Post-spawn bass and stripers roam Hill Country lakes ahead of Memorial Day

What's Biting

What's Next

The Memorial Day holiday window arrives with the Highland Lakes squarely in the post-spawn transition, and that timing sets up well across multiple species.

Largemouth bass are the primary draw on Travis, LBJ, and Buchanan this time of year. Fish that have completed spawning are moving off shallow flats and staging on the first main-lake structure they encounter: points, rock ledges, and submerged creek channels in the 12 to 20-foot range. Early mornings and the final hour before dark remain the best topwater windows. As Wired 2 Fish covered this week via professional angler Justin Lucas, low-light conditions around grass, docks, and shallow cover can produce aggressive reaction bites from bass still active near the edges. Once the sun climbs, drop down: a Texas-rigged soft plastic or Carolina rig dragged along break lines is the standard summer-transition play.

Striped bass on Lake Travis should be entering their summer holding pattern. As surface temperatures climb, stripers push into the thermocline and school over deep structure. Trolling swimbaits or umbrella rigs through that layer during early morning hours tends to produce when fish are actively feeding. Long underwater points and mid-lake humps are the typical staging areas worth marking now.

Channel and blue catfish benefit from the same warming-water dynamic that makes late May productive across Texas reservoirs. Overnight sessions on humps and flats near channel edges, with cut bait or stink bait, are the standard approach for this period.

White bass, which ran strong through late winter and early spring in the Hill Country region (My Canyon Lake Fishing noted midlake schools working umbrella rigs in late February), are typically winding down by late May. Scattered fish may still be findable near river arms and creek inflows, but consistent action will require searching.

With Memorial Day boat traffic on the water, early starts before 7 a.m. will help anglers beat both pressure and the sun. The Colorado River inflow registered at 1,230 cfs as of May 24 (USGS gauge 08158000); if inflows hold, lake levels on Travis should remain stable through the weekend. Check LCRA's lake level dashboard for current pool elevation before trailering.

Context

For late May on the Highland Lakes, this period is typically considered the bridge between the post-spawn bass season and the full summer pattern. Water temperatures on Travis, LBJ, and Buchanan routinely push through the mid-to-upper 70s by the third week of May, with shallower coves on LBJ and Buchanan capable of touching the low 80s by Memorial Day. That thermal shift drives almost everything that changes in the fishery at this point in the season: bass move deep, stripers stratify, and overnight catfish windows extend.

The TPWD pause on weekly fishing reports (flagged by My Canyon Lake Fishing) is an unusual wrinkle in an otherwise routine late-May window. TPWD's reports have historically been the most reliable weekly pulse check for Texas inland conditions, and their temporary absence leaves anglers working with thinner-than-usual verified data. For anyone planning a Highland Lakes trip, the gap means relying on regional proxies and gauge readings rather than a state-curated summary.

The broader spring fishing picture across Texas has generally been positive heading into Memorial Day, consistent with what Lone Star Outdoor News describes as a record-setting season statewide. No specific comparative data for the Travis, LBJ, or Buchanan fisheries appears in the current source pool.

Lake Travis in particular can vary dramatically year to year based on LCRA management and Central Texas rainfall cycles. The inflow logged on May 24 represents a moderate, stable flow, a contrast to the drought-era trickles seen in some prior years when lake levels dropped sharply and ramp access became limited. For a Memorial Day holiday weekend, current hydrological conditions appear favorable for normal access and operation.

The My Canyon Lake Fishing data covers the adjacent Guadalupe River watershed and functions as a regional signal, not a direct read on the Highland Lakes. Anglers seeking current lake-specific intel for Travis, LBJ, or Buchanan would benefit from a call to a local tackle shop or marina before launching.