Texas fishing reports
218 reports for Texas — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Hill Country bass go deep as summer heat arrives at Travis, LBJ, and Buchanan
The Colorado River at Austin (USGS gauge 08158000) registered 457 cfs at dawn June 13, a baseline read on inflows feeding the Highland Lakes chain. No dedicated on-water reports from Travis, LBJ, or Buchanan surfaced this cycle; My Canyon Lake Fishing notes that TPWD has paused its weekly fishing report format while a new release plan is finalized, leaving a gap in official updates for the region. Seasonal patterns remain reliable: mid-June in the Hill Country means largemouth bass are firmly in summer mode. Wired 2 Fish's summer bass breakdown confirms fish are tracking deep structure as surface temperatures climb, with productive topwater windows narrowing to first light and last light. Tactical Bassin recommends a wobble head jig paired with a shaky head worm for June offshore bass, proven confidence baits when fish are holding on structure in 15 to 25 feet. The New Moon on June 13 sets up peak feeding windows this weekend worth planning around.
North Texas Catfish Prime Time: Eagle Mountain Bite Running Hot Through June
Water temperatures have climbed to 87°F (USGS gauge 08211200), placing North Texas freshwater systems firmly in midsummer mode. North Texas Catfish Guide reports Eagle Mountain Lake is running near full pool with steady fresh inflows, describing June as "one of the best opportunities of the year" — fish are actively moving and feeding on current breaks throughout the reservoir. North Texas Catfish Guide's June 2024 field report from Eagle Mountain detailed limits of channel catfish and blue catfish on most trips, with white bass running the main lake body; conditions this year closely mirror that template. For largemouth bass, the summer shift is underway: Wired 2 Fish notes that bass push shallow at dawn on topwater before retreating to deep structure and offshore humps as heat builds through the day. Lone Star Outdoor News flags Rio Grande cichlids as a rising warm-weather target in South Texas river stretches now that rainbow trout season is closing out. The new moon today sharpens the overnight catfish bite — a timing edge worth planning around this weekend.
Sharks and Whiting Peak as Lower Laguna Madre Enters Full Summer Mode
Per Lone Star Outdoor News, summer sharks are picking up along the Texas coast, marking the arrival of peak warm-season patterns on the lower Laguna Madre and South Padre flats. Whiting are also reported biting well across the region, offering fast, table-ready action for surf casters. TexasFishingTips' Capt. Kevin Navid ran the Baffin Bay and Laguna Madre area on June 11 — one of several active captain reports from the greater Coastal Bend this week. Port Mansfield Harbor hosted the Getaway Lodge Reel Lifesaver Invitational recently, with ten tournament boats working the lower lagoon corridor under gray, overcast skies. The CCA-Texas STAR Tournament, per Texas Fish & Game Magazine, kicked off May 23 and runs through September 7, adding competitive stakes for anglers up and down the coast. No buoy or gauge readings are available this cycle. With New Moon tides arriving today, expect the most productive feeding windows around dawn and dusk on the expansive seagrass flats.
Red Snapper Running Strong and STAR Redfish Entries Building on the Texas Gulf Coast
The first two weeks of the Texas Gulf red snapper season have delivered steady quality, with Galveston Daily News — Reel Report noting fish averaging 10 to 20 pounds at the cleaning tables, with the majority falling in the 12- to 15-pound range. Inshore, the CCA-Texas STAR Tournament — which runs through September 7 — is already generating results: one red-tag redfish and one blue-tag red have been confirmed, with several more entries pending polygraph results, per Texas Fish & Game Magazine. Lone Star Outdoor News — Fishing adds that whiting are running extremely well along the surf and summer sharks are picking up on nearshore structure. Salt Strong had the Upper Texas Coast on its regional weekend game plan for June 12–14, pointing to active inshore conditions. Weather is favorable to start the weekend, but tropical moisture pushing up from the Bay of Campeche may bring rain and wind by Sunday, per Galveston Daily News — Reel Report — prioritize your offshore window early.
Summer Bass Patterns Lock In Across the Highland Lakes
Colorado River gauge 08158000 at Austin is logging 1,550 cfs as of June 12, reflecting active managed releases through the Highland Lakes chain. My Canyon Lake Fishing reports a nearby Hill Country impoundment — Canyon Lake — sitting at 58.6% capacity with boat ramps open and conditions described as 'still ideal for boating, fishing, tubing, and lakeside recreation.' With mid-June heat now dominant across the region, bass across Lakes Travis, LBJ, and Buchanan are pressing toward deeper offshore structure once the morning bite fades. Tactical Bassin's June bass coverage points to swing-head jigs and shaky-head worms as the reliable one-two punch for fish holding on main-lake points and submerged timber in the 15–25-foot zone. Wired 2 Fish notes that crankbaits — running shallow at first light, then progressively deeper as temps climb — are another high-percentage summer option. Catfish activity is at its seasonal peak across these central Texas reservoirs.
Hill Country bass push offshore as summer heat settles over Travis and LBJ
The Colorado River is running 259 cfs at the Austin gauge (USGS 08158000) as of June 12 — a low-moderate summer baseflow reflecting typical seasonal conditions feeding into the Highland Lakes chain. Direct on-the-water reports from Travis, LBJ, and Buchanan are sparse this cycle, but the broader Texas picture points clearly to a classic early-summer transition. Wired 2 Fish describes the June bass dynamic precisely: fish are shallow in the early morning chasing surface bait, then slide offshore to deep structure once the sun climbs. Tactical Bassin echoes that, flagging swing-head jigs and crankbaits as the high-percentage tools for reaching bass on submerged ledges and offshore humps. Lone Star Outdoor News notes that Central Texas anglers are now pivoting away from rainbow trout — with stocking season closing out — and turning attention to warm-water species. On the Highland Lakes, that means largemouth, stripers, and catfish are the primary targets through the summer months.
Blue catfish gorging on Eagle Mountain Lake as June water levels peak
USGS gauge 08211200 is logging 88°F water and 59.7 cfs as of this morning; summer has fully arrived on Texas freshwater. The sharpest current signal comes from North Texas Catfish Guide, who reports Eagle Mountain Lake is nearly full from recent inflows: "Fish are moving, fish are feeding, and when you get on them, it happens fast." Blue and channel catfish are the prime targets right now, with fresh water pushing bait and predators alike into active feeding windows. For bass anglers, Wired 2 Fish and Tactical Bassin (blog) both point to a classic early-summer two-zone pattern: topwater at dawn on shallow flats, then a shift to offshore structure with crankbaits or a swing-head jig as the sun climbs. Lone Star Outdoor News also highlights Rio Grande cichlids as a growing target now that trout season winds down, accessible from wade-fishing river stretches. The waning crescent moon favors low-light bites at dusk and dawn.
Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn bass shifting into early summer patterns
Lake Fork Trophy Bass's May 2026 report, the closest regional intel for East Texas bass right now, describes fish in active post-spawn recovery: the spawn is winding down and largemouth are feeding 'from shallow to deep,' accessible on almost any presentation. That picture should carry over to Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn, where the seasonal calendar runs on a similar track. USGS gauge 08030500 shows the Sabine River, which feeds Toledo Bend, flowing at 2,210 cfs this morning, a moderate rate pointing to stable lake conditions. On technique, Tactical Bassin's June bass coverage calls out the wobble head jig paired with a shaky head worm as a reliable one-two punch for offshore fish, and Wired 2 Fish notes that bass push away from the surface once the sun climbs high. Early morning topwater on the flats is the first-light window; by mid-morning, the bite moves to deeper structure.
June bass push to structure on Travis, LBJ, and Buchanan
The USGS gauge at Austin (08158000) logged 2,400 cfs on June 10, reflecting moderate outflow from the Lake Travis system as mid-June heat settles across the Hill Country. No on-lake temperature reading came through this cycle, but surface temps on Travis, LBJ, and Buchanan are typical of the mid-to-upper 70s°F range by this point in the season. Nearby Canyon Lake — another Hill Country reservoir — is at 886.46 feet, eight feet above last year's level, per My Canyon Lake Fishing, with boat ramps and recreation infrastructure fully operational. For bass, Tactical Bassin highlights wobble-head jig and shaky-head worm combos as the top early-summer technique, suited for fish transitioning to offshore structure after the post-spawn. Lone Star Outdoor News also flags Rio Grande cichlids as a growing target now that trout stocking has wound down for the season.
Red Snapper Season Delivers Quality Fish Offshore as Coastal Whiting Run Strong
The opening weeks of red snapper season have been productive along the upper Texas Gulf Coast. Galveston Daily News — Reel Report notes fish averaging 10 to 20 pounds coming across the cleaning tables, with most in the 12- to 16-pound class — offshore party boats stayed busy through the season's first week following the federal opener. Closer to the beach, Lone Star Outdoor News — Fishing reports whiting are running extremely well right now, making for fast limits and prime table fare at the surf and jetties. Bay conditions have been a mixed bag: Galveston Daily News — Reel Report flagged the recent weekend as tough, with persistent wind and pop-up showers battering Galveston Bay and making mid-bay fishing particularly challenging. The CCA-Texas STAR Tournament, now underway through September 7 per Texas Fish & Game Magazine, has already drawn entries from across the coast, signaling the start of a competitive summer season offshore and inshore alike.
Eagle Mountain blue cats on fire as Texas lakes hit summer stride
USGS gauge 08211200 clocked 91°F water on June 10, and North Texas Catfish Guide reports those warm conditions are already firing up the bite on Eagle Mountain Lake near Fort Worth. June is shaping up as one of the year's best freshwater windows: the lake is running nearly full, with fresh inflows pushing catfish into active feeding mode. The guide's current posts describe fish that are moving fast and eating aggressively, with limits of blue and channel catfish within reach on most trips. Lone Star Outdoor News — Fishing flags Rio Grande cichlids as a fun secondary target now that rainbow trout season is closing out, a solid option for light-tackle anglers across south Texas waters. Bass anglers have a path, too: Tactical Bassin points to swing-head jigs paired with shaky-head worms as the go-to combination for early-summer offshore structure, a setup producing results across Texas impoundments heading into peak summer.
Blue catfish limits piling up on Eagle Mountain as Texas summer heat takes hold
North Texas Catfish Guide reports Eagle Mountain Lake is setting up perfectly for June fishing, with the lake nearly full and fresh inflows pushing blue and channel catfish into an aggressive feed. Regional water temperatures are running hot — USGS gauge 08211200 clocked 87°F as of June 10 — consistent with the active catfish bite captains are reporting. North Texas Catfish Guide has been landing easy limits of big blue catfish, with multiple fish topping 30 pounds on recent trips, while channel catfish are biting like crazy across the lake. White bass are also on the move in the main basin. For bass anglers, Tactical Bassin highlights offshore structure as the key early-summer focus, with wobble-head jigs and shaky head worms drawing bites from post-spawn fish that have pushed off the shallows into deeper transitions.