Lake Travis fishing conditions · Texas

Now until 6 pmLargemouth bass

The bite peaks at 82.

Right now: 82 for largemouth bass, worth the trip · inside the best windowTap or drag along the water to move through the next 36 hours

Largemouth bass, hour by hour

Each float is an hour. The deeper it rides, the better the bite. The strip underneath runs daylight, dusk and dark; the red rule marks the best window. Click any hour to read it.

823 pm
82
82
376 pm
23
23
239 pm
23
23
65Sun
65
65
583 am
58
58
586 am
58
58
589 am
58
58
5812 pm
58
58
583 pm
58
58
586 pm
58
48
489 pm
48
48
55Mon
55
55

Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Water: No reading
Wind: 5 mph
Light: Daylight
Sky: Chance Rain Showers
Air: 70°F
Barometer: Falling
Moon: 5% lit

What’s biting

Each species is scored against its own water-temperature range and tide preference, then wind, weather and warnings. The rules are Texas regulations for these waters.

Largemouth bass

Micropterus salmoides

82Worth the tripNow until 6 pm

Water

No water reading here right now. Largemouth bass bite in 55–85° water, best near 72°.

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 3–25 ft down.

Keep

14" minimum · 5 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. 14" minimum, 5/day in any combination of largemouth, smallmouth, Alabama, Guadalupe and spotted bass. Some lakes have special limits: Lake Fork protects largemouth from 16 to 24", Conroe is 16", O.H. Ivie has no minimum but only 2 under 18".

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Texas

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Year-round, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on largemouth bass

Smallmouth bass

Micropterus dolomieu

82Worth the tripNow until 6 pm

Water

No water reading here right now. Smallmouth bass bite in 55–78° water, best near 68°.

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 3–30 ft down.

Keep

14" minimum · 5 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. 14" minimum, 5/day in any combination of black bass.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Texas

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Year-round, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on smallmouth bass

Striped bass

Morone saxatilis

82Worth the tripNow until 6 pm

Water

No water reading here right now. Striped bass bite in 50–72° water, best near 62°.

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 5–35 ft down.

Keep

18" minimum · 5 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. 18" minimum, 5/day striped and hybrid striped bass in any combination. Lake Texoma: no minimum, 10 a day, only 2 of them 20" or longer.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Texas

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Feb–Apr, Nov–Dec, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on striped bass

Crappie

Pomoxis spp.

82Worth the tripNow until 6 pm

Water

No water reading here right now. Crappie bite in 50–80° water, best near 65°.

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 3–20 ft down.

Keep

10" minimum · 25 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. 10" minimum, 25/day (white and black crappie in any combination). Lake Fork drops the minimum Dec 1–end of Feb, when every crappie caught must be kept; Lake Texoma is 10" and 37 a day.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Texas

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Nov–Apr, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on crappie

Channel catfish

Ictalurus punctatus

82Worth the tripNow until 6 pm

Water

No water reading here right now. Channel catfish bite in 60–85° water, best near 75°.

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 5–30 ft down.

Keep

25 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. No minimum length, 25/day channel and blue catfish in any combination, only 10 of them 20" or longer. Texoma is 15 a day; Sam Rayburn and Toledo Bend 50 a day.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Texas

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Year-round, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on channel catfish

Common carp

Cyprinus carpio

82Worth the tripNow until 6 pm

Water

No water reading here right now. Common carp bite in 52–86° water, best near 72°.

Why

Sharp 3-hour fall — fish feed hard ahead of a front. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 1–15 ft down.

Keep

no daily limit

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Texas sets no statewide bag or length limit for fish not on its list, common carp included. Grass carp are a regulated exotic with special harvest requirements.

Verified Oct 18, 2026 · Texas

Last checked 20 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Feb–Dec, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on common carp

The water

Water temperatureNo reading
Barometer30.14 inHg, falling

Sun, moon & solunar

Sunset today5:39 pm
Sunrise tomorrow6:51 am
MoonWaning crescent, 5% lit
Minor solunarToday 4:10 pm–5:10 pm
Major solunarTonight 10:30 pm–12:30 am
Minor solunarTomorrow 6:00 am–7:00 am

Solunar tables are a popular heuristic. A peer-reviewed test found they don’t predict catch on their own, so here they only nudge the score when the tide or moon already agree. How the score works

Fishing report

No current report covers these waters.

We only show reports an agency has published, with their date. Texas Parks & Wildlife publishes a report for the state.

Licenses and rules: state fishery agencies · fish-consumption advisory

About this spot

A deep, clear Highland Lake on the Colorado River just west of Austin. Steep rocky structure favors largemouth and a strong smallmouth population, with white bass and stocked stripers running the creeks. Clear water makes low light and a moving front the prime windows.

WaterReservoir
AccessPier, shore and ramp
RulesTexas
WhereTravis County · 30.4000, -97.9200

Nearby

The closest public spots we cover, with the same 36 hours of floats.

O.H. Ivie Reservoir132 mi · TexasBest now until 6 pm

79Worth the trip

Lake Conroe139 mi · TexasBest now until 7 pm

82Worth the trip

Matagorda Beach171 mi · TexasBest now until 5 pmSmall Craft Advisory

69Marginal

Port Aransas (Mustang Island)184 mi · TexasBest now until 4 pmRip Current StatementFlood Watch

69Marginal

Port Aransas Beach185 mi · TexasBest now until 7 pmRip Current StatementFlood Watch

77Worth the trip

Surfside Beach (TX)187 mi · TexasBest now until 7 pm

94Go

Questions people ask

Do I need a fishing license to fish at Lake Travis?

Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Lake Travis you need the appropriate state fishing license. See the agency's current rules: the state agency website

What fish are commonly targeted at Lake Travis?

Lake Travis is listed on this site for 6 commonly-targeted species: Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Striped Bass, Crappie, and 2 more. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.

When is the best time to fish at Lake Travis?

It depends more on the species and the day's conditions than on a fixed "best hour." Water temperature, weather, and — at tidal locations — the stage of the tide drive activity most. The per-species ranking on this page scores every target species at Lake Travis against today's live conditions, so the fish near the top are your best bets right now; check back as conditions change through the day.

What kind of access does Lake Travis have?

Lake Travis has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp.

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Lake Travis?

state agency regulations apply at Lake Travis. Size limits, creel limits, and seasonal closures are listed per species on each species page. Always confirm against the agency source linked from each regulation block — emergency closures can take effect mid-season.

Is Lake Travis tidal water?

No. Lake Travis is non-tidal — water level varies with rainfall, seasonal flow, and (where applicable) upstream dam releases rather than tidal exchange.