Lake Austin Fishing Report August 2025 - Topwaters, Plastics, and Catfish Bites

Artificial Lure here with your Lake Austin fishing report for Friday, August 8, 2025. Sunrise hit us this morning at 6:49 a.m. and we’re looking at sunset around 8:22 p.m., giving you a long window to get out and wet a line. This heat dome is still doing its thing—early morning temps started surprisingly cool in the low 70s, but expect the mercury to rise to the upper 90s by afternoon, with full sun and light wind from the south. As for tides, Lake Austin being a dam-controlled reservoir means no lunar tide impacts, but look for the “moon times” to influence fish activity, especially around dawn and dusk, with peak movement forecast through August 12. Water clarity’s sitting mostly clear early, with some algae bloom creeping in during afternoons. Surface temps are holding near 84 to 87 degrees as the day goes on. The heat has driven bass deeper by midmorning, but the low-light hours are still producing strong bites. This past week, local catches have been on the upswing—anglers are reporting solid largemouth activity at sunrise, with fish up to 6 pounds pulled from main lake points and shaded bluff walls. Catfish remain steady around drop-offs and the bridge pilings, with a few bluegill and sunfish biting along docks and bulkheads, per Austin’s lakeside reports. Bass are keying in on shad and bluegill schools, so match your approach accordingly. Topwaters like a bone-colored Zara Spook or a shad-imitation Pop-R have been dynamite at first light, especially near the Tom Miller Dam tailrace and under the Loop 360 bridge. As the sun climbs, anglers are switching over to Carolina-rigged soft plastics in watermelon red or pumpkinseed, working them slow along ledges and submerged timber. If you’re after numbers, try a drop shot with a 4-inch finesse worm in morning dawn color and work the outer grass edges—they’re holding decent fish just above the thermocline. Catfish are hitting cut bait and chicken liver soaked on bottom near deeper holes, with the best bite coming in the early morning and again after dark. For bluegill and sunfish, tiny pieces of nightcrawler or redworms under a float close to boat docks have provided constant action—great for taking kids out for a quick catch. Recent catches have included plenty of largemouth in the 2 to 4 pound range, some pushing 5 to 6 pounds for those hitting the shaded stretches early. Catfish running 2 to 8 pounds are popping up for dock anglers and boaters both. A couple of monster carp were even spotted cruising the shallows in Bull Creek inlet yesterday. Bait wise, if you prefer live offerings, try shad or small bluegill for bass (just check those local regs). Otherwise, you can’t beat soft plastics or topwaters for morning action. For catfish, stick with punch bait, cut shad, or old-fashioned stinkbait. Hot spots to hit: the area around Emma Long Park—work the shaded bluff side and cast up to the weed lines. The mouth of Bee Creek and the flats near Walsh Landing have been loaded with baitfish and This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.