Lake Austin Fishing Report October 26, 2025

Artificial Lure here with your Lake Austin fishing report for Sunday, October 26, 2025. Sunrise hit at 6:56 AM and sunset will wrap up the day at 6:29 PM, giving us a solid 11 and a half hours of prime autumn casting. The weather this morning is classic Hill Country fall—cool start warming fast, with light wind and mostly clear skies. Water temps are holding in the low- to mid-70s, sparking more active fish movement especially as the cold fronts roll in. The bite today is marked as “average” by SolunarForecast.com, with peak activity during the major solunar windows: 7:48-9:48 AM and 8:13-10:13 PM. If you can swing it, get lines out before breakfast and consider an evening run after dinner. Early hours and dusk are your times to connect, especially with a waxing crescent moon pushing more aggressive feeding. Lake Austin’s action lately has seen solid catches of largemouth bass, white bass, and some healthy blue catfish—all thanks to falling water temps and stable conditions. Texas Parks and Wildlife records confirm consistent reports of largemouth up to 8 pounds and white bass over 2 pounds. Catfish action is also picking up, with locals landing blues in the 5–15 lb. range, prime for the skillet. For bass—best lures right now are: - **Shad-pattern crankbaits** and **swimbaits** worked along rocky points and submerged weed beds. - **Soft plastic creatures and worms** fished Texas-rigged around docks and brush. - **Topwater lures** (like poppers or frogs) have a brief window at dawn, especially near the Pennybacker Bridge flats. White bass are schooling and moving shallower; your money lures: - **Small spoons** (#12 Pet Spoon) trolled near drop-offs. - **MAL Heavy Lures** presented vertically with a “smoking” retrieve have been putting white bass and hybrids in the boat, just like Holding the Line Guide Service reports for nearby Belton. When it comes to catfish, especially blues and channels: - **Fresh cut shad**, **chicken liver**, or **stinkbait** on Santee Cooper rigs are the go-to. Set lines near deeper channels or drop-offs—below the Loop 360 bridge and along the deeper holes by the Steiner Ranch cliffs have been producing action. As North Texas e-News has been noting, as the water cools, the big blues are moving up, so fresh bait on sturdy tackle is key. Hot spots this week: - **Below the Pennybacker Bridge**: Ends of deeper weed beds and around submerged laydowns. - **Mansfield Dam area**: Classic for fall bass and catfish, especially near the discharge and deeper ledges. - **Steiner Ranch cliffs and flats**: Good for schooling bass and drifting for catfish early and late. Bigger panfish are showing up around boat docks and shaded coves; try live worms or crickets under a slip bobber for dinner-sized bluegill. Reports from local guides and anglers say the fish are transitioning, following shad and getting more aggressive with each cool snap. Tidal effect is minimal but current picks up near the dam after rains, so watch for flows th This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.