Lake Travis Fishing Report - December 20192,431 Readers  Michael Leal with a nice 3 1/2 Lake Travis bass caught during the Turnover  Fozzy Whittaker with a few of the over 40 bass caught that day! Water Temp: 63.0 degrees If you’ve been out on the water the past few days, you may have noticed that the normally crystal clear waters on Lake Travis are now cloudy and slightly stained in many areas. We haven’t had hardly any runoff from rain, boat traffic has been very minimal, winds have been low, and water temps and sunlight haven’t been warm and prevalent enough to create an algae bloom. So why the sudden change in water clarity? The answer is Fall Turnover. To understand Fall Turnover, you have to understand the state of the water in the summer. During the summer, the top layer (also referred to as the epilimnion) is the warmest. It is heated by the sun. The bottom layer where the sun’s rays can’t reach (also referred to as the hypolimnion) is the coldest. The two layers are separated by the thermocline. During the fall, the warm surface water begins to cool. As it cools, it becomes dense causing it to sink. This now sinking dense top layer mixes with the nutrient-rich bottom layer causing a “Turnover” effect, thus staining the water. Not only is water clarity affected but oxygen and PH levels are also altered. If you’ve ever brought a fish home from the pet store and tried to feed them right away, you may have noticed that it takes them a few days before they eat. This is because their bodies are in a little bit of shock from being taken from their pet store fish tank to your fish tank and need time to adjust to their new environment. The same thing happens with the fish in a lake. Fall Turnover has been known to cause fish kills in some extreme cases, mainly in smaller ponds where the fish have nowhere to go. So if you’re on a lake that has just turned over, what do you do? On a lake as big as Travis, there are certainly places where Turnover does not happen. These areas not only have resident fish that are stable, they are also attracting non-resident fish seeking refuge from the turned over parts of the lake. I identify these areas simply by looking at the water clarity. If I have stained water on the main lake where turnover has occurred, I am now looking for areas with the clear water that I am accustomed to seeing. Recently I’ve been finding these areas halfway to all the way in the back of cuts and creeks. There is a lot of truth to the old adage that 10% percent of the fisherman catch 90% of the fish. This is mainly because these anglers are fishing where the fish are. They know where the fish are because they understand what is happening in the marine environment they are fishing in. 99% of the time, if I can find them, I can catch them. And I’m catching plenty of them on Lake Travis, despite the Fall Turnover!! I still have availability for December, so please call if you would like to book a trip! Guided Fishing Trips For updates or to book a trip, give me a call at 915-217-5263 or email me at raytomasits@yahoo.com Tight Lines! Ray Tomasits - Hill Country Bass Coach  Hill Country Bass Coach (@lake_travis_guide) Instagram photos and videos! Lake Travis Fishing Report - July 2025 Water Level: 673.31 Water Temp: 83.4 degrees For as long as I've lived here, I don't remember ever getting this much rain in our watershed in July. For the first time since 202 → Lake Travis Fishing Report - March 2025 Water Level: 637.02 Water Temp: 57 degrees Main lake water temperatures are rising and are now warm enough for bass to successfully spawn. After searching for only an hour on my → Lake Travis Fishing Report - February 2025 Water Level:637.37 Water Temp: 55.5 degreesThe lake is at 637.37’ above sea level or 43.7’ below full pool. The boat ramp at Mansfield Dam Park closes at 637’. Bo → Lake Travis Fishing Report - January 2025 Water Level: 637.42 Water Temp: 58 degrees The lake is 43.5’ low and fishing great. On my last three trips this month my clients caught 18, 24, and 16 bass includ → Lake Travis Fishing Report - February 2024 Water Level: 631.77 ( 49.33 feet below flood pool ) Water Temp: 58 degrees While Lake Travis water levels are up almost a foot since last month, at just 38% capacity the lake → Lake Travis Fishing Report - August 2023 Water Level: 632.42 (48.68 ft. low) Water Temp: 88.4 degrees Austin Area Fishing ReportAfter one of the hottest Summers, I can remember in Central Texas, the prolonged heat w → Lake Travis Fishing Report - January 2023 Water Level: 639.79 (2.03 ft. high) Water Temp: 59 degrees Unseasonable warm weather has kept water temperatures higher than they normally are this time of year and the fish s → Lake Travis Fishing Report - December 2021 Water Level: 662.18 Water Temp: 65 degreesRecord high temperatures this month have kept the bass much more active and shallower than they normally are this time of year.&n → Lake Travis Fishing Report - June 2021 Water Level:665.79 Water Temp: 76 degrees The water level on Lake Travis is steadily rising from the widespread rain we had last week. This much needed rain has “recharg → Lake Travis Fishing Report - December 2020 Water Level: 659.54 ft Water Temp: 63.5 degreesSteadily dropping water temperatures have sent most bass into their Wintering holes. This time of year most of my time is bein → Lake Travis Fishing Report - July 2020 Water Level: 667.29 Water Temp: 85.0 degrees Despite record heat and higher than normal boat traffic and angling pressure, Lake Travis is still fishing really good. Early li → Lake Travis Fishing Report - March 2020 Water Level: 672.49 Water Temp: 65.0 degrees Bass are in the middle of their annual spawning ritual all over the lake right now. Targeting spawning flats in the bac → Lake Travis Fishing Report - January 2019 Todd Tebbe and his sons (from left) Erik, Will, and Wyatt with a good limit Every now and then Lake Travis surprises me with a big catfish! Water Level: 670.33 Water Temp → Lake Travis Fishing Report - December 2019 Michael Leal with a nice 3 1/2 Lake Travis bass caught during the Turnover Fozzy Whittaker with a few of the over 40 bass caught that day! Water Level: 670.27 Water → Lake Travis Fishing Report - September 2019 Water Level: 673.80 Water Temp: 84.0 degrees When the days start to get noticeably longer and water temperatures start to drop, I always start my guide trips searching shallow for bas → Lake Travis Fishing Report - July 2019 Water Level: 681.11 Water Temp: 82.0 degrees The bass on Lake Travis have moved out to their summer haunts and have settled into their summer feeding patterns. I’ve be → Lake Travis Fishing Report - April 2019 Water Level: 680.84 Water Temp: 63.0 degrees The multiple, seemingly continuous waves of cold fronts that have come through our area in March, and as late as April 1st, have kep → Lake Travis Fishing Report - December 2018 4lb Lake Travis largemouth! Water Level: 681.68 Water Temp: 59.0 degrees Recent cold fronts have cooled surface temps below 60 degrees and have pushed a lot of bass shallow where → Lake Travis Fishing Report - September 2018 4lb Lake Travis largemouth caught last week! Water Level: 655.71 Water Temp: 83.5 degrees Recent rains in the watershed have raised the lake level over a foot and has cooled the → Lake Travis Fishing Report - June 2018 Water Level: 661.80 Water Temp: 81 degrees Near record heat in May and extended drought conditions across much of Central Texas has pushed surface temps to 81 degrees and has wa → Lake Travis Fishing Report - May 2018 Water Level: 666.55 Water Temp: 72 degrees The spawn is all but done and bass have started their migration out towards their summer holes. Right now, you can catch bass both → Lake Travis Fishing Report - March 2018 John Thomson with a 6 lb 11 oz Lake Travis Largemouth! Water Level: 668.62 Water Temp: 66 degrees The spawn is ON! Bass have been on beds for a month and a half now. I → Lake Travis Fishing Report - February 2018 A chunky bass caught on a jig by Allen Codding Water Level: 668.7 Water Temp: 54.5 degrees Regardless of the frequent cold fronts in January and February, bass fishing still rema → Lake Travis Fishing Report - January 2018 Dave Kemper set his personal best record with this chunky 6lb 4 oz Lake Travis largemouth Water Level: 669.34 Water Temp: 58 degrees Recent cold fronts have cooled surface temper → Lake Travis Fishing Report - November 2017 Dave Kemper set his personal best record with this chunky 6lb 4 oz Lake Travis largemouth Water Level: 670.45 Water Temp: 71 degrees Bass are in their typical fall pattern right → Lake Travis Fishing Report - September 2017 John and Matt Thurston with a few of the more than 20 Lake Travis schoolies caught on july 30th Water Level: 671.49 Water Temp: 81 degrees The fall transition has begun. Surf → Lake Travis Fishing Report - July 2017 John and Matt Thurston with a few of the more than 20 Lake Travis "schoolies" caught on July 30th Water Level: 673.54 Water Temp: 89 degrees On July 30th, we hit our 11th straight → Lake Travis Fishing Report - May 2017 Water Level: 679.70 Water Temp: 73 degrees The spawn takes a toll on a bass. The process of laying/fertilizing eggs and then constantly protecting the bed from nest raiders burns a → Lake Travis Fishing Report - April 2017 Water Level: 681.06 Water Temp: 72 degrees Bass are in all phases right now. Some bass are done spawning, some are on beds, and some are just moving up. As such, you can really → Lake Travis Fishing Report - February 2016 Water Level: 682.07 Water Temp: 63.5 degrees Water temperatures across the lake are now consistently above the 60 degree mark and the bass have moved shallow to spawn. There has be → Lake Travis Fishing Report - February 2016 Water Level: 682.94 Water Temp: 61 degrees Recent warm weather has warmed the upper echelon of the water column above 60 degrees and has pushed some bass shallow. There is still a good deep pat → Lake Travis Fishing Report - December 2016 Water Level: 681.61Water Temp: 61 degreesDue to the lack of cold weather late this year, water temps have stayed well into the 60’s allowing typical fall fishing patterns to hold for mo → Lake Travis Fishing Report - November 2016 Water Level: 681.41Water Temp: 74 degreesFalling water temperatures means fast fall action. Bass have moved to the banks and are feeding aggressively. Shad is the primary fora → Lake Travis Fishing Report - October 2016 Water Level: 680.34Water Temp: 79 degreesThis week’s cold front dropped surface temperatures to 79 degrees and significantly improved the bass fishing. On October 22nd, I had the → Lake Travis Fishing Report - September 2016 Water Level: 680.78Water Temp: 84 degreesRecent storms and cold fronts have cooled the surface water temperature to 84 degrees and have heated up the fishing! Bass can be found shal → Lake Travis Fishing Report - August 2016 Water Level: 679.88 Water Temp: 87 degrees The heat of summer has set in and, typical for this time of year, has affected the fishing. With surface water temperatures rangin → Lake Travis Fishing Report - July 2016 Water Level: 681.02 Water Temp: 84 degrees The lake has finally been brought back to full pool and is holding steady. With steady water levels the bass have settled into th → Lake Travis Fishing Report - June 2016 Water Level: 686.45 (5.35 ft. high) Water Temp: 84 degrees With the lake at or above full pool for over 3 months, it has been a great fishing year on Lake Travis. Recent guid → Lake Travis Fishing Report - May 2016 Water Level: 683.13 (2.03 ft. high) Water Temp: 72 degrees Largemouth Bass While there may be a few stragglers out there, the majority of bass finished spawning with the last full mo → |
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