B.A. Steinhagen
FAIR. Water stain; 63 degrees; 0.04 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.
Conroe
GOOD. Water stained; 60 degrees; 0.57 feet below pool. Catfish are great in 10-45 feet on baited holes using catfish Bubblegum, liver, worms, minnows, shad, or punch bait. Drifting natural baits has been producing good catches and some trophy class as well. Largemouth has been fair on jerkbaits and deep cranks on offshore ledges and plastics worked slowly through the brush. Crappie have been fair and some nice catches reported, but everyone is out there after them and it is a matter of finding a spot that has not already been drained prior to your arrival. Report by Brad Doyle with Bradley’s Guide Service. Hybrids have been schooling in 18-36 feet hanging on flats and drop-offs. Many folks are trolling with a deep diver and a pet spoon trailer, others are using slabs jigging for them and getting ready for deadsticking when the water temperature drops a little more. Always wear your life jacket!
Fork
GOOD. Water Stained; 55 degrees; 1.85 feet below pool. Bass are good in 3-5 feet of water in timber or grass with chatterbaits, square bill crankbaits and flukes. Texas rigs and shaky heads are good around docks in 5-10 feet of water. Carolina rigs fair on roadbeds and high spots 14-17 feet. Report by Marc Mitchell, Lake Fork Guide Service. 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. Re-port by Jacky Wiggins, Jacky Wiggins Guide Service. Historically a strong cold front will shut the bite off when the water temperature is 43 degrees or lower. Expect the crappie to become stationary to reserve energy. If the water temperature drops into the 30s a shad kill is possible. If this happens crappie will feed on the shad and follow the fish deep to feed. Target the lower two-thirds of the lake. Crappie are good in the river channel timber. The best approach is a light line with an ⅛ ounce jig. Report by River Bottom Boys Guide Service.
Livingston
GOOD. slightly stained; 63 degrees; 0.82 feet below pool. Hi, the lake is a few inches high due to rain from last week. Water is a little off color north and midlake but still green on the south end. Catching a lot of white bass in 15-25ft on the south end. Ducktracker slabs. Look for catfish in the mouths of creek due to running water. Report by Michael Richardson, Lake Livingston Adventures.
Martin Creek
GOOD. Water stained; 58 degrees; 0.05 feet above pool. Martin Creek is at full pool, stained and 58 degrees at the boat ramp. Caution buoys at the spillway and at Well Head are not present, so use ex-treme caution in these areas. Bass are good with swim jigs, swimbaits, bladed jigs and Texas rigged worms on the inside and outside of hydrilla, or with dropshots around tilapia beds near scrapper cut. Crappie are slow on brush piles in 10-20 feet of water with minnows. Catfish are good at warm water discharge using live and cut bait. Sand bass are good at discharge as well using small jigging spoons. Report by Hambone guide service.
Nacogdoches
GOOD. Water stained; 55 degrees; 0.12 feet above pool. Largemouth bass are excellent with catches up to 11 pounds possible on large swimbaits and Carolina rigs off the bottom in creek channel swings in 12-15 feet of water. Crappie are excellent in 12-15 feet of water and standing timber and brush piles with 1/16 ounce translucent white crappie jigs on a split shot rig. Catfish are fair on cut bait or live minnows. Report by Cal Cameron, Cal’s ETX Guide Service.
Sam Rayburn
FAIR. Water slightly stained; 60 degrees; 0.32 feet below pool. The clarity is slightly muddy in the creeks and upriver. Bass are moving shallow into the bush with the new water. When you find grass, fish will be there. Bass are on the move upriver in shallow water with crankbaits and swim jigs. Crappie and white bass are going up river. Catfish are good in 15-26 feet of water on cut bait and minnows. Report by Captain Lynn Atkinson, Reel Um N Guide Service.
Toledo Bend
FAIR. Water normal stain; 58 degrees; 2.49 feet below pool. After the recent rains most of all the creeks are muddy and with water still coming in. The shallow bite is going to be hard with the dirty water, but chartreuse or orange colored spinnerbaits and chatterbaits always work great in the mud. The deep fish are going to be slow due to the rising water, but casting crankbaits, dropshots and spoons should land catches. Mid range fish are going to be best in 12-20 feet on Texas rigs, Carolina rigs and big crankbaits. There is a new moon coming this week which should get the female bass thinking about getting ready to make a move up.
A cool down in the forecast with temperatures in the high 50s. No reports on crappie. Report by Stephen Johnston, Johnston Fishing.
Tyler
SLOW. Water normal stain; 55 degrees; 0.14 feet above pool. Crappie are slow in 20-25 feet of wa-ter. Catfish are slow on chicken liver. Bream are slow on red worms in deep water. Bass are slow on crankbaits. Report by The Boulders at Lake Tyler.
Welsh
FAIR. Water stained. 60 degrees. A few reports that catches of bass are good.
Wright Patman
SLOW. Water stained; 65 degrees; 8.04 feet above pool. Fishing should be slow for all species until the water settles.