The 10 Best Fishing Spots Near Austin (Texas)


Are you looking to escape the city limits of Austin? The state capital of Texas is renowned for its eclectic live-music scene centered around country, rock, and blues, and its many parks and lakes are popular for hiking, biking, swimming, and boating. But where are the fish biting? This list will give you a few places to visit and hopefully catch that record-breaking largemouth.

1.   Fishing At Lake Austin

Lake Austin is stocked with an excellent largemouth bass population, with the potential for a trophy or two. Each year many bass weighing 8-10 pounds are caught. The lake also has good bluegill, redbreast, and redear sunfish populations and has low-density populations of blue catfish and flathead.

Lake Austin is popular in the summer months, with recreational boaters enjoying the water during the day, and it is best to fish at night to avoid all the boating activity. Anglers need to use caution when fishing at night.

Species To Fish For In Lake Austin:

  1. Largemouth Bass
  2. Sunfish
  3. Catfish

2.   Fishing At Canyon Lake

The largemouth bass is the most widespread and abundant sportfish in the reservoir. White bass and striped bass also provide excellent angling fun. Stripers put up an exciting fight, and angling for them is a fantastic sport as their potential for growth provides a population of large and strong fish.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department annually stocks and maintains the fishery to assist the striped bass population. Occasionally good crappie catches are made in the river along standing timber. Angling for redbreast sunfish is a fishing experience the whole family will enjoy. Blue, channel, and flathead catfish are also present in good numbers.

Species To Fish For In Canyon Lake:

  1. Largemouth Bass
  2. White Bass
  3. Striped Bass
  4. Catfish

3.   Fishing At Lake Pflugerville

Lake Pflugerville is a popular spot for fishing, swimming, canoes, kayaks, and windsurfing. It is accessed by seven fishing piers all around, and it’s a peaceful place to hunt for that next trophy carp.  Species populations include; bass (largemouth, Guadalupe, Alabama, spotted, white, yellow, and striped), carp, crappie, catfish, gar, sunfish, and trout.

Fishing is highly regulated, and you need to check the size and quantity limits in the Texas Park & Wildlife rules.  Annually a permit-free fishing day is hosted on the first Saturday in June, at Lake Pflugerville. Any other day anglers older than 16 need a permit.

Species To Fish For In Lake Pflugerville:

  1. Carp
  2. Sunfish
  3. Catfish
  4. Gar (remember to report any gars caught)

4.   Fishing At Walter E. Long Lake

Walter E. Long Reservoir is a power-plant cooling lake and contains excellent largemouth bass and hybrid striped bass populations.  Largemouth bass are commonly caught in the 8–10-pound range, but the reservoir is renowned for producing incredible numbers of slot-sized (14-21 inch) bass.

Hybrid striped bass are stocked every year, and the possibility of pulling a fish out larger than 5 pounds is good. Channel and flathead catfish are low in numbers but definitely present. The population of bluegill and redbreast sunfish is thriving, and many of these fish are more than 8 inches in length.

Species To Fish For In Canyon Lake:

  1. Largemouth Bass
  2. Catfish
  3. Hybrid Striped Bass
  4. Sunfish

5.   Fishing At McKinney Falls State Park

McKinney Falls State Park is a mere 13 miles from the state capital. Here you can go fishing in either Onion or Williamson creeks. No licenses are needed to fish from shore in a Texas state park.

Bank fishing along Onion Creek offers opportunities to catch sunfish, white bass, and catfish. In the unlikely event that you get weary of pulling in all the sunfish, you can try one of the hiking trails, or you can take a quick dip in the falls to freshen up.

Species To Fish For In McKinney Falls State Park:

  1. Sunfish
  2. Largemouth Bass
  3. Catfish
  4. Crappie
  5. White Bass

6.   Fishing At Lady Bird Lake

Lady Bird Lake, formerly known as Town Lake, is home to a booming largemouth bass population. It is pretty common for anglers to catch and release an average of 25 bass per day in the 2-3 pound size range.

This reservoir also contains some decent-sized redear and redbreast sunfish. It is a popular fishing hole for anglers wanting to snag a large carp over 30 pounds. Anglers may only use electric trolling motors or paddle boats, as outboard motors are not allowed on Lady Bird Lake.

Species To Fish For In Lady Bird Lake:

  • Largemouth Bass
  • Sunfish
  • Catfish

7.   Fishing At Barkley Meadows Park

Barkley Meadows Park is peaceful and shaded by pecan trees, and leashed dogs and kayaks are allowed. Barkley Meadows Park has access to the Berdoll pond, where the fishing is catch-and-release only, but you can also access Onion Creek, where you can hook-and-cook. Fishing along the bank offers opportunities to catch white bass, sunfish, and catfish.

Species To Fish For In Barkley Meadows Park:

  1. Catfish
  2. White Bass
  3. Sunfish

8.   Fishing At Lake Buchanan

Lake Buchanan is known for its excellent striped bass and white bass fishing. It also has populations of surprisingly good largemouth bass and Guadalupe bass. The white and striped bass run in the spring (February-May), with most of the best fishing from Beaver Creek up into the Colorado River.

Every year many large white crappies are caught in the upper end of the reservoir. Blue, channel, and flathead catfish are found throughout the lake.

Species To Fish For In Lake Buchanan:

  1. Striped Bass
  2. White Bass
  3. Catfish
  4.  Largemouth Bass

9.   Fishing At Bright Lake (Old Settlers Park)

Nestled within Old Settlers Park, Bright Lake has a fishing pier for guests and is the perfect place for family fishing outings. The lake’s waters are stocked with bass, catfish, and the occasional rainbow trout, giving novel-anglers an excellent opportunity to have a fun experience and possibly a trophy catch too.

Species To Fish For In Bright Lake:

  1. Largemouth Bass
  2. Rainbow Trout
  3. Catfish

10. Fishing At Pedernales Falls State Park

Flowing over and through huge slabs of river-carved limestone, the Pedernales River can be turbulent. But most often, it is tranquil and boasts breathtaking Hill Country views. A quick 30 miles west of Austin, this Central Texas favorite is 5 miles of prime river fishing.

Take a hike to the river and look for large flathead catfish, carp, and the Guadalupe bass.

Species To Fish For In Pedernales Falls:

  1. Guadalupe Bass
  2. Carp
  3. Catfish

Fishing Resources

Aaron Warner

Aaron Warner is an avid angler with over 15 years of experience. He has participated and won fishing tournaments all over the country and enjoys fishing for bass, trout, walleye and other species.

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