Best days to fish Lake Travis this week: Tuesday and Thursday

The water level

The level reads 677.7 ft, 0.6 ft higher than a week ago. A steady level keeps fish on familiar spots, so what worked last week should still be close.

How to fish it this week

• Set your depth for 68°F water: The surface is 68°F (a few days ago). Start shallow at dawn, then slide deeper and toward shade as the light gets bright.
• Tie on the right bait: At this spot, try spinnerbait or crankbait along the edge. Largemouth bass: they chase baitfish into creeks and coves.
• Work the edge, not the middle: Cover water with a moving bait first, then slow down with a jig or plastic where you get a bite. Position the boat in deep water and cast up onto the shallow side, so your bait falls down the slope the way fish face.
• Use the wind, carefully: With light wind the water is flat and fish spook easily; make long casts and go lighter on line. A light chop is a good thing: it breaks up the light and makes fish bolder.

Know the water

Lake Travis covers about 18,900 acres with roughly 270 miles of shoreline at full pool. It runs around 210 ft at its deepest. Largemouth bass, white bass and catfish are what most anglers on Lake Travis are after. Knowing which fish are comfortable at today's temperature narrows a big lake down to a few good spots.

Bite outlook

Fish are most active in low light, at dawn and dusk. Add a moonrise or moonset near those times and the window gets longer; add a light breeze and the fish feel safer feeding shallow. Those three things drive the ratings.

• Tuesday: good, best 6:15 am to 8:30 am.
• Wednesday: fair, best 6:15 am to 8:30 am.
• Thursday: good.
• Friday: good.
• Saturday: good.
• Sunday: good.
• Monday: good.

Wind and sky

Tuesday has the gentlest weather: barely a breeze, mostly cloudy, topping out near 70°F. Highs climb from about 70°F to 77°F over the stretch, so expect the afternoons to warm up.

What to target

The water is 68°F (a few days ago), which sets the menu.

On Lake Travis, largemouth bass are in a good mood. The 60s are a sweet spot: bass are active, roam widely and will chase moving baits. They chase baitfish into creeks and coves.

Then there are white bass, in their comfort zone. This is a comfortable range for stripers and white bass; watch for birds diving on bait. Schools chasing bait on points. Watch for splashes.

Catfish on Lake Travis are a solid pick. In the 60s catfish feed more each night and roam channel edges. Evenings and nights are best.

The seasonal picture

Where does November leave a lake like Lake Travis? Mid-to-late fall is when southern reservoirs finally cool off. Shad push into the backs of creeks and coves, and bass, stripers and crappie follow them. On Lake Travis at 68°F, largemouth bass and white bass fit that pattern best.

Where to start

The marked spot on Lake Travis is a point drop-off that covers 6 to 16 ft. The bottom falls away fast off this point; fish rest deep and move up the slope to feed. It suits largemouth bass and white bass; try spinnerbait or crankbait along the edge. The best window there is 6:15 am to 8:30 am. Down at that depth the water is about 66°F, against 67°F on top.

DamDeepest water N 5 miles

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