Fishing Lake LBJ

White Crappie: The Headline Fishery

According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Lake LBJ's white crappie population is the best of any lake in the Highland Lakes chain. Crappie concentrate around the miles of dock structure and covered boathouses that line Lake LBJ's developed shoreline — the highly built-out nature of the lake that some buyers find aesthetically busy actually creates exceptional crappie habitat. Dock posts, brush piles, and submerged cover throughout the lake produce consistent crappie catches year-round with peak activity in spring and fall.

Standard crappie tactics work reliably on Lake LBJ: small jigs in pink, chartreuse, and white under a slip float, live minnows around dock structure, and tube jigs dropped vertically in dock shadow at 6 to 12 feet. The near-constant water level means dock-to-dock crappie fishing is consistent from season to season without the depth adjustments required on fluctuating reservoirs.

The White Bass Spawning Run

Starting in late February and running through May, white bass move from Lake LBJ up the Llano River above Kingsland in a spawning migration that draws regional anglers specifically to this lake. The run is a spectacle — fish move in dense schools and feed aggressively on small jigs, crankbaits, and live minnows in the shallow river above the confluence at Kingsland. The Lions Club boat ramp in Kingsland provides the easiest access point for anglers fishing the upper Llano River during the run.

Early morning on a peak run day in March, with white bass rolling in the shallows and aggressive strikes on every cast, is one of the signature Texas freshwater fishing experiences. For buyers who fish and are evaluating Texas lake markets, the white bass run is a meaningful differentiator that makes Lake LBJ attractive in February and March when many other lake markets are still in their off-season.

Bass: Largemouth and Guadalupe

Lake LBJ holds moderate densities of largemouth bass according to TPWD surveys, with the miles of dock structure and bulkhead providing year-round habitat. Largemouth spawn in coves and along protected shoreline in March and April as water temperatures warm through the 60s. The best largemouth fishing is typically in the upper lake arms and coves away from heavy boat traffic.

Guadalupe bass — Texas's state fish, native to the central Texas river systems — are present in Lake LBJ, particularly in the Llano River arm and the cleaner, rockier areas near the dam end of the lake. Guadalupe bass are a specific regional attraction for anglers interested in native Texas species — they are not found outside their native river systems in Texas, and the Highland Lakes provide the clearest water in the region where they hold.

Winter Fishing: The Power Plant Advantage

The Thomas J. Ferguson Power Plant, operated by LCRA near the Horseshoe Bay area, discharges warm water into the lake during winter operations. This thermal discharge creates a warm-water zone that concentrates baitfish during cold months, which in turn concentrates game fish — particularly catfish and bass — in the warm discharge area. Winter fishing near the power plant discharge is a Lake LBJ-specific tactic that experienced local anglers use to produce fish during cold snaps when the rest of the lake is slow.

Blue, channel, and flathead catfish are abundant throughout Lake LBJ and accessible to bank anglers and boat anglers alike year-round. Catfish concentrate near the power plant discharge in winter and spread throughout the lake in warmer months. The near-constant water level makes catfish structure — submerged timber, creek channels, deep holes — predictable from year to year in ways that fluctuating lakes cannot match.

Fishing License and Regulations

A Texas freshwater fishing license is required for all anglers 17 and older. Texas annual fishing licenses can be purchased at TPWD.texas.gov or at sporting goods retailers. Lake LBJ straddles Burnet and Llano counties but a single Texas state license covers both. Archery and bow fishing on the lake are subject to special regulations enforced by LCRA — confirm current LCRA restrictions before bow fishing. Zebra mussel compliance (clean, drain, dry) applies to all equipment leaving the lake regardless of whether you are fishing or recreating.