Texas fishing reports
334 reports for Texas — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Highland Lakes settle into typical August deep-water patterns
No fresh buoy or gauge readings came in for Travis, LBJ, or Buchanan this cycle, and none of today's shop, blog, or forum feeds filed a direct report from the Highland Lakes chain, so this update leans on typical August patterns for these Colorado River reservoirs rather than fresh on-the-water intel. Regionally, My Canyon Lake Fishing reports a nearby Hill Country reservoir running well above last year's pool level after recent rain, a trend worth noting since higher water on connected Central Texas lakes generally means more flooded brush and better ambush structure through late summer. On Travis, LBJ, and Buchanan specifically, expect the standard mid-August pattern: largemouth and striped bass holding deep on main-lake points and creek channels during peak afternoon heat, with catfish and white bass more catchable in low light. Check current TPWD regulations before keeping striped bass.
East Texas Bass Dig Deep Through Peak Summer Heat
Direct reports from Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn were sparse this cycle, but the closest read on East Texas conditions comes from Lake Fork Trophy Bass, whose August update describes a lake still "holding its own" after a summer of 100-plus-degree days. Water levels there remain in good shape despite heavy evaporation, keeping cover intact for bass to stay active rather than shutting down completely, per Lake Fork Trophy Bass. That pattern typically carries across East Texas's big reservoirs, including Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn, where largemouth this time of year push to deeper structure and main-lake points during the day and slide shallower to feed in the low-light hours. Crappie and white bass tend to hold over deeper brush and open-water schools through the hottest stretch. Expect a grind-it-out bite rather than a wide-open one until temperatures ease. Check state regs before harvesting, and plan trips around dawn and dusk windows.
Catfish keep firing on North Texas lakes as summer holds on
Blue catfish topping 30 pounds have kept trips busy on Eagle Mountain Lake near Fort Worth this year, with North Texas Catfish Guide reporting easy limits of big blues on its strongest days and channel catfish biting hard enough to call it "crazy" on recent main-lake trips. The same captain has flagged white bass schooling and moving through open water as a solid secondary target. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came back for Texas lakes and rivers this cycle, so treat water temperature and flow as unconfirmed until you check a local source before heading out. With mid-August heat locked in across Texas reservoirs, catfish typically stay the most dependable bite, sliding deeper and more nocturnal as surface temps climb, while largemouth bass activity generally tightens to low-light windows during peak-heat middays. Per the guide, fresh inflow and rising lake levels have been the trigger for the most aggressive feeding stretches this season.
Bull reds and slot trout fire up as Texas mid-coast piers reopen
Redfish are the story along the upper and mid-Texas coast this week. The Galveston Daily News — Reel Report notes the Sylvan Beach Fishing Pier has reopened after recent tropical systems wiped out several public piers, and results from the Redfish Series point to a solid start to the weekend. Around Seadrift, Capt. Jeff Larson has stayed busy on the mid-coast per the same report, while captains out of the Galveston Yacht Marina are turning in good reports from the jetties and the open Gulf. The upcoming Reel Dirty Drum Tournament out of Thompson's Bait Camp, which allows anglers to weigh up to two slot reds and two slot trout for heavy stringer, underscores that both species are cooperating right now. Farther south, TexasFishingTips has been filing fresh video reports out of Baffin Bay, Laguna Madre, Aransas Pass, and the Rockport-Copano/Mesquite Bay complex, signaling steady guide activity across the Corpus stretch. Beach bull redfish on lures round out the surf bite per Texas Fish & Game Magazine.
Redfish, trout hold summer patterns across Lower Laguna Madre
Texas Fishing Tips has posted three straight reports this month for Capt. Kevin Navid working the Baffin Bay and Laguna Madre area (8/13, 8/6, 7/30), a sign that guides up the coast are staying busy through the August heat. We don't have live buoy or gauge readings for the Lower Laguna Madre and South Padre stretch today, so treat water temp and tide as unknown until you check a local source before launching. Texas Fish & Game's surf report notes bull redfish are still eating fresh mullet and cracked blue crab soaked on the bottom along Texas beaches, a pattern that typically holds for South Padre's Gulf side too. Expect the usual mid-August lineup here: redfish and spotted seatrout working the flats and grass edges, with black drum and the occasional snook rounding out catches while water stays warm.
Hill Country lakes shift into low-light summer patterns
No direct buoy or gauge readings came in this cycle for Lake Travis, Lake LBJ, or Lake Buchanan, and none of this week's angler-intel feeds carry a lake-specific report for the Highland Lakes chain. The closest regional signal is nearby Canyon Lake, where My Canyon Lake Fishing reports water levels running about eight feet higher than this time last year, with boat ramps open and conditions still favorable for fishing and boating. On Travis, LBJ, and Buchanan themselves, expect the typical August pattern for Hill Country reservoirs: largemouth bass working shallow cover early and late before sliding deep as the sun climbs, striped and hybrid bass schooling on shad over open water midday, and channel catfish staying active after dark, with tonight's new moon favoring a low-light bite. Confirm current lake-specific conditions with a local shop before heading out.
East Texas bass hold strong through the summer heat
Largemouth bass are holding up better than the thermometer would suggest across East Texas reservoirs this month. Lake Fork Trophy Bass's August report notes lake levels are in good shape and still providing plenty of cover to keep bass active despite a run of 100-plus-degree days, and the same source's July dispatch credited some of the season's biggest client catches to the hottest stretches of summer, with water clarity holding good. Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn anglers should expect a similar late-summer pattern: bass pushed toward deeper, shaded cover through the midday heat but still catchable, especially around dawn, dusk, and after dark. No fresh buoy or gauge readings are available for this region today, so lean on water clarity and shade rather than a specific temperature target when picking a spot. With a New Moon overhead, low-light and nighttime bites are worth prioritizing for bigger fish this week, a pattern that tends to hold across East Texas reservoirs in August.
Eagle Mountain Lake blue cats keep working as Texas heat holds
North Texas Catfish Guide has spent the past several seasons chronicling strong catfish action on Eagle Mountain Lake near Fort Worth, describing 'easy limits' of blue catfish with multiple 30-plus-pounders during peak stretches, and a June report from the same guide noting channel catfish 'biting like crazy' alongside white bass moving through the main lake. No direct water-temperature, flow, or buoy readings came through for Texas lakes and rivers today, so this is a seasonal baseline rather than a live snapshot. Mid-August typically has Texas reservoirs sitting in full summer heat, which pushes catfish and white bass toward deeper channels, humps, and current breaks during daylight, with the better bite compressing toward dawn, dusk, and after dark. Largemouth bass activity typically eases back in the shallows under the same heat and slides toward deeper structure. Check a current regional report or local conditions before planning a trip, since nothing in today's feeds speaks specifically to August water conditions.
Red snapper limits keep Galveston boats loaded as summer bite settles
Offshore boats out of Galveston are boxing red snapper limits with regularity right now, per the Galveston Daily News — Reel Report, with bonus grouper, ling, barracuda and the occasional kingfish rounding out coolers. Inshore, Capt. Juan Cruz reported a steady bite all morning on Galveston Bay, and two additional captains out of Galveston Yacht Marina echoed good results from the jetties and the gulf. Action has thinned slightly as families wrap up summer vacations and school starts back, per the same Reel Report column, so trips may take a bit more hunting than a month ago. The CCA-Texas STAR Tournament remains in full swing through Sept. 7, per Texas Fish & Game Magazine's Aug. 2 leaderboard update, keeping plenty of anglers on the water chasing both inshore and offshore divisions. New moon tides this week should help concentrate bait and predators around structure.
Highland Lakes bass fishing settles into a dawn-and-dusk summer pattern
Wired 2 Fish's midsummer advice to target "the jumps" at first light sums up where Hill Country lake fishing stands right now: with no fresh buoy or gauge readings logged for the Travis/LBJ/Buchanan chain this cycle and no shop or captain specifically reporting on these three lakes, we're leaning on typical August patterns for the Highland Lakes. Water temperatures across Central Texas reservoirs are firmly in summer range, pushing largemouth and white bass into low-light feeding windows and deeper offshore structure through the heat of the day. Tactical Bassin's recent breakdown of where bass position once temperatures peak backs this up, along with their note that a couple of overlooked baits, jigs and swimbaits, keep producing in August even as the bite fades midday. Striper action on Buchanan and catfish activity typically hold steady through summer nights. Anglers should plan around early mornings, evenings, and heavy boat traffic on weekends.
Hill Country bass beat the August heat with early starts and deep jigs
The Colorado River gauge below the Highland Lakes (USGS 08158000) held a steady 192 cfs this morning, a modest late-summer release typical for Travis, LBJ, and Buchanan once the peak-heat pattern locks in. No direct water-temp reading came through on the gauge today, but with statewide air temps running hot, expect the reservoirs thermally stratified and largemouth bass pushed toward deeper structure and shade lines during the day. Per Wired 2 Fish, summer bass on busy recreational lakes respond best to an early-and-late approach, working the first and last light windows before boat traffic picks up; Tactical Bassin echoes that bass positioning shifts hard once the water heats, with jigs and swimbaits working slower for sluggish fish holding tight to cover. Nearby Canyon Lake, per My Canyon Lake Fishing, is running about 8 feet higher than this time last year and still rated ideal for boating and fishing, a reasonable proxy for regional lake health across the broader Hill Country chain this season.
East Texas Bass Keep Biting Through Punishing August Heat
Guides at nearby Lake Fork report big bass are still eating despite a brutal run of 100-plus-degree days this summer, a pattern that should be holding across the Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn system too, per the Lake Fork Trophy Bass August report. Lake levels there have held up well even with heavy evaporation, leaving bass plenty of cover to stay active in rather than scattering to open water. Tactical Bassin notes that by August, post-spawn bass have split into two distinct groups driven mainly by structure, forage, and oxygen, and that overlooked baits like swimbaits can save a day when the jig bite fades in the heat. Wired2Fish adds a simple tactic worth borrowing on busy East Texas reservoirs: fish the earliest and latest light to dodge boat traffic and heat stress. No live buoy or gauge telemetry is available for this region right now, so treat conditions as seasonal-typical until fresher local readings post.