Share your catch

Lady Bird Lake Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Austin’s downtown lake: Lady Bird holds big largemouth and Guadalupe bass under the skyline.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Flow
939 cfs
Air / High
94 / 96 F
Wind
SSE 6 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 08158000, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

2/5Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Lady Bird Lake stays in its summer rhythm: early magic, midday siesta, evening reprieve. The river is running 939 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings clear skies, wind SSE around 6 mph, rising pressure near 1012 hPa and a high of 96. Water sits around 84 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: plan around them and beat the heat.

The plan, species by species

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

Anchor on 20-30 ft baited holes with punch bait or cut shad. They keep biting through the heat when everything else quits.

Largemouth bassFair

Topwater at first light on points and seawalls, then slide out to 12-25 ft brush and points with a Carolina rig, deep crank or drop shot. The bite is dawn, dusk or deep.

White bassFair

Early schooling action over humps; slabs and small spinners under the birds.

CrappieSlow

Straight down on bridge pilings and deep brush at 15-25 ft. Minnows outfish jigs in hot water; move until the graph shows them stacked.

Tomorrow: Similar at 98 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Colorado River at Austin.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 08158000.

8381,1741,509939 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp94 F
High / Low96 / 79 F
WindSSE 6-8 mph
Pressure1012.1 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain11% cloud, 31%
Sunrise / Sunset07:09 / 19:50
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~84 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunset

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Showers, 96/79 F, wind 10 mph, rain 31%

Fair or better. A 10 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Lady Bird Lake: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Largemouth bass illustration

Largemouth bass

Best: spring and fall

The headline act on most American reservoirs. Relates to cover: docks, brush, grass edges and points. Topwater at first light on points and seawalls, then slide out to 12-25 ft brush and points with a Carolina rig, deep crank or drop shot. The bite is dawn, dusk or deep.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: Nov-Mar

Brush piles, bridge pilings and standing timber. The fish fry favorite. Straight down on bridge pilings and deep brush at 15-25 ft. Minnows outfish jigs in hot water; move until the graph shows them stacked.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Good year-round

The most reliable bite on most southern waters. Blues run big; channels fill the cooler. Anchor on 20-30 ft baited holes with punch bait or cut shad. They keep biting through the heat when everything else quits.

White bass illustration

White bass

Best: Mar-May run

River-run spawners and open-water schoolers. Fast limits when you find them. Early schooling action over humps; slabs and small spinners under the birds.

When to come: the Lady Bird Lake calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Largemouth bass
Crappie
Catfish (blue, channel)
White bass
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 84 F (estimated, not a reading).

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~84 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Lady Bird Lake today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

2/5 Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 100 F, wind to 15 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

2/5 Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 102 F, wind to 9 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

2/5 Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 99 F, wind to 9 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

Texas requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Texas license. Bass and panfish limits per current TPWD regulations; gas motors are prohibited on the lake.

Access

City park launches at Festival Beach, Red Bud Isle and others; extensive kayak and canoe rentals.

About this water

A 470-acre reservoir on the Colorado River through downtown Austin, Travis County, Texas.

Fishing Lady Bird Lake: the full guide

A city lake with real fish

Lady Bird Lake spreads about 470 acres along the Colorado River through downtown Austin, formed by Longhorn Dam and lined with trails, paddleboards and the city skyline. Beneath that urban surface lies a genuinely good fishery: largemouth bass that reach double digits, Guadalupe bass (the Texas state fish) in the current areas, plus crappie, catfish and sunfish.

Bass in the city

The lake is a no-gas-motor water, which keeps it calm and favors kayaks, canoes and electric-powered boats. Largemouth relate to the docks, laydowns, grass beds and the many shoreline structures: soft plastics, jigs and topwater in low light. The lake has produced fish over thirteen pounds, which surprises visitors who see only the paddleboards.

Guadalupe bass and current

Where the river current enters at the upper end near Red Bud Isle, Guadalupe bass hold the moving water: small crankbaits, spinners and flies on light tackle. Catching the Texas state fish within sight of downtown is a genuine novelty. Below Longhorn Dam the river continues with its own fishery, and above the lake the Colorado runs through Austin’s greenbelts.

Austin logistics

Kayak and canoe rentals abound, with launches at Festival Beach, Red Bud Isle and other city parks. Gas motors are prohibited, keeping the water quiet. Summer heat pushes fishing to dawn and dusk, which also avoids the heaviest paddleboard traffic. Every service imaginable is within walking distance.

Common questions

Are the bass really big?

Yes: the lake has produced largemouth over thirteen pounds, which surprises most visitors.

Can I use a motor?

Gas motors are prohibited: the lake is paddle and electric only, which keeps it calm and quiet.

Where are the Guadalupe bass?

The upper end near Red Bud Isle where river current enters: light tackle in the moving water.

Is fishing good at Lady Bird Lake right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Nearby waters

Lake Austin6 miLake Travis24 miLake Bastrop28 miGuadalupe River38 miGranger Lake39 miLake Marble Falls39 mi
Share your catch