Lake Austin Depth Map & Fishing Spots (TX)

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Lake depth chart

Lake Austin, TX

Max 52 ft

Today's read

Where to start

Fall shad migration window is on — see the hatch outlook

Hatch outlook

Fall shad migrationActive window

Typical here: Sep 1 – Dec 15 · upper ends and stained creeks turn on first, the main lake follows; Deep-South creeks hold bait into December

adultall day, best mid-afternoon as the sun warms the bait — the rare pattern where you can sleep in — follow the bait, not the structure: gulls, herons and egrets diving or stacked in a creek mean the shad (and the bass) are there — run and gun until you find flickering bait or surface activity

Concentrates hard but unevenly — whole stretches go empty while one creek loads up. The birds are the map.

Creek-arm run-and-gun: lipless crankbait and squarebill through the flats and ditches, walking topwater over surface schools, a 3/8 oz spinnerbait around isolated cover along the creek channel. Downsize to match the young-of-year shad; jerkbaits are the sleeper.

The event happens over backs of creek arms, pockets and ditches, secondary points on the way in, and main-lake flats where the bait balls roam

Willow fly (summer mayfly)Active window

Typical here: Apr 1 – Oct 31 · recurring broods all summer — the heart of it is June–July, famously around July 4th on the Tennessee River lakes; any one hatch lasts days to ~3 weeks

dunhatches at dusk — clouds of bugs just before dark, continuing into the night — after hatching they fly to shoreline foliage — trees near lighted docks get covered; the feeding zone is the water under bug-loaded overhanging bushes and willows
spinnerthe following days: mating, egg drop and spent flies falling from the overhangs — the bream bite under the bushes runs as long as the bugs do

A two-level event: bream stack under the bug trees, and the big bass stack under the bream. Fish the same bushes twice — small for bream, big for the bass just outside them.

Crickets or small poppers under a float tight to the bug-covered bushes for bream; beetle spins and hair jigs just under the surface; for the bass, run a bluegill-pattern topwater or squarebill down the outside edge of the overhangs.

The event happens over under and just outside overhanging willows and bushes on steep banks; trees near lighted docks after dark

Next on this water

Spring crawfish emergence · forageFeb 15 – May 15 · in ~6 months

Shad spawn · baitfishMar 15 – Jun 15 · in ~6 months

Bluegill spawn (bream-bed bass) · forageMay 1 – Jul 31 · in ~8 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours here are generated from real agency depth surveys; use the survey badge for the provider, dataset, datum and measured coverage. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

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Recent catches at Lake Austin

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Lake Austin on the board.

Fishing Lake Austin: what the data says

1,599-acre reservoir near Austin. The lake tops out around 52 ft. The depth chart comes from Texas Water Development Board bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.

Traced from the shoreline, Lake Austin runs 1,535 acres with 54.1 miles of edge — one island included. An index of 9.9 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 86% of this chart. The basin spans about 9.9 mi end to end and 4.8 mi across at its widest. You'll find it in Travis County. For a second option, Lady Bird Lake lies 8 mi southeast.

Largemouth Bass fishing at Lake Austin

In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. Spring largemouth bass concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 8 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (8 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (8 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (10 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Deep basin (33 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Channel Catfish fishing at Lake Austin

In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 25 ft before dropping to 20 to 40 ft for winter. Spring channel catfish concentrate at Bee Creek inflow, a prime-rated inflow / creek mouth around 3 ft. Fish it in after dark and the evening and you'll meet the bite.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dusk	Bee Creek inflow (3 ft)
Summer	8 to 25 ft	night & dusk	Creek inflow (20 ft)
Fall	10 to 30 ft	dusk	Shallow feeding flat (18 ft)
Winter	20 to 40 ft	midday	Deep basin (33 ft)

Blue Catfish fishing at Lake Austin

Come spring, look for blue catfish tight to the bank in 5 to 25 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 40 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 50 ft. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 33 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	5 to 25 ft	dusk	Creek inflow (20 ft)
Summer	10 to 40 ft	dawn & dusk	Deep basin (33 ft)
Fall	15 to 45 ft	dusk	Deep basin (33 ft)
Winter	20 to 50 ft	midday	Deep basin (33 ft)

Flathead Catfish fishing at Lake Austin

Start shallow in spring: flathead catfish sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 45 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 33 ft range, prime in fall. Fish it in after dark and the evening and you'll meet the bite.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	5 to 20 ft	night & dusk	Creek inflow (20 ft)
Summer	8 to 30 ft	night & dusk	Deep basin (33 ft)
Fall	10 to 35 ft	night & dusk	Deep basin (33 ft)
Winter	20 to 45 ft	midday	Deep basin (33 ft)

Bluegill fishing at Lake Austin

The spring pattern is a shallow one: bluegill in 1 to 6 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 4 to 15 ft before dropping to 10 to 25 ft for winter. The spot to know is Back-bay flat, a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 6 ft	midday & dusk	Back-bay flat (5 ft)	1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings)
Summer	4 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (8 ft)	Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday	Shallow bay flat (8 ft)	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	10 to 25 ft	midday	Shallow feeding flat (18 ft)	Tiny spoon

Notable structure

Structure-wise the chart holds 12 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 33 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 33 ft
Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 20 ft
Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 18 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 10 ft
Secondary point: point, around 10 ft
Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 9 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 8 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 8 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 5 ft
Bee Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 3 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 2 ft
Swim Dock: dock line, around 0 ft

Public access & boat ramps

360 Bridge Boat Landing — ramp
Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp
Boat Launch — ramp

Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

Lake Austin stocking report

Date	Species	Count	Size
2026*	Lone Star Bass (fingerling)	97,369	—
2025*	Lone Star Bass (fingerling)	99,181	—
2025*	Lone Star Bass (fry)	58,035	—
2024*	ShareLunker largemouth Bass (adult)	144	—
2024*	Lone Star Bass (fingerling)	95,218	—

* Approximate date (agency reports month or season only). Source: TPWD stocking history, retrieved 2026-08-18.

Lake Austin fishing regulations

Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Texas waters are set by the Texas Parks & Wildlife — and special regulations can apply to Lake Austin specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Texas fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Lake Austin?

Lake Austin is about 52 ft (16 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from Texas Water Development Board bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.

What fish are in Lake Austin?

Anglers target largemouth bass, channel catfish, blue catfish, flathead catfish, bluegill on Lake Austin.

Where is the best fishing spot on Lake Austin?

Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Lake Austin?

For largemouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.

Is Lake Austin stocked with fish?

Yes — per TPWD stocking history records, Lake Austin was most recently stocked 2026 with 97,369 lone star bass (fingerling). The full stocking history is listed above.

What are the fishing regulations for Lake Austin?

Fishing on Lake Austin is regulated by the Texas Parks & Wildlife. Check the official Texas regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.

Nearby waters

Lady Bird Lake 8 mi · Lake Travis 15 mi · Walter E. Long Lake 15 mi · Colorado River (Austin) 23 mi · Lake Georgetown 24 mi · Lake Marble Falls 30 mi · Lake Bastrop 37 mi · Granger Lake 38 mi · Lake LBJ 38 mi · Canyon Lake 40 mi · Guadalupe River (Canyon Tailwater) 41 mi · Inks Lake 42 mi

See how Lake Austin stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Texas · best bluegill lakes in Texas · best channel catfish lakes in Texas · best flathead catfish lakes in Texas

Browse all Texas fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry: published agency survey data. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.