Lake Travis Fall Fishing Report - September 28, 2026
The fall transition is finally here! For those unfamiliar, this marks something special... this is when the days start getting shorter and the water temps start getting a bit cooler. With it brings a big change in the fish's behaviour and patterns that are working. As of yesterday when I was on the lake the water temps were around 84-86 degrees with water clarity around a few feet depending on what part of the lake you are on.
The big trend you are going to start noticing is a big change in where the large schools of shad are in the lake. Threadfin shad in particular are fragile little creatures. During the heat of the summer the shallow parts of the lake get very hot and levels of dissolved oxygen are low, this isn't ideal for shad. As a result they move out into the main lake and big arms of the lake and hang out in open water staying above the thermocline. The "fall transition" is when this starts changing. Recently I have noticed a lot of schools of bait moving more shallow, coming to the surface to feed in the mornings, and getting up in the shallows. This is really important to note as it directly affects where you should be fishing and what you should be throwing.
Where should you be fishing in?
First let's talk about where you should be looking. As the water temps cool I recommend focusing on areas near coves or pockets off the main lake. Start at the mouth of them and work your way back paying attention to where you are seeing more signs of baitfish and where you are getting bites. Eventually once it gets cold you'll find fish at the backs of the coves, but until then focus more of your efforts nearer to the mouth of the cove to about mid day back.
Look for cover, right now flooded brush and shallow rock are the two main things I am looking for. The bass will get up tight to the rock or up in the brush and use it as cover to ambush baitfish. During multiple of my fishing trips this week we observed largemouth bass hitting shad right at the water's edge. I even watched a bass push a shad clear out of the water up onto the dirt. Don't be afraid to get up shallow in search of big bass. You'd be surprised at how shallow they will get! The 5.6 pounder pictured below was caught in maybe a foot of water!
What baits should you be throwing?
Lately my focus has been up shallow, so as not to say there aren't good fish to be caught out deep, but shallow fishing is a nice change of pace compared to summertime! Moving baits that imitate shad are a big part of my arsenal right now.
Topwater: A walking bait like a spook or 6th sense catwalk is definitley one you want to have tied on. Bone or chrome depending on whether its cloudy or sunny are two key colors I throw a lot. Fish this bait up tight to cover and close to the bank. "Walk the dog" with the bait about 4-5 feet at a time, then pause it, its very common to get blown up on the pause.
Buzz Baits: A white buzzbait with a silver blade is a really good option for fishing up around the brush that is too thick to be throwing a spook. A 6th Sense bongo in white ice as a trailer on a buzz bait without a skirt has also been a very good bait when the bass are eating shad up shallow.
Swimbaits: Small 3.5" to 4" paddletail swimbaits have also been really good. Rig these on a keel weighted hook such as an Owner flashy swimmer hook in order to be able to fish them around the thickest of cover.
Glide baits: If you are into big swimbaits don't shy away from throwing large shad pattern glides. Up shallow near brush, around rocky shorelines, or up near docks are great places to be casting.
Senko: Most of what I've been throwing are moving baits, but it is good to have something on hand to be able to slow things down with. It is common to fish an area and get several bites from one small stretch of bank or cut in the shoreline. Once the bite has slowed on the moving bait you were throwing I like to follow it up by slowing down with a senko. Rig it Texas style either weighless or with a very small weight, you want a slow fall.
Lake Travis and Lake Austin both have great fishing and now is the time to be getting out there! The fishing is only starting to get hot, you've got lots of time to get out there! Honestly, it will only get better as it cools down and fall really gets here. If your schedule isn't super flexible I highly recommend hoping on my website today and booking your trip before the date you want is gone!
One last thing, to those of you who came out to Ritual Tackle & Supply on Sunday for my seminar I appreciate it! There was a great turnout and it was fun getting to chat with y'all and talk shop about fishing and what's working. If you haven't been there already, you need to hit up that tackle shop, they have an insane selection of really cool hard to find baits, some beautuful high end tackle, and all kinds of other goodies.
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