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Creeks, Lakes, and Ponds: 5 Spots to Fish in Austin, Texas
Luke McGrath
Luke McGrath
March 12, 2025
March 12, 2025
I am known for many things, but I have one title that has spanned all 12 years of my time here at St. Andrew’s: “the fishing kid.” The year before I was born my grandparents bought a home in the quiet coastal town of Port O’ Connor, Texas (POC). As calm as it is, POC is a fishing powerhouse, earning its slogan “The Best Kept Secret on the Texas Coast.” I grew up fishing the deep cuts, shallow flats, and shorelines of POC for redfish and trout, and have been in love with the sport ever since. However, the 3.5 hour drive to POC is no small feat. I had to turn to alternatives because 6 year old Luke couldn’t quite drive 175 miles. In turn, I learned to bass fish, and have compiled this list of fishing spots in Austin, new and old. I have always been drawn to fishing because it’s an outlet to learn patience, a skill that is incredibly important in everything else I do. Upper School English teacher and class dean, Ms. Kimberly Horne has been an avid fisherman for 17 years. When I asked why she enjoys fishing she said, “I love fishing because the rest of the world entirely disappears. It is one of the only activities when I am entirely present. I don't worry about anything.” Whether you are an experienced fisherman, or just getting into it, these spots are all beginner friendly, so get out there and catch some fish!
Walsh Landing
Walsh Landing is situated in the heart of Tarrytown, and very often overlooked. It is situated next to Mozart’s Coffee Roasters, so if you are looking for a place to find some peace and quiet to wet a line, this spot might not be for you. Walsh Landing is Tarrytown’s public boat ramp, so avoiding peak boating hours would be best for your personal safety and fishing conditions. If lots of boats are out, the waves get super choppy. The constant water disturbances can affect fishing, sending the fish to deeper water. SAS junior Brooks Moore, a veteran Tarrytown angler, frequented Walsh Landing during the pandemic, and never looked back. Moore has been fishing since he was very little, so he is no stranger to a rod and reel. When asking him about the best strategies at Walsh he said, “I mostly use a spinner, but if the algae and weeds are bad I throw on a Texas rig.” I found success fishing the shorelines of Walsh, underneath the trees with a chatterbait, and when it got busier I threw a Texas rig towards the deeper water with a bullet weight.
Mueller Park and Pond
Mueller holds a special place in my heart because it is where I first learned to bass fish. My family would go to Mueller and my siblings would run to the playscape, but I wouldn’t. I would run to the pond, fishing rod in one hand, and tackle box in the other. Mueller is the most urban spot on my list, it is your classic neighborhood park (but much bigger). When you go when the weather is right, like a good Austin spring day, this spot feels like Austin. Everytime I go, without fail, I am asked if I have caught anything, and small toddlers run up to me in curiosity. If you're not the type of person to make small talk with a stranger, you might want to avoid the peak hours or go when the weather is less favorable. My go-to here is a swimbait, and more times than not I catch at least one bass. I walk up and down the stone walls that line the pond, and typically you can see the bass cruising up and down the wall as well, around 10 feet out. At times, the pond can be overrun with algae from the surrounding areas eutrophication. But there have been consistent efforts to keep this pond healthy lately, most likely because the Mueller area is blowing up in popularity with new houses and restaurants moving in every month. Go check out Mueller, you won’t regret it.
Camp Mabry
Much to my surprise, this spot situated at the heart of Austin’s military base was one of the best fishing spots on my list. Camp Mabry, probably known to you as the place with the planes and helicopters on display as you drive down Mopac, was established in 1892 as a summer training camp for the Texas Volunteer Guard. Now it is the headquarters of the State Military Forces, and a solid spot to get a line wet. The base does have hours of closure, so you have to go at certain times of the day. From what I saw, there are two ponds. The first pond was a narrow strip of water as you drive in, and I did not have any success there. It was promising though, so I wouldn’t be surprised if someone pulled a nice fish out of there. The second pond is a little further down the road, and it is substantially bigger. This pond is gorgeous, with native Texas trees and wildflowers, a healthy amount of water vegetation, and a very accessible dock and peninsula, both of which I gave a shot. The only fish I caught was around a 2.5lb bass from fishing the shore next to the dock, but had plenty of bites from the peninsula as well. I used a chatterbait and a wacky rig, but only the chatterbait was getting action. Overall, Camp Mabry is a great place to spend a sunny day. Tie on a chatterbait, fish the shorelines, and enjoy the beautiful, natural scenery.
Walter E. Long Reservoir (Decker Lake)
Walter E. Long Reservoir, also known as Decker Lake, is a large body of water off MLK boulevard in northeast Austin. Decker is primarily a boat and kayak accessible lake, but it has more waterfront land than any other spot on this list. The expansive shoreline makes for great bass fishing, all you have to do is walk up and down the shore casting whatever bait is best for the season. For warmer months, go with topwaters, crankbaits, or soft plastics. For colder months, use jigging spoons, jerkbaits, and swimbaits. While I personally don’t fish for catfish, Decker is a very popular place to do it. If you are looking for a place to do all types of fishing, Decker is the place to do it. While you're at it, just bring the whole family for a picnic because there is a beautifully kept park with picnic tables and grills.
McKinney Falls State Park
If I had to recommend only one place in Austin to fish, it would be McKinney Falls State Park. I found out about this place about a month before I visited while looking at the Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD) rainbow trout stocking locations. If you are unaware, TPWD stocks trout in local Texas creeks, lakes, and ponds for families to get outside and enjoy our natural resources. McKinney Falls sits on Onion Creek just west of the Austin-Bergstrom Airport, and harbors the clearest water I have seen in Texas. I fished McKinney on a cold morning with my good friend and SAS senior, David Moore. I set out equipped with a fly rod and my trusty baitcaster. Moore and I both started the day fly fishing, but after watching the 5-year-old across the pond catch 3 fish in one minute with a barbie rod and a silver spoon, we switched to conventional fishing. I tied on the last silver spoon in my tackle box, and started catching one after the other. The fish were down deep in the middle of the pool that catches the overspill of the upper Onion Creek, so unless you can cast far with a fly rod, with brush behind you, I don’t see anyone having much success fishing with anything but a baitcaster or a spinning setup. Just like Camp Mabry, the government issued maintenance has made for some stunning scenery. I went during winter, so I didn’t see much greenery, but I have no doubt that in the spring and summer the whole area is a thriving ecosystem of native species. Using my baitcaster and the silver spoon lure, I caught 8 rainbow trout and kept 3 of them, but you are allowed to keep 5. I didn’t target largemouth bass, but I imagine in the summer months it would be a great, refreshing, activity to hop in the water and wade down the creek to find some bass. Overall, the people were friendly, and the fishing was good. You can’t ask for more when it comes to a fishing spot. Take Moore’s word for it, he has been to McKinney once and when I asked him the best place to go fishing in Austin he said, “Honestly, McKinney is probably my favorite spot.”
Walsh Landing
Walsh Landing is situated in the heart of Tarrytown, and very often overlooked. It is situated next to Mozart’s Coffee Roasters, so if you are looking for a place to find some peace and quiet to wet a line, this spot might not be for you. Walsh Landing is Tarrytown’s public boat ramp, so avoiding peak boating hours would be best for your personal safety and fishing conditions. If lots of boats are out, the waves get super choppy. The constant water disturbances can affect fishing, sending the fish to deeper water. SAS junior Brooks Moore, a veteran Tarrytown angler, frequented Walsh Landing during the pandemic, and never looked back. Moore has been fishing since he was very little, so he is no stranger to a rod and reel. When asking him about the best strategies at Walsh he said, “I mostly use a spinner, but if the algae and weeds are bad I throw on a Texas rig.” I found success fishing the shorelines of Walsh, underneath the trees with a chatterbait, and when it got busier I threw a Texas rig towards the deeper water with a bullet weight.
Mueller Park and Pond
Mueller holds a special place in my heart because it is where I first learned to bass fish. My family would go to Mueller and my siblings would run to the playscape, but I wouldn’t. I would run to the pond, fishing rod in one hand, and tackle box in the other. Mueller is the most urban spot on my list, it is your classic neighborhood park (but much bigger). When you go when the weather is right, like a good Austin spring day, this spot feels like Austin. Everytime I go, without fail, I am asked if I have caught anything, and small toddlers run up to me in curiosity. If you're not the type of person to make small talk with a stranger, you might want to avoid the peak hours or go when the weather is less favorable. My go-to here is a swimbait, and more times than not I catch at least one bass. I walk up and down the stone walls that line the pond, and typically you can see the bass cruising up and down the wall as well, around 10 feet out. At times, the pond can be overrun with algae from the surrounding areas eutrophication. But there have been consistent efforts to keep this pond healthy lately, most likely because the Mueller area is blowing up in popularity with new houses and restaurants moving in every month. Go check out Mueller, you won’t regret it.
Camp Mabry
Much to my surprise, this spot situated at the heart of Austin’s military base was one of the best fishing spots on my list. Camp Mabry, probably known to you as the place with the planes and helicopters on display as you drive down Mopac, was established in 1892 as a summer training camp for the Texas Volunteer Guard. Now it is the headquarters of the State Military Forces, and a solid spot to get a line wet. The base does have hours of closure, so you have to go at certain times of the day. From what I saw, there are two ponds. The first pond was a narrow strip of water as you drive in, and I did not have any success there. It was promising though, so I wouldn’t be surprised if someone pulled a nice fish out of there. The second pond is a little further down the road, and it is substantially bigger. This pond is gorgeous, with native Texas trees and wildflowers, a healthy amount of water vegetation, and a very accessible dock and peninsula, both of which I gave a shot. The only fish I caught was around a 2.5lb bass from fishing the shore next to the dock, but had plenty of bites from the peninsula as well. I used a chatterbait and a wacky rig, but only the chatterbait was getting action. Overall, Camp Mabry is a great place to spend a sunny day. Tie on a chatterbait, fish the shorelines, and enjoy the beautiful, natural scenery.
Walter E. Long Reservoir (Decker Lake)
Walter E. Long Reservoir, also known as Decker Lake, is a large body of water off MLK boulevard in northeast Austin. Decker is primarily a boat and kayak accessible lake, but it has more waterfront land than any other spot on this list. The expansive shoreline makes for great bass fishing, all you have to do is walk up and down the shore casting whatever bait is best for the season. For warmer months, go with topwaters, crankbaits, or soft plastics. For colder months, use jigging spoons, jerkbaits, and swimbaits. While I personally don’t fish for catfish, Decker is a very popular place to do it. If you are looking for a place to do all types of fishing, Decker is the place to do it. While you're at it, just bring the whole family for a picnic because there is a beautifully kept park with picnic tables and grills.
McKinney Falls State Park
If I had to recommend only one place in Austin to fish, it would be McKinney Falls State Park. I found out about this place about a month before I visited while looking at the Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD) rainbow trout stocking locations. If you are unaware, TPWD stocks trout in local Texas creeks, lakes, and ponds for families to get outside and enjoy our natural resources. McKinney Falls sits on Onion Creek just west of the Austin-Bergstrom Airport, and harbors the clearest water I have seen in Texas. I fished McKinney on a cold morning with my good friend and SAS senior, David Moore. I set out equipped with a fly rod and my trusty baitcaster. Moore and I both started the day fly fishing, but after watching the 5-year-old across the pond catch 3 fish in one minute with a barbie rod and a silver spoon, we switched to conventional fishing. I tied on the last silver spoon in my tackle box, and started catching one after the other. The fish were down deep in the middle of the pool that catches the overspill of the upper Onion Creek, so unless you can cast far with a fly rod, with brush behind you, I don’t see anyone having much success fishing with anything but a baitcaster or a spinning setup. Just like Camp Mabry, the government issued maintenance has made for some stunning scenery. I went during winter, so I didn’t see much greenery, but I have no doubt that in the spring and summer the whole area is a thriving ecosystem of native species. Using my baitcaster and the silver spoon lure, I caught 8 rainbow trout and kept 3 of them, but you are allowed to keep 5. I didn’t target largemouth bass, but I imagine in the summer months it would be a great, refreshing, activity to hop in the water and wade down the creek to find some bass. Overall, the people were friendly, and the fishing was good. You can’t ask for more when it comes to a fishing spot. Take Moore’s word for it, he has been to McKinney once and when I asked him the best place to go fishing in Austin he said, “Honestly, McKinney is probably my favorite spot.”
Photo Credit: Luke McGrath
Photo Credit: USA Today
Why March Madness Is the Most Exciting Time of the Year
Brooks Moore
Brooks Moore
March 12, 2025
March 12, 2025
From March 18th-April 5th the most electrifying sports tournament in the country will be going on: the NCAA men's basketball tournament, more famously known as March Madness. The teams playing are not professional teams, they are college teams and they come in all sizes. You have big schools where going far into the tournament is the standard. You also have teams that may have never made the tournament before, and could pull off an upset at any time. As a big fan of the tournament I will be going over who I think has the best chances of winning this year, or getting upset. I made four categories: Contenders, Pretenders, Teams to Watch Out For, and a team I think will go on a Cinderella run.
From March 18th-April 5th the most electrifying sports tournament in the country will be going on: the NCAA men's basketball tournament, more famously known as March Madness. The teams playing are not professional teams, they are college teams and they come in all sizes. You have big schools where going far into the tournament is the standard. You also have teams that may have never made the tournament before, and could pull off an upset at any time. As a big fan of the tournament I will be going over who I think has the best chances of winning this year, or getting upset. I made four categories: Contenders, Pretenders, Teams to Watch Out For, and a team I think will go on a Cinderella run.
The Men’s NCAA basketball tournament is a 64 team tournament filled with the best teams in the country with a mix of big schools like Kentucky, Kansas and Duke, and teams from much smaller conferences where they have to win their conference tournament to get in. The reason why it is called March Madness is because the small schools get a chance to beat the big teams and it happens pretty often.
The Men’s NCAA basketball tournament is a 64 team tournament filled with the best teams in the country with a mix of big schools like Kentucky, Kansas and Duke, and teams from much smaller conferences where they have to win their conference tournament to get in. The reason why it is called March Madness is because the small schools get a chance to beat the big teams and it happens pretty often.
Contenders:
Contenders:
The first true contender is without a doubt Auburn. They have been number one in the AP poll for a lot of this entire season and have flipped between one and two on KenPom rankings throughout the year. (KenPom is used by college basketball analysts to see how good teams are using advanced metrics and is one of the most trusted sites in the college basketball world). Auburn without a doubt has been the best team in basketball this year. They check every box: they are consistent, they have one conference loss in the best conference this year, and they are just incredibly good. If March Madness was not so unpredictable Auburn would definitely win, but you just never know. The next team is Duke. If there has been a team that has made a case for being better than Auburn, it is the Blue Devils. They beat Auburn at the beginning of the season and have only lost one conference game. What makes Duke special is Cooper Flagg. He is 18 years old and the best player in the country. With a really strong group of players around him the sky's the limit for Duke.
The first true contender is without a doubt Auburn. They have been number one in the AP poll for a lot of this entire season and have flipped between one and two on KenPom rankings throughout the year. (KenPom is used by college basketball analysts to see how good teams are using advanced metrics and is one of the most trusted sites in the college basketball world). Auburn without a doubt has been the best team in basketball this year. They check every box: they are consistent, they have one conference loss in the best conference this year, and they are just incredibly good. If March Madness was not so unpredictable Auburn would definitely win, but you just never know. The next team is Duke. If there has been a team that has made a case for being better than Auburn, it is the Blue Devils. They beat Auburn at the beginning of the season and have only lost one conference game. What makes Duke special is Cooper Flagg. He is 18 years old and the best player in the country. With a really strong group of players around him the sky's the limit for Duke.
Pretenders:
Pretenders:
Every year there are teams who look promising, but lose to teams they should beat. This year one of those teams is Iowa State. Early in the season they looked really strong, but they have shown signs of being fraudulent recently. They are ranked number eight in KenPom even though they have been upset a number of times. Inconsistency is a major redflag for any team especially when the team is losing games they should win. While they are a very talented group and have been on the verge in the past few tournaments, this year is not the year for the Cyclones. The next team is the back to back National Champions the UConn Huskies. The past two tournaments they have won, but this is not the same team. Overall most analysts probably would not consider UConn a contender, but to the casual fan UConn could seem like a good bet. They are not at all, as they are 38 in KenPom, which is just very low.
Every year there are teams who look promising, but lose to teams they should beat. This year one of those teams is Iowa State. Early in the season they looked really strong, but they have shown signs of being fraudulent recently. They are ranked number eight in KenPom even though they have been upset a number of times. Inconsistency is a major redflag for any team especially when the team is losing games they should win. While they are a very talented group and have been on the verge in the past few tournaments, this year is not the year for the Cyclones. The next team is the back to back National Champions the UConn Huskies. The past two tournaments they have won, but this is not the same team. Overall most analysts probably would not consider UConn a contender, but to the casual fan UConn could seem like a good bet. They are not at all, as they are 38 in KenPom, which is just very low.
Teams To Watch Out For:
Teams To Watch Out For:
This group of teams is by far the most interesting as they have the potential to win a national title, but there are some questions still to be answered. The first team is Saint John’s, they are incredibly talented and have a super physical team, and really the type that can go far in March Madness. They are number 13 in KenPom, which is very solid, not to mention they have one of the greatest coaches ever: Rick Pitino. The next team is Clemson. They went to the Elite Eight last year, and they have kept that momentum this year as they are number 13 in the AP poll and beat Duke recently. They have not stopped their momentum, and have set themselves apart as the clear second best team in the ACC.
This group of teams is by far the most interesting as they have the potential to win a national title, but there are some questions still to be answered. The first team is Saint John’s, they are incredibly talented and have a super physical team, and really the type that can go far in March Madness. They are number 13 in KenPom, which is very solid, not to mention they have one of the greatest coaches ever: Rick Pitino. The next team is Clemson. They went to the Elite Eight last year, and they have kept that momentum this year as they are number 13 in the AP poll and beat Duke recently. They have not stopped their momentum, and have set themselves apart as the clear second best team in the ACC.
Cinderella:
Cinderella:
Every year in March one team will come out of nowhere and go on a Cinderella run. In the past, teams like Loyola Chicago, St. Peters, and even NC State last year are an example. This year I believe the University of California San Diego is that team. Only four years ago they moved to Division One and since then have improved till this year when they have exploded. They are number 35 in KenPom, which is unreal for a small school.
Every year in March one team will come out of nowhere and go on a Cinderella run. In the past, teams like Loyola Chicago, St. Peters, and even NC State last year are an example. This year I believe the University of California San Diego is that team. Only four years ago they moved to Division One and since then have improved till this year when they have exploded. They are number 35 in KenPom, which is unreal for a small school.
This year's March Madness is set to be one for the books. There are so many good teams, anyone can really win, but there could also be just as many upsets. The country tunes into this tournament for a reason-because of the unpredictability. Anything can happen in March.
This year's March Madness is set to be one for the books. There are so many good teams, anyone can really win, but there could also be just as many upsets. The country tunes into this tournament for a reason-because of the unpredictability. Anything can happen in March.
SPRING ATHLETE HIGHLIGHTS
SPRING ATHLETE HIGHLIGHTS
Boys' Lacrosse
Dylan Knighten '25
Dylan Knighten '25
Senior Dylan Knighten leads the lacrosse team this season as they go for another championship.
Photo credit: Cash Meyers
Boys' Golf
Zain Osborne '25
Zain Osborne '25
Senior Golf captain Zain Osborne leads the Highlander golf team this year.
Photo credit: Darcie Westerlund
Girls' Lacrosse
ML Townsend '26
ML Townsend '26
Junior ML Townsend is committed to play Division One Lacrosse at the College of William & Mary.
Photo credit: ML Townsend
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