Weekly Report: Lake Buchanan - April 7th, 2024

 

Structure & Underwater Topography:

           Lake Buchanan offers a variety of cover and structure. The area near the dam and the east side of the lake up to the Silver Creek area is rocky. This area has numerous rock piles, ledges, and chunk rock banks. This area is reminiscent of a highland-type lake. The west side from mid-lake up looks more like a flatland type reservoir with numerous flat coves that have a lot of flooded brush to fish when the lake is up.

Targeting Game Fish:

Large Mouth Bass:

Anglers have their best success on Lake Buchanan during the spring and fall months. The area from Beaver Creek to the Colorado River is usually stained. This keeps the largemouth bass shallow regardless of the water temperature. In the lower section of the reservoir where the water remains clear, topwater lures, metal flake willow leaf spinnerbaits and shallow to medium depth crankbaits work well along rocky banks. When the reservoir is at full pool or higher, flipping boat docks, flooded willows and laydown logs with jigs and plastic worms can be productive.

 

              White Bass and Stripers:

Starting in February, white bass and striped bass begin their annual spawning run up the Colorado River. Anglers should concentrate their efforts from Beaver Creek into the Colorado. Productive lures for white bass include twister tail jigs, small hair jigs, small crankbaits, and small topwaters.

Live bait fishing with minnows is also productive. For stripers, live shad fished with a carolina rig type set up on the bottom on humps and along dropoffs is almost always productive. Topwater fishing is good in late spring and again in the fall. Anglers should concentrate on main-lake points and humps.

When birds are sighted working schools of shad, this usually indicates stripers or white bass chasing bait just below the surface. During the heat of the summer anglers may have to use downriggers to effectively target striped bass. White or yellow bucktail jigs and trailers work well behind downriggers. Electronics can help locate main-lake structure for this type of fishing. Anglers should set their downrigging balls just above the thermocline depth, usually 20-30 feet.