigged Senkos and weightless soft plastic jerkbaits fished around rocky shorelines and docks in less than 5 feet of water. Slowing down and thoroughly working shallow cover has been key, as many of the bass in these areas are either actively spawning or staging nearby.
Big Bass Score = 2; Numbers Score = 2; Total = 4
02/10/2026 – Lake Travis is sitting about 14 feet low with stained water and roughly 2–4 ft visibility. Water temperatures are around 59°, and bass are beginning to transition toward pre-spawn patterns while still showing strong late-winter behavior.
Fishing squarebill crankbaits along rocky shorelines early in the day has produced well, but the most consistent results have come from targeting nomadic schools of bass roaming open water. These fish are following large schools of shad and are best targeted with mid-strolling presentations, though successfully chasing these schools typically requires the use of forward-facing sonar. Large groups of bass are moving frequently, but once located, it’s possible to catch multiple fish in a short amount of time.
Big Bass Score = 2; Numbers Score = 2; Total = 4
05/13/2025 – Relatively tough fishing right now. You can catch a ton of dinks, but finding better quality fish is a little tougher right now. Mostly just kind of junk fishing key areas right now with drop-shot rigged finesse worms, jigs, T-rigged ribbon-tail worms, squarebill crankbaits, and chatterbaits.
Big Bass Score = 2; Numbers Score = 1; Total = 3
Lake Walter E. Long (AKA: Decker Lake)
10/16/2024 – Boat ramp is now closed due to low water levels while the city “works on the dam.” Projected open date again is not until 2027!!!
Big Bass Score = 2; Numbers Score = 4; Total = 6
10/28/2025 – O.H. Ivie is sitting about 19 feet low with 3–4 ft visibility and surface temps in the upper 60s. The bite has been challenging lately due to strong winds, which have made it tough to effectively target fish using forward-facing sonar. Despite that, we still managed to put some bass in the boat, and conditions should improve as the weather stabilizes.
The most consistent action has come from spinnerbaits fished shallow over submerged vegetation. Anglers who can find a break in the wind can also connect with open-water bass chasing baitfish by using mid-strolling minnow-style soft plastics with forward-facing sonar. With the next calm window, expect the bite to pick back up.
Big Bass Score = 2; Numbers Score = 1; Total = 3
11/14/2025 – Stillhouse Hollow Lake is sitting at full pool with clear water around 6 ft visibility and temperatures at about 67°. The fall season is fully here, and bass are scattered. You can catch them on a variety of techniques, but finding big groups or consistent patterns has been tough lately.
There are still large schools of nomadic bass roaming the main lake chasing shad, but they are tougher to find than a few weeks ago. These can be targeted using forward-facing sonar and mid-strolling small minnow-style soft plastics. For anglers looking for bigger bites, a football jig worked along steeper, rocky shorelines has been the best bet.
Big Bass Score = 2; Numbers Score = 1; Total = 3
“Score” Guide / Key
Each report ends with a score based on two factors:
-
Big Bass Score – odds of catching a bass over 5 pounds.
-
Numbers Score – odds of catching solid keeper bass (14 inches or larger).
Both are rated on a scale of 1–5, for a maximum possible total of 10 points.
⚠️ Important: The Numbers Score counts only bass 14 inches and larger. Smaller bass under 14″ are not included, even though they can sometimes be caught in high numbers during a trip.
Here’s what the scores mean (read as: odds of a big bass / numbers of keeper bass):
-
1 – Odds are slim to none / 0–4 keeper bass in the boat.
-
2 – Low odds, but some big ones live here / 5–8 keeper bass.
-
3 – A definite “maybe” for one over 5 lbs / 9–12 keeper bass.
-
4 – Decent odds of someone in the boat hooking one over 5 lbs / 13–20 keeper bass.
-
5 – It’s on! Very good chance at a 5+ pounder / 20+ keeper bass.
A perfect score of 10/10 is rare — but if you ever see me post it, that means conditions are absolutely on fire and you’ll want to book a trip fast.
Austin Bass Fishing Guide
Austin Fishing Guide