B.A. Steinhagen
FAIR. Water stain; 85 degrees; 0.37 feet below pool. Mayflies are hatching, so expect some topwater bass action. Bass are fair on soft plastics in the cuts, or with frogs over grass. Crappie are fair with jigs in flooded timber. Catfish are fair on juglines.
Bob Sandlin
GOOD. Water slightly stained; 85 degrees; 0.92 feet below pool. Crappie are excellent in 15-20 feet of water on brush piles with minnows or jigs. Channel catfish are fair in 25 feet of water on baited holes with stink bait. White bass are fair at night in the lights with a white spinnerbaits. Report by Joey Crews, Lake Bob Sandlin Chubby Chaser Guide Service. Black bass are chasing shad and bream. Windy retaining walls will produce marauding bass. Try topwater baits in a fish pattern and streamers in a bream pattern. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service. Bass can be caught throwing a white buzzbait in the early morning around hard cover will produce bites. During the day, pitching senkos or Texas rigged creature baits around docks and grass edges. Report by Blake Doughtie, Lake Country Lunkers Lures and Guide Service.
Caddo
GOOD. Water stained; 80 degrees; 0.29 feet below pool. The lake level is low so navigate with caution. Some white bass are starting to show up in the river systems and you still have the black bass feeding on shad in the grass and pads. A frog, fluke, swimbait, pop r , trap or buzz bait will all work this time of year on the flats. Try a Shad crankbait , spoon, drop shot or light Texas rig in the river fishing the cuts, turns, grass or pad lines. Look for the bait on your graph or look for the birds, remember to listen for the pads popping as that is bait under them and the bass will be there. This is a wonderful time to come out and visit this majestic lake that God spoke into existence. Report provided by Vince Richards, Caddo Lake Fishing & Fellowship.
Conroe
GOOD. Water stained; 84 degrees; 1.10 feet below pool. Catfish are great on baited holes and ledges in 10-30 feet with Catfish Bubblegum, worms, liver and punch bait. Crappie are fair to poor on brush 10-22 feet on minnows and hand tied jigs. Lots of big bream on brush with the crappie can be caught on minnows and worms. Bass still holding true to shallow early and offshore docks midday. Report by Brad Doyle with Bradley’s Guide Service. Hybrids have been schooled in 12-25 feet with some whites mixed in, hanging on flats and drop-offs. Many folks are trolling with a deep diver and a pet spoon trailer, others are using slabs from Bradley Outdoors to jig for them as well as casting swimbaits or crankbaits. Always wear your life jacket and stay hydrated in this heat. Report by Mike Cason, Fishical Therapy.
Fork
GOOD. Water Stained; 81 degrees; 2.06 feet below pool. Bass topwaters are good early around grass after sun up and mid range in 4-6 feet square bills on flats with grass and timber lines. Carolina rigs are good in 12-14 feet on points. Report by Marc Mitchell, Lake Fork Guide Service. Windy banks can provide schooling bass action, so be ready with a small topwater lure or streamer. Dock fishing is providing a variety of fish with small beaded fish imitations. Catfish are shallow around boat houses. Bream are scattered in shallow banks. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service. The crappie fishing on Lake Fork is improving as the water temperature drop into the 70s. You can find fish all over the lake and any type of structure between 12-58 feet. We are seeing some fish on brush piles, laydowns, bridges and road beds. The best fish are definitely on timber. Focus on the edge of timber and creek channels mostly. We will see more fish hitting deeper timber as the water temps drop to the 60’s and 50’s over the next few months. Minnows are still a dominant bait, but small hand ties are producing again and soft plastics should also put some good fish in the boat. The overall bite will get better and better as we head deeper into fall and winter. Catfishing continues to be incredible on Lake Fork. We are seeing lots of catfish around timber in depths from 18-58 feet as they follow bait fish using smelly prepared catfish bait. You can also draw even more fish in with some chum, cattle cubes or sour grains. Report by Jacky Wiggins, Jacky Wiggins Guide Service.
Houston County
SLOW. Water stained; 85 degrees; 0.22 feet below pool. Fishing patterns are consistent, but this should change as the weather begins to cool. Sunfish are good. Crappie are slow on minnows and jigs. Bass are slow midday, with the best bite in the morning.
Lake O’ the Pines
GOOD. Water slightly stained; 90 degrees; 0.91 feet above pool. Bass schooling activity can be seen on the surface near main creek channels, and a weightless fluke is hard to beat. Deeper water near the pump station is holding good fish, and can be caught throwing small underspin swimbaits. Report by Blake Doughtie, Lake Country Lunkers Lures and Guide Service.
Livingston
GOOD. slightly stained; 80 degrees; 1.25 feet below pool. Very little boater traffic. White bass are in depths at 8-20 feet of water. Report by Michael Richardson, Lake Livingston Adventures.
Martin Creek
GOOD. Water normal stain; 85 degrees; 1.95 feet below pool. Bass are good on redbug colored texas rigged worms fishing points with hydrilla. Rattletraps work well in Jet Ski Cove and Dry Creek over the hydrilla. Try square bill crankbaits at the high lines along the creek channel. Crappie remain good with fish suspended 15 feet over brush using minnows and Bobby Garland screamer color jigs. Reported by Hambone guide service.
Nacogdoches
GOOD. Water stained; 77 degrees; 1.71 feet below pool. Water temperatures are ranging from 75-78 degrees with some cooler weather in the forecast. Largemouth bass are excellent for numbers with fish in the 2-4 pound range biting Carolina rigs and medium diving crankbaits. Crappie are excellent on brush piles and standing timber from 10-15 feet of water with white and chartreuse 1/16 ounce jig. Catfish are fair on live minnows. L Report by Cal Cameron, Cal’s ETX Guide Service.
Naconiche
FAIR. Water slightly stained; 76 degrees; 0.00 feet full pool. Fishing patterns are consistent while fish continue to be between a summer and fall pattern. Expect the next two cold fronts to drop temperatures to the mid 70s or cooler triggering the fall turnover. Keep an eye on the thermocline. Bass will bite squarebill crankbaits in 5 feet, if you find them hugging the bottom in 8-10 feet dragging a Texas-rig Mag-worm can be effective. Crappie population is good. Catfish are slow. Report by Eric Wolfe, NacoTack Fishing Services. Bass are good with lots of topwater activity and schooling action. Bass between the 2-4 pound range on topwaters, walking baits, spooks and poppers. Crappie are excellent with catches of very large crappie. Catfish are great on live bait. Report by Cal Cameron, Cal’s ETX Guide Service.
Pinkston
FAIR. slightly stained; 76 degrees. Water clarity is clear. Largemouth bass are fair with some schooling action biting small swimbaits and topwaters. Crappie are slow on crappie jigs. Catfish are slow on cut bait or live minnows. Report by Cal Cameron, Cal’s ETX Guide Service.
Raven
FAIR. Water light stain; 85 degrees. Leaves are dropping from trees and fall fishing patterns are here. A strong cold front pushed south mid-week. Water is slightly stained. Bass are good with flukes, worms, and lipless crankbaits near the hydrilla grass edge are reported to be working for bass. No angler reports of crappie or catfish this week, but anglers can try minnows on crappie jigs near brush piles or piers to target crappie. Catfish can be targeted with worms or stink bait fished near the bottom at the prairie branch pier or over towards the dam by the valve release tower. Bluegill are biting on worms and hotdogs over at the boathouse dock. Anglers should try to use them on a free lined hook or with a hook and bobber.
Sam Rayburn
GOOD. Water slightly stained; 77 degrees; 1.56 feet below pool. Fishing is consistent. Bass are schooling more in the morning so expect more topwater action on grass edges and points. Crappie are fair on standing timber in 27 feet on brush piles with minnows over jigs. Blue and channel catfish are fair in 24-27 feet of water and in the river bends on cut bait and minnows. Report by Captain Lynn Atkinson, Reel Um N Guide Service. Expect the lake level to continue to drop slowly through the winter. Shallow bass are centered around shoreline brush and hay grass along with high spots, shallow ditches and creek channel swings. These fish can be caught on Texas rigs, wacky rigs, shallow water crankbaits and topwaters. There is a large population of schooling bass heavily chasing bait balls around main lake ledges in 17-22 feet, main lake drains in 10-17 feet, and main lake and secondary points. Cast a dropshot, Carolina rig, ½-¾ ounce jig, or deep diving crankbait. Report by Hank Harrison, Double H Precision Guide Service.
Toledo Bend
FAIR. Water normal stain; 85 degrees; 4.35 feet below pool. We finally have cooler air moving into East Texas with big wind in the forecast out of the north. Water temperature is running in the low to mid 80s right now, but will fall in the next couple days. The shallow fish can be caught on chatterbaits, swimbaits and swim jigs. These baits good from the bank to 4 feet of water around shallow grass and stumps. Next group of fish are on main lake points in 8-12 feet of water hitting Texas rig and mid-running crankbaits are good. The deeper fish on the main lake are fair, but the cooler temperatures will turn the bite on using dropshots, big crankbaits and spoons. Crappie are still slow at this time. Report by Stephen Johnston, Johnston Fishing.
Tyler
GOOD. Water normal stain; 84 degrees; 1.16 feet below pool. Fishing patterns are holding steady. Crappie are good with minnows on brush in 16-20 feet of water, and off the barge. Catfish are good in 10-16 feet of water stink bait, liver and nightcrawlers. Bream are good on red worms off the barge and throughout the lake. Bass are fair on topwater baits, crankbaits and spinner baits in 4-12 feet of water. Report by The Boulders at Lake Tyler.
Welsh
FAIR. Water stained. 95 degrees. Few reports from anglers.
Wright Patman
GOOD. Water stained; 83 degrees; 3.74 feet above pool. Catfish are good with stink bait. Crappie are good with minnows and jigs.
