B.A. Steinhagen
FAIR. Water stain; 63 degrees; 0.31 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; 60 degrees; 0.44 feet below pool. The bite has been tough, but the fish caught have been very good size and very healthy. Fish have been settling on the edges of creek channels and areas with a steep drop in depth. Dragging a green pumpkin worm on a shaky head or a natural colored jig have been most productive. Report by Blake Doughtie, Lake Country Lunkers Lures and Guide Service. Windy, sunny banks and retaining walls are good bets for black bass. Try subsurface fish patterns in 5-10 feet of water. On warm, sunny days, small shad pattern flies might produce bass around submerged vegetation. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service.
Caddo
GOOD. Water stained; 52 degrees; 1.34 feet above pool. The lake is muddy after the recent rainfall. Anything near the river will be muddy with lots of salvinia and logs floating, so be careful when navigating on the lake. Bass are good with fish feeding up. Shad related lures are best like Alabama rigs, swimbaits, chatterbaits, rattle traps and flukes. The white bass have been active, but the freshwater and stained water may slow the bite down some. Still it is always a fun time and a blessed trip to come out and fish a lake like Caddo that God spoke into existence. Report provided by Vince Richards, Caddo Lake Fishing & Fellowship.
Conroe
GOOD. Water stained; 62 degrees; 0.62 feet below pool. Catfish are excellent on baited holes with liver and shrimp, as well as catfish bubblegum on bulkheads. Plenty of eater sized fish as well as trophy class in deeper water using bluegills. Bass are good shallow and deep with bigger fish offshore on structure with jerkbait and swimbaits. Report by Brad Doyle with Bradley’s Guide Service. Crappie are in 13-22 feet of water close or in structure, and timber with jigs and minnows. Hybrids have been schooling in 12-26 feet on flats and drop-offs. Many folks are trolling with a deep diver and a pet spoon trailer, others are using slabs and jigging. Get ready for deadsticking when the water temperature drops a little more. Always wear your life jacket! Happy New Year! Report by Mike Cason, Fishical Therapy.
Fork
GOOD. Water Stained; 54 degrees; 1.78 feet below pool. The lake level is on the rise after the recent rains, but the bite has slowed. Squarebill crankbaits and chatterbaits are fair in 3-5 feet. Suspended jerkbaits around timber in 5-7 feet are fair. Carolina rigs on points and humps or road beds in 12-18 feet are good. Texas rigs and Viper XP jigs on big wood slow in 5-7 feet. Report by Marc Mitchell, Lake Fork Guide Service. Cooler water so the bass will be deeper. Black bass are slow in 5-10 feet. Some smaller bass are chasing shad on warm days. Black Clousers with sinking tip lines are a good bet. Focus on creek bends and drop-offs. small streamers and top water patterns might catch active bass in creeks on warm days. Report by Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork. The Lake Fork crappie fishing continues to be excellent as the surface temperatures continue to drop. Lots of fish can be found on timber, brush and bridges in 18-58 feet. If you find areas with tons of shad there will be crappie close by. Look for fish migrating towards deeper water that sometimes follow creek channels. The jig bite has kicked in for the winter. Small hand tied jigs are producing extremely well and soft plastics will get you a bite. Minnows are always a go to bait for crappie on Lake Fork. Report by Jacky Wiggins, Jacky Wiggins Guide Service.
Houston County
SLOW. Water stained; 60 degrees; 0.87 feet above pool. Crappie can be caught on brush with minnows and jigs. Bass can be caught on Texas rigs. Catfish can be caught on cut bait.
Lake O’ the Pines
GOOD. Water slightly stained; 65 degrees; 1.50 feet above pool. Largemouth bass bite is excellent. Spotted bass schooling around the dam has slowed. Water clarity is good in coves that have not been wind blown. The fish are bulking up for the winter, and have been biting shad colored baits up in shallow coves and creek channels. Flukes, small swimbaits, or a dark colored jig around boat ramps have all produced good size fish. Report by Blake Doughtie, Lake Country Lunkers Lures and Guide Service.
