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Medina Lake Fishing Report

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

The Hill Country’s roller coaster: Medina swings from full to nearly empty, and its bass fishing follows the water.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Flow
33 cfs
Air / High
96 / 96 F
Wind
E 10 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 08178980, 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.

Medina Lake stays in its summer rhythm: early magic, midday siesta, evening reprieve. The river is running 33 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings a mixed sky, wind E around 10 mph, rising pressure near 1011 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 94 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 Medina River near Pipe Creek (inflow).

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 08178980.

508211533 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp96 F
High / Low96 / 78 F
WindE 10-11 mph
Pressure1011.0 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain28% cloud, 7%
Sunrise / Sunset07:14 / 19:54
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 · Overcast, 96/78 F, wind 14 mph, rain 7%

Fair or better. A 14 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Medina 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 Medina 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 Medina 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 101 F, wind to 13 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 11 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 101 F, wind to 10 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 crappie limits per current TPWD regulations.

Access

Public and private ramps around the lake; usability depends on the current water level, which varies widely.

About this water

A 5,575-acre irrigation reservoir on the Medina River in Bandera and Medina counties, Texas, impounded 1912.

Fishing Medina Lake: the full guide

A lake of extremes

Medina Lake covers 5,500 acres at full pool northwest of San Antonio, impounded in 1912 for irrigation and famous for dramatic water-level swings: drought years drop it to a fraction of capacity, while wet years refill it and flood fresh cover. That volatility defines the fishing: when the lake is up and brush is flooded, bass fishing is excellent; when it drops, fish concentrate in the deeper canyon water.

Bass with the level

High water means shallow cover fishing: flip and pitch the flooded brush and cedar with jigs and creature baits, and work spinnerbaits along the new shoreline. Low water concentrates fish on the steep rock, points and the old river channel, where drop-shots and deep crankbaits produce. White bass school the open water in both scenarios, and striped bass appear in modest numbers.

Panfish, catfish and clarity

Crappie hold the brush and any timber, with spring the peak. Catfish work the flats and channel, and the limestone geology keeps water relatively clear when the lake is stable. Guadalupe bass show up in the Medina River above the lake, where the wading and kayak fishing is a legitimate light-tackle option in its own right.

San Antonio-area logistics

Public and private ramps serve the lake, though usability depends entirely on current level: check before towing, because low water strands several launches. Bandera and San Antonio provide services. The Hill Country setting is a draw in itself, with the Medina River and nearby state natural areas offering alternatives when the lake is low.

Common questions

How much does the level change?

Dramatically: drought years can drop it to a small fraction of full pool, while wet years refill it and flood fresh brush.

Is it worth fishing when low?

Yes, but differently: fish concentrate on the steep rock and old channel, which actually simplifies finding them.

What about the river above?

The Medina River offers Guadalupe bass on light tackle, a good option when lake levels are poor.

Is fishing good at Medina 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

Braunig Lake39 miCalaveras Lake41 miCanyon Lake47 miGuadalupe River50 miLake LBJ77 miLake Travis80 mi
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