Lake Lyndon B. Johnson, TX Fishing Report & Live Conditions

Lake Lyndon B. Johnson, TX fishing report

Lake LBJ is a Highland Lakes constant-level reservoir on the Llano River arm and Colorado River channel, making it one of the more predictable fisheries in the region. Largemouth dominate the shallow coves and grass edges, most aggressively in spring when water climbs into the upper 50s and 60s and fish push onto flats to spawn. Catfish — both channel and blue — hold along the deeper river channel bends year-round, peaking in summer nights. Panfish like crappie and sunfish stack in submerged timber and dock pilings. Smallmouth, walleye, chain pickerel, and trout are not reliably established populations in LBJ, so targeting them here would likely disappoint.

For largemouth, work rocky points and submerged cedar and mesquite with Texas-rigged soft plastics in green pumpkin or watermelon — this clear Highland Lakes water rewards downsizing. In summer, fish drop off the main-lake humps and channel ledges early morning before surface temps push past 85 degrees. Follow the thermocline depth on your sonar and slow-roll a swimbait or drag a shaky head along rock transitions. Catfish respond well to cut perch or chicken liver fished on the bottom of the river channel at night. When flow increases after upstream releases, baitfish concentrate at current breaks near tributary mouths — that movement triggers feeding across most species.