WadeNot recommended
This report does not recommend wading on this reach.
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Fly fishing report · Southwest
Colorado River Below Austin
Is Colorado River Below Austin worth the trip today? Check flow, weather, hatches, access, and rules for Texas before you go.
See the flow chart ↓Photo: Lars Plougmann Opens in a new tab. · CC BY-SA 2.0
Good day to fish?Latest river check
Poor
Not today. Make another plan.
38
Best option: Float. A float can fit better than wading only if launches, shuttle, boat skill, wind, and local rules all check out.
See update time and confidence
Live data checkHighHow much of the live flow, weather, and alert data came back.
Today's callHighCurrent flow, weather, alerts, and trip-critical signals support this decision.
Score calculated Aug 23, 2026, 7:42 AM CDTUsually checks again about every 45 minutes
Best access methodFloat
These scores compare the risks of wading, bank fishing, and floating.
Bank / edge30/100
Bank and edge fishing is the safer default when water is high, pushy, or not fully verified.
Float · Best fit42/100
A float can fit better than wading only if launches, shuttle, boat skill, wind, and local rules all check out.
Your plan
Today's Colorado River Below Austin plan.
The Colorado below Austin is a bass and warmwater fly fishing page. Flow, access, heat, and shuttle logistics matter more than a trout-style hatch chart.
- Check first
- Use the Austin and Bastrop USGS gauges to understand release and downstream trend.
- Try
- Start with topwater near shade before the sun gets high.
- Leave when
- Skip or shorten the trip when heat index is unsafe, thunderstorms are building, flows are rising, the shuttle is not confirmed, or the only plan depends on crossing or using private banks.
Live river check
What the river is doing
Check the latest flow and weather before you go. A quick change can make the river harder or less safe to fish.
Showing the latest stored river check while current readings load.
- Flow
- 356 cfs
- From the latest stored river check. Open the official source for the newest reading.
- Air now
- 77°F
Current NWS forecast period
- Next 24h high
- 105.0°F
NWS air forecast near
- Rain chance
- 1%
For this forecast period
This is an air forecast, not a river-temperature reading. Check the water with a stream thermometer before fishing in hot weather.
Latest stored weather check
Mostly Sunny
Mostly Sunny
- Wind
- 5 mph
- Weather checked
Recent flow chart is loading
The latest stored reading is shown above. Check the official source below if you need the newest value now.
More forecast and source details
National Weather Service
Colorado River below Austin, Texas
The National Weather Service forecast is temporarily unavailable.
Live data
Where these readings come from
Latest stored USGS gauge: Colorado River at Austin
From the latest stored river check. Open the official source for the newest reading.
How to fish it
How to fish Colorado River Below Austin today.
The best fly fishing plan is a dawn or evening warmwater session with flow, heat, and access already checked. On hot afternoons, fish shade, deeper outside bends, and current breaks or shift to scouting.
Low clear flow
Use smaller streamers, long casts, and focus on deeper shade and current edges.
Moderate stable flow
Float or wade carefully and cover banks, wood, and gravel transitions.
High or stained water
Avoid unsafe wading and use larger dark streamers from secure positions.
Summer heat
Fish early or late, carry water, and protect fish and yourself from heat stress.
Fishing words used on this page
- U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) gauge
- A USGS gauge is an official river station that measures flow or water height.
- Cubic feet per second (cfs)
- Cubic feet per second, or cfs, shows how much water passes the gauge each second.
- Nymph
- A nymph is a young water insect. Anglers also use the word for a fly that copies it.
- Caddis
- Caddis are small water insects. The adults look a little like tiny moths.
- Midge
- Midges are tiny flies and a common trout food, especially in cold water.
- River reach
- A reach is one named section of a river or stream.
- Soft hackle
- A soft-hackle fly has moving fibers that can look like an insect rising through the water.
- Stained water
- Stained water is darker or cloudier after rain, runoff, or a change in flow.
- Streamer
- A streamer is a fly that looks like a small fish, leech, or other swimming food.
- Tailwater
- A tailwater is a river below a dam, where releases can change the flow quickly.
Why this call
Why this score
Best mode nowHurts
Float: A float can fit better than wading only if launches, shuttle, boat skill, wind, and local rules all check out.
FlowUse caution
USGS shows 356 cfs. The flow has been falling about 68% over about 6 hours. USGS marks this reading provisional and may revise it. USGS records for this date (1898-2025, 128 readings) show a median near 1,390 cfs and the lower quartile near 459 cfs; today's flow is below normal for the date. This is below normal, so edge depth, temperature, and pressure matter.
HeatUse caution
The current NWS air forecast is about 77F, and the next 24-hour high reaches about 105F. This is an air forecast, not a water-temperature reading. This gauge has no live water temperature. Check the river with a stream thermometer before fishing.
Public alertUse caution
A heat alert is active near this forecast point, so the score is capped at caution until water temperature and fish-handling risk are checked. NWS alert: Extreme Heat Warning issued August 22 at 11:06PM CDT until August 23 at 7:00PM CDT by NWS Austin/San Antonio TX.
SeasonHelps
Summer: Early and late topwater can be good; midday heat is often a safety and comfort problem.
Trip notes
Trip notes
Check these before you choose a reach.
Use USGS 08158000 at Austin for the immediate below-city trend and USGS 08159200 at Bastrop for downstream context. Stable or gently moving warmwater flows are easier to fish than sudden release changes, flood pulses, or low hot water.
Skip or shorten the trip when heat index is unsafe, thunderstorms are building, flows are rising, the shuttle is not confirmed, or the only plan depends on crossing or using private banks.
Start with the Austin gauge, then compare the Bastrop trend and TPWD access pages. Pick one legal access sequence, fish shade and current early, carry water, and keep a shorter bank plan ready if wind or heat makes a float unattractive.
If the lower Colorado is too hot, high, muddy, or access-complicated, compare the Guadalupe River, San Marcos River, or Pedernales River before forcing the same warmwater plan.
What to try
Colorado River Below Austin flies through the year.
Match the time of year, then let rising fish and current speed guide the next change.
SeasonWhat to look forFlies to try
March to May
What to look forWarming bass water, minnows, crayfish, caddis, and bank insects
June to AugustCurrent
What to look forEarly and late topwater windows, cicadas, hoppers, shad, and bluegill forage
September to November
What to look forCooling water, shad movement, crayfish, and steady streamer fishing
December to February
What to look forSlow warmwater days, deep pools, midges, and limited trout context on tailwaters
Each fly name opens its matching Fly Box guide.
Access and safety
Colorado River Below Austin access and rules.
Use these places as starting points. Open the access link below and check posted signs before you park or enter. Check TPWD freshwater rules, river access guidance, and any local access terms before fishing or floating.
Below Longhorn Dam context
Use USGS Austin flow and local access rules before launching or wading.
Texas River School River Camp
TPWD lists this leased access downstream from Lady Bird Lake with reservation details.
Bastrop-Wilbarger planning reach
TPWD paddling-trail information helps with put-in, takeout, and float planning.
Official access and leased access details can change. Verify before driving.
Do not assume sandbars, roads, or banks are public.
Heat and long shuttles are real constraints on this page.
River sources
Official Colorado River Below Austin sources.
Official agencies and primary river operators come first. Secondary tools are labeled so you know what carries the most weight.
How this report was checked
How this report was checked
Reviewed byBlueStreamFly River Review Team
Trip guidance checked
What was checked: This report is maintained from current regulation, access, flow, weather, and public planning sources so anglers can make better trip decisions than a raw gauge or generic overview would allow.
Live measurements and forecasts keep their provider timestamps. Rules, access, and trip guidance use the source-review date shown here. BlueStreamFly planning advice is editorial interpretation, not an agency notice.
First-hand experience: BlueStreamFly does not claim a first-hand visit or local field test for this report unless a real contributor is explicitly named and linked.
Rules and closures
Check what is allowed, where the rule applies, and whether the river is open.
Flow and weather
Check the latest river reading and forecast before you leave.
Access and land
Check public entry points, land rules, and seasonal access changes.
See all 7 checked sources
Rules and closures
Check what is allowed, where the rule applies, and whether the river is open.
What this source covers
Open the current rules and check the river section, season, and special limits.
Flow and weather
Check the latest river reading and forecast before you leave.
What this source covers
Open this page and check the latest safety advice before your trip.
What this source covers
Open this river reading to check the latest level, flow, and update time.
What this source covers
Open this river reading to check the latest level, flow, and update time.
Access and land
Check public entry points, land rules, and seasonal access changes.
What this source covers
Open the land or access page, then check signs before you park or enter.
What this source covers
Open the land or access page, then check signs before you park or enter.
What this source covers
Open the land or access page, then check signs before you park or enter.
Quick answers
Quick Colorado River Below Austin answers.
What should I check first before fishing Colorado River Below Austin?
Check USGS Austin and Bastrop gauges, TPWD access pages, weather, heat, and shuttle logistics.
Where should a first-time visitor start on Colorado River Below Austin?
Start with official TPWD access and paddling information around below-Austin and Bastrop reaches.
Can I wade Colorado River Below Austin?
Sometimes near access points and low water, but much of the river fishes better from a kayak or boat.
What flies should I bring for Colorado River Below Austin?
Bring the seasonal fly box, then adjust size, weight, and color to the water level, clarity, temperature, and fishing pressure you find.