Winds are out of the SW at 8mph, with wind gusts of 13mph. Lake Travis's water temperature & fishing - LakeMonster.com Related Links: Our morning started on a deep chunk rock near Starnes Island on the lower end of the lake. The further up river you go the more stained the water gets. Lake Travis is still fishing a little tough this month with a few active days in between. Slow down and dont over work it. A Rapala DT-10 or a Storm Wiggle wart are two good options. Make sure you can feel the bottom, maintain that contact with the rock, and give it plenty of pauses. With that said you typically dont start seeing fish actually on nests until the very end of February. I had several bass spit up bright orange crawfish last week. While this may all sound like doom and gloom, fear not! Pre-spawn fishing is a blast and it often presents you with the best chance of catching a BIG bass! April is an excellent month to fish on Lake Travis! Without going super in depth (if you want that level of info consider purchasing one of my Honey Hole Reports) I recommend having a variety of crankbaits in different diving depths as well as a swimbait tied on. I will teach you how to figure out a pattern as you are on the water and how to build on it throughout the day in order to better predict what the bass will do, rather than just hitting the same honey holes over and over. On windy days, especially when you get a drop in the barometer, I have found bass positioned suspended off the ledge willing to eat a moving bait like a crankbait or swimbait. Their goal is to expend as little energy as possible, burn as few calories as they have to, yet still feed. Fish live deep on this lake all year, so catching them in 20 feet of water right now is not uncommon at all. In the south, February is the start of great things to come. Well, there are several things I like to throw, but lets go with my top three. PHOTOS: Hail, severe storms hit Central Texas, Hill Country April 28 So what does this cold weather mean for the bass fishing? A football jig or a Texas rigged craw will also work extremely well. Each paid report comes as a .KML file opened in Google Earth, accessible on both desktop and mobile. https://www.torwicksguidingservice.com/honeyholes. As our shakey head worm crept over deep rocks our line would just become heavy and swim off. Jun 30, 2009. Bass like stability; so going deeper provides them with water that is not prone to change a whole lot. Male bass will clear away debris and sediment on the bottom of the lake creating a nest for the female to lay their eggs. They also prefer low light conditions to feed. With that said everyday more and more fish are pulling up into their spawning areas to make nests and spawn. Mix it up and experiment to see what the bass like. These feeding windows are often short lived, so dont waste time taking selfies, measuring the fish, or Face Timing your fishing buddies, get back to fishing! The Pedernales River forks off of the Colorado River at mile marker 37 and winds its way southwest. The fishing is only going to continue to get better over the next couple months! Winter is my slow season here at Torwicks Guiding Service, but one of the best times to get out on the lake with me! I had the honor of taking a young man fishing on Labor Day and he landed several bass, two being in the 4-5lb range. Some of those days with less than ideal forecasts can be some of the best fishing! Lake Travis has an abundance of deep points and deep ledges. As for the deep bite, this has been the most consistent pattern for me lately. Report. Bass will move from the creek/ river channel to feed up shallow. I love these since I can cast them far, feel the bottom easily and they dont get snagged too easily. My clear water approach begins in 15 ft or less. A few stripers up to 8 pounds have been showing up in the mix as well. On windy days I like to pick up a crankbait or a jerkbait and cover water. Winter is definitely here and the fish in Lake Travis know it too! Its the same underwater this is what I am referring to, so look for this type of bank! We decided to just fish deep today and fish very slow. A topwater bait can be productive, but that bite is mainly limited to the first hour of daylight. January in Central Texas can actually bring some very good fishing! During this time of year bass also tend to hang out in schools out deep. As soon as a couple cold fronts roll through and you see the water temps drop several more degrees the fish will get moving! Theyre my personal favorite at least! On cold bluebird sky days you really need to force yourself to slow down and give your bait long pauses. During this time of year I rely a lot on my fish finders to help me locate these offshore schools of bass. During the winter they fish slow down due to cold water, then fire back up as it warms in the Spring. Largemouth build nests up shallow in areas protected from the wind and waves. Spots like this are higher probability to hold bass as these fish living out deep dont have to travel far to find shallow water to feed in. The reason I mention this is because largemouth bass do not like to live below the thermocline. This will vary depending on weather and if we get more cold fronts. If you look around some of the deeper ledges and points, there are a lot of fish suspended and you can catch a few of these using jigging spoons. I mainly throw my moving baits, like crankbaits and top waters, in the mornings and evenings. Subtle movements with your rod tip, smaller dragging motions to the side, and a slower reeling presentation with moving baits tends to do better when the weather is hot and the water is hot. Predator species like bass will move into the coves to follow their food source. Stick to shad pattern baits until the water temps get down into the 70s, then start throwing some crawfish colors. They fight hard and are great table fare if youre looking to take some home. During the cold months the baitfish congregate in these river channels and move in condensed clouds. It is a bait I pick up selectively, throw three or four times, then set it down. On these days our best success has been on deeper flats and drops (the 15-25 ft depth) with a slow falling bait (fluke or senko). Water temps today were up to 55 degrees in the afternoon. Lake Travis Boat Club for long-term or short-term use during your stay on Lake Travis. A Ned rig and a Texas rigged creature bait are both baits that have been putting a lot of fish in the boat for me. These hold fish almost year round. Bites will be subtle but typically theyll feel like one light thump. Fish it slowly around rock and make certain to maintain bottom contact. I still have some dates in spring coming up so get your trip booked soon with Texas Hawgs, Lake Travis has been fishing well this month. were focusing on main lake points and docks with quick access to deep water nearby. A small swimbait is another bait that works year around on Lake Travis, but especially excels in the fall. If you are planning on fishing visible cover, look for areas that receive direct sunlight. A wacky rigged bubblegum colored trick worm is my favorite bait for this. Cleanups help protect marine life and the quality of the water itself. The backs of creeks also tend to warm up quicker than the main lake since they are not as deep. The fishing on Lake Travis has actually been really good lately. Bass like to spawn in shallow areas where they will not be disturbed. Look for bright spots on the bottom where the male bass has cleared away sediment from the rock with his tail. There are a variety of baits I throw but especially jigs, dropshots, ned rigs, and neko rigs. During the fall bass eat a lot of shad, however they still continue to feed on bluegill and crawfish. Structure is always something to be on the look out for as well, rock piles, ledges, or brush close to these areas will attract the fish and are high percentage places for you to cast. A jerkbait and a swimbait on an underspin head can also be very productive. We try and use the shade lines to our advantage and fish where there is a shadow cast on the water. The topwater bite in the morning has been a lot of fun. Small baits fished deep and around docks is a consistent pattern on Travis during the colder months. Travis County Parks | Frequently Asked Questions Winter is my slower season and I have more open dates. If I am not getting bit throwing a moving bait, I will then slow down and switch to working the bottom with one of those other baits. The bite on Lake Travis has been great and will only get better for the next month! Please check out my most recent video on fishing Lake Travis in the winter. 6,011 Readers. These slightly deeper, but nearby locations will contain a mix of pre and post spawn bass. Bluff walls and creek channel bends where the shoreline is fairly steep can also be very productive. We will also go in depth about how to use your electronics to find fish. February is broken up into two main patterns, winter fishing and pre-spawn fishing. The lower end of Lake Travis closest to the dam is typically much clearer than the upper end of the lake closest to the Perdenales split. Until the water gets really hot and summer gets here you can expect to have good fishing up shallow. Look for places you could imagine a bass concealing themselves in preparation to ambush a baitfish. Cover as much water as possible and fish fast! Give it a watch! Winds are out of the SSE at 8mph, with wind gusts of 17mph. The fishing will stay really good for a while longer! As of writing this at the beginning of January, water temps are still in the mid 60s! Ive had some trips catch in excess of 60 fish in one outing. Water temperature is by far one of the largest factors that influence how the bass behave and what they do. Spring is my busiest time of year, but October/ November is a close second. With the lake having risen recently due to the rain, there are a lot of weeds on the edge of the lake. . My boat is rigged with five graphs from all the major brands and is equipped with 360 degree imaging, live sonar, and every other bell and whistle imaginable. The second pattern I recommend is slowing down and fishing a Texas rigged plastic craw. This bite is referred to as a reaction bite. Strategy 1: Throw small baits and retrieve at an average speed. April 23, 2022. The lake is about to explode though with warmer weather on the way so its a great time to get out and on the fish. This time last year the lake was almost 7 degrees warmer and as you may know this plays a huge role in the fishing. During the heat of summer I find there is usually a short period of time when Lake Travis fishes tough. Those fish may have moved out deep but they still have to eat. We get far more bites using compact baits, especially when the fish arent extremely active. I like to fish this bait with the same cadence I do a jerkbait, when the bait gets out further from shore where it is deeper I like to give it a long pause to let it get closer to the bottom. Throwing the moving baits is more fun in my opinion, but sometimes the fish get lethargic or the conditions just call for slowing down. The second pattern I recommend is focusing on structure. Lets discuss both! I have caught fish from 10 feet all the way down to 35 feet. Do not expect to get bit on your first cast by any means. Of course, this fluctuates if its a hot sunny day, or if its early in the morning right after a cold night. Secondary points are points underwater further away from a primary point, often separated by a flat. April 2023. Host a fundraising event like a boat party, boat parade, water sports tournament, charity fishing tournament, or water conservation auction, and donate the proceeds . It throws off more flash and vibration and at times can make a big difference. The whites can still be caught in creeks on the main lake but there is a good number of them up river that can be caught a variety of ways including trolling. If you purchase one of my Honey Hole Reports and dont think it was worth your hard earned money I will gladly refund your purchase. They typically dont go far, maybe only a few hundred feet away, but if your casts are not through the middle of the school you wont get bit. For the cost of a couple crankbaits I will show you the patterns and spots I am catching fish on with paid clients. The A rig and the crankbait are effective ways to burn the bank and cover water. What is the Ideal Swimming Temperature? Natural colors like green pumpkin have been best, however add some orange to whatever bait you are fishing. While I do not offer guided Crappie trips, there are some nice ones in Lake Travis. You can contact Tyler by phone (512) 910-7255, or book a trip directly online. Fishing gets stupid easy and largemouth feed up gorging on seemingly any bait you throw at them. . I recommend a 3.5 or 4 inch paddle tail swimbait rigged on a ounce lead head. are all structure I find bass on. Small swimbaits and spoons that imitate the threadfin shad they are feeding on work well to trick them into biting. Also check out the background, notice how the bank is all rock? Live view forward facing sonar such as Garmin Panoptix has been vital to catching these fish when they are on the move chasing bait. For these trips the focus of the trip is to teach you to be successful on your own. I like to catch crawfish from time to time and see what color they are, in order to get a better idea of what color baits I should be throwing. I will typically start with a search bait such as a crankbait, then gauge their interest in it. Cast right on top of them when they are boiling on the surface. While this isnt the only way, I take advantage of years when the lake is low to learn the shorelines in preparation for when the lake fills back up. If you have ever considered booking a fishing trip with me, March is the month to do it! As the lake level creeps down on Lake Travis the fishing has been great the last few weeks. There are a couple key patterns that I recommend you try. Lake Travis is a gorgeous manufactured reservoir on the Colorado River, northwest of lively Austin, Texas. For these spots I recommend a drop shot, a shakey head, and a ned rig what I call the Holy Trinity of Finesse Fishing. Some fish will stay out deep offshore in their typical summertime homes, while others will make a transition and move. As a little bonus report I also have some info on Lake Travis crappie fishing for you. Right now the fish are a little mixed up. If you find yourself struggling to catch fish please consider booking a trip with me! Baits such as medium diving crankbaits, Texas rigged plastics, and drop shots are all good options to target these fish. During this time of year, there are two main patterns I fish in order to consistently find fish. For my coaching trips I like to approach the trip as if we were practicing for a fishing tournament. The evening bite has been very good. I especially like the drop shot when fishing around docks as you can effectively fish it close to the docks. This technology is incredible. Dont let the heat stop you from booking a trip and getting out on the lake with me this month! Their lives revolve around their diet, so if you find the bait, youll find the fish! Related Links: The big difference between a productive bank, and one that will only produce a few bites is structure. Not all marinas are created equal, but certain ones are holding large schools of baitfish, which attracts predator fish such as largemouth bass and white bass. You cant go wrong with a shad colored deep diving crank bait and a carolina rigged lizard or ribbon tail worm, in some variation of watermelon or green pumpkin. This type of fishing is all visual. Slowing down your retrieve, especially on calm sunny days can be the key. During the fall, crawfish become a large part of a bass diet. Wind & weather forecast Lago Vista/Lake Travis - Windfinder In the last few weeks we have been catching fish on surface baits then switching to spoons and drop shots when the schools move deep and suspend. Target the same areas discussed above, just a little further off the bank. Before getting into that I should touch on the morning bite. That is a good sign as the post spawners are starting to come out and play. Deep boat docks on the main lake will also hold suspended fish this time of year. I put a lot of work into these free reports and love sharing info, however I dont share ALL my secrets! Lake Travis in April : r/Austin - Reddit Shallow areas near deep water are especially good places to look as this is the first place fish will move out of that deeper water to in order to hunt for food. Lake Travis Weather Forecast, TX 78641 - WillyWeather Sometimes you come across areas where there is a lot of it on the bottom, this is when I will switch to a shallow diving crank such as a squarebill in order to avoid it. A trick worm in Green Pumpkin or Red Bug is an excellent soft plastic to throw this time of year. Repeated casts to high percentage targets, fishing quick, and rotating baits often will also help get you more bites. Cold water typically means fishing reaction baits or fishing plastics and jigs super slow. However, this is just a ballpark figure and there are always exceptions. We are still starting our mornings with top waters or shad imitation swim baits early. This type of transition is the first area deep schools of bait fish will pull up from, moving out of the creek channel toward shallower water. Because of this, you need to be quick to set the hook. Lower Colorado River Authority. During the end of September and the beginning of October, depending on when we first start seeing cold fronts, the lake temps will start to drop. The coldest month is January with an average water temperature of 56.7F / 13.7C. I especially recommend this pattern if you are fishing in the evening on a day thats been warm and sunny. I recommend getting on the water at gray light, Im talking about being launched and ready by 6AM. Fishing deep will still be productive and a consistent way to catch bass on those days when its bluebird skies with little wind. With the water being so clear, stick to natural colors like green pumpkin and watermelon. Its mainly about how high in the water column the fish are positioned and their level of activity. Here on Lake Travis a lot of our coves are very deep and are basically flooded canyons. You can cover water quickly, you can trigger reaction baits by choosing a bait that will bump into the rocks on the bottom, and the come in tons of realistic colors. Jigs, ned rigs, drop shots, and Texas rigs are all good ways to present a bait slowly along the bottom to entice that feeding bite. You can find these by using your side scan sonar, or even just looking on Google Earth at old satellite imagery from when the lake was low. Creature baits rigged on a Texas rig are a great way to trick them into biting! This is when they move to the shallows to build a nest and lay their eggs. Pair this up with a ounce lead head and fish it slowly just over the bottom. Lowest 31 January, 2023 26.6 F; Average 2023 59.6 F; Highest 3 April, 2023 90.5 F; With the gin clear water its very important to match the the size of your bait to the shad. You need to have the confidence that you can feel your bait hitting the bottom and be confident its down there where the fish are. Really, its times like these when Im able to hoan in and focus, making my time on the water count. This is the first time seeing the lake so low for a lot of Austins new residents, so get out there and fish it! In my previous report we discussed how the fish will move back into the coves to follow their food source of shad. Dont waste time fishing dead water and burning fuel running all over the lake! As for the crankbait, I like to throw mostly craw imitation colors such as red/ orange and brown. Everybody is saying this, but I rarely see anyone explain why the bass do this. If you dont have any of that try using red, they carry it at Academy around here. If the fish are a bit more active I prefer to fish a small football jig. The water temperature on Lake Travis is in the high 50's to low 60's, so pretty warm compared to the rest of the country this time of year! My answer is always the same spring and fall. Start by tying your drop shot with an exposed hook and a very short tag end between the hook and sinker. Keitech is typically my favorite brand, but any small paddle tail swimbait in a shad color will work. Fish the bait slow and really try to get a feel for the bottom. A Texas rig with a creature bait and a pegged weight can work very well for making accurate pitches at a bed. When they move offshore they usually are not super active even though they are schooled up. Be dynamic this time of year. Jun 28, 2009. Hot water holds less dissolved oxygen and is also less appealing to largemouth bass, they would prefer cooler temps. At this time in 2020 . Something new this year I am offering are what I call my Honey Hole Reports, these paid fishing reports are much different than the reports you can find here. These are extremely detailed reports where I give you the info on what is working to catch fish right now! The National Weather Service reported an estimated wind gust of 65 mph in Burnet County, the highest in the area. These recent cold fronts have brought colder water temps, and with it the bass in Lake Travis are changing their pattern once again. Time to buckle down and focus, because the easy fish have been picked off. What does that say about Lake Travis?? It is 63.75 miles in length, 4.50 miles wide, encompasses 271 miles of shoreline and covers 18,929 acres. These two baits are perfect for putting numbers in the boat. When bass are on a nest they become very territorial. Fall fishing is a blast, not only can you catch them on a variety of patterns but I typically see high numbers and a larger average size fish. Finding where there are ledges and drop offs along these bluff walls has been one of the best ways to target these fish. For the Texas rig I recommend a senko rigged on a small tungsten bullet weight. I look for secondary points in 20-35 feet of water so pretty deep. Lake Travis Weather The fishing on Lake Travis has been phenomenal the past few weeks! Now with that said, these fish are not easy to catch. The fishing is good now, but the best fishing of the year is still ahead of us! A quick tip is to look for Blue Herons and Egrets, these birds feed on the shad and are a dead giveaway to the presence of bait fish. Normally I see this behavior on Lake Travis in late February. I recommend a bright color such as white since it is easier to visually see when the bass has taken the bait. With that said, hot surface temps can cause a thermocline to develop in the lake. Ill take 100 degree temps over snow any day. Ex: Small Drop Shots, Small Shaky Head Worms, Small Jerk Baits, Strategy 2: Throw large baits and retrieve at a slower than average speed. It is more narrow, has smaller coves and creek arms, and the water is more stained. NOAA weather radar, satellite and synoptic charts. When fishing for these bass I recommend having four baits tied on, a swimbait, an Alabama rig, a jigging spoon, and a drop shot. Topwater Baits: a chrome pop-r or bone colored spook are great topwater options that will allow you to cover a lot of water. When I get solo clients or groups with only two anglers weve been catching a lot of fish off beds. Currently there are two main patterns I would use when targeting bass on Lake Travis. Carolina rigs with a 4 leader have been good in the late afternoon. Wednesday, April 26 top . The link above is a great video I filmed last year teaching you how to fish a crankbait this way. Lately I have found more success downsizing my swimbait selection to mimic the little threadfin shad the bass have been feeding on. Dont get fixated on throwing just one or two of your favorite baits. Currently water clarity on Lake Travis is around 4-5 feet depending on the part of the lake youre on. Do you fish Lake Travis often but unsure where to fish? Often in Southern climes, the biggest fish of the year can come during this month And I dont mean your 5 pounders. When they move up to spawn they are very vulnerable and easier for the bass to prey upon. As far as baits go, I recommend a dropshot with a small straight tail worm such as a Roboworm, a Texas rig with a curl tail power worm, or a Carolina rig with a creature bait such as a lizard or baby brush hog. The majority of the fish I have been targeting are still pre-spawn. Trooper said on April 29, around 11:56 p.m., a 2003 Suzuki . Summer conditions are still here and will be for at least the next month or two. You might give one of these a try this month for some good results. We will cover a wide variety of topics including tackle selection, rigging, what bait to throw and why, understanding seasonal patterns and how they affect bass behavior, how to read the conditions to develop a pattern, how to read your electronics more effectively, and much much more. Currently water clarity throughout the lake is a bit stained, the lower end by Mansfield Dam is still quite clear, but not by our usual standards. A wacky rigged worm on a 1/0 weighted wacky hook fished as close to the sides of the docks as possible is a good way to catch these lethargic suspended fish. As long as you stick to the main river channel, watch for hazard buoys, and keep your lake map up while driving, its still a very safe lake even as low as it is. The tail end of the shad spawn is still going on, so pay attention to the shorelines early in the morning for signs of this. Fish these baits tight to cover or as close to the docks as you can cast. Long accurate casts are the key to catching these fish. During the summer the bass spend a lot of time just hanging out in small schools. Lake Travis Water Level. Either I fish very slow, or I fish very fast. Bass want to build their nests in places they feel safe and protected. Lets not forget the night time crappie fishing. These are paid reports that I update every Thursday at 6PM and include 5+ EXACT locations on the lake where I am catching fish with my clients. Deep Offshore Fish Currently water clarity on Lake Travis is around 4-5 feet depending on the part of the lake you're on. I do experiment a lot with colors and changing them up, but when in doubt one of these three colors will get you bit. Windblown areas can also be great as they congregate bait fish and other prey species. Summer has the water very warm, as of late around 85-87 degrees, which also slows the bass down. Bass tend to spawn in waves, with fish moving up at different times throughout the spring. You have to train yourself to move a lot this time of the year, because you can bet the fish are. The fish are post-spawn at this point so they will be making their way back out to the main lake and feeding up. Areas like this are natural places for bass to congregate since its typically the only ambush spot on the bottom in these areas. Town Lake, Travis FISHING Annual Weather Averages Please feel free to visit my website, or give me a call! Lake Travis Weather Look for areas up shallower where there is deep water nearby. Water clarity is great as always; expect to find visibility 5-10 feet on the lower end of the lake, and slightly less as you get further up river, especially past the split. The dog days of summer are here and its hot out! Spring means everything is green, the bass are getting ready to spawn, and the fishing is about to bust loose! If its windy or I want to get the bait a little deeper I will opt for the hook with the belly weight. Lately the weather has been all over the place with cold fronts and stretches of warm weather. Lake Travis has a ton of bluff walls, but not all of them are created equal. Crankbaits fished in the same places I fish the topwater plugs have also been very productive. Lake Travis is a BIG lake. If you are too slow they will go back down deep and never see your swimbait. Finesse fishing excels this time of year, there are lots of other baits I throw, but what I call the holy trinity of finesse fishing is always on the deck of my boat; a shaky head, a drop shot, and a ned rig. If you are looking to up your game I would love to be your fishing coach! For largemouth bass winter time is about survival. Right now the bulk of the largemouth bass are in their pre-spawn pattern. Im looking to those warming trends as the critical hour for big fish potential.