B.A. Steinhagen
FAIR. Water stained; 85 degrees; 0.29 below pool. Very few anglers on the water. Target bass in shaded areas or submerged vegetation with a slow approach.
Bob Sandlin
EXCELLENT. Water stained; 89 degrees; 0.61 feet below pool. The overall bite has been hit or miss with the heat and windless days making an impact. Bass are early morning and late evening, finding more roaming points that have early evening shade. Seeing some topwater action. Crappie are loaded on most structures between 10-30 feet of water, but the best bite has been on brush piles and shallow timber. Did better this week on jigs than minnows. Catfish are still on fire. Channel and blue catfish are very active, seeing the most action in 20 feet of water. Catching them on minnows, stink bait and even some on artificial lures. White bass have been hitting topwater in large schools in the mornings and evenings. Report by Chris Caswell, Lake Bob Sandlin Crappie Fishing Guide. Dock knockers and small clousers should be producing bass and crappie around retaining walls. Look for mid day shade near boat houses. Topwater patterns in lilies should be good at mid and late day. Look for larger fish cruising the brush piles and creek channels. Clousers on sunny rocky shores might draw a strike. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service.
Caddo
GOOD. Water stained; 87-88 degrees; water level at 168.60 feet. The lake is setting up good with the pads and grass finally coming out thick as the level of the lake falls to more normal levels after all the rain this year. Have a frog, fluke, worm or a buzzbait ready to throw around the edge of the pads or up in the pads and grass. Look for the birds or listen for pads that pop to help find productive spots that would be holding bass because of the bait. Around the trees try a Pop-R or a Texas rig worm in a junebug color, a Senko is still good and a shaky head is also good. In the river you can use a dropshot, shaky head or light Texas rig to catch them - just look for cuts and turns in the river where the shad are holding up. Lake looks good and is fishing good and is always a good time to come visit and fish this majestic and divine lake we call Caddo. Report by Vince Richards, Caddo Lake Fishing & Fellowship.
Conroe
GREAT. Water stained; 89.6 degrees; 0.40 feet below pool. Finding a thermocline sitting at 32.5 feet. Catfish action has slowed recently, especially in baited areas. Still, some good catches come off ledges near structures and across flats. Drifting may be most effective. Largemouth bass are biting consistently around offshore structure and deeper docks on crankbaits, jigs, and soft plastics. Bream are excellent just about everywhere from 1-20 feet deep on docks, rocks, brush, and structure using worms and crickets. Crappie are fair to poor, holding tight to brush piles, standing timber, and submerged structure in 15-25 feet using slower presentations with minnows or jigs. Report by Bradley Doyle, Bradley’s Guide Service. Hybrid stripers are schooling well and providing solid action, though heavy boat traffic from late morning through afternoon can make them elusive. Being productive using slabs, spoons, or live shad on flats and drop-offs in 14-30 feet. Check the tooth patch to see if it’s a white bass or hybrid on the Outdoor Annual app. Always wear your life jacket and stay hydrated. Report by Mike Cason, Fishical Therapy.
Fork
GOOD. Water cloudy to clear; 86-95 degrees; 0.33 feet below pool. Dog days of summer are here, fish boat docks and lily pads at mid day when bass are seeking cover. Frog patterns are working in the shallow vegetation early and late. Bream are shallow with wooly buggers producing good fish. Brush piles are the key to big bass. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service. Early morning bite is good shallow with square bills and chatterbaits on the edge of grass and on shallow points. Mid morning still good with 2.5 square bills and shaky heads in 4-7 feet. Midday bite has seen the fish suspending in 12-15 feet over 18-20 feet. DD 22 in shad patterns are best. Not seeing very many fish on bottom so the oxygen level has changed offshore. Report by Marc Mitchell, Mitchell’s Guide Service.
Houston County
FAIR. Water stained; 86 degrees; 0.02 feet above pool. Bass are on deeper brush and shaded docks with soft plastics. Crappie are on deep brush biting minnows and jigs.
Lake O’ the Pines
GOOD. Water normal stain; 86 degrees; 1.17 feet above pool. Bass are good on shallow flats next to deep water with lipless crankbaits and square bill crankbaits. Topwater baits are good early morning and late afternoon. Crappie are good on slip cork minnows or jigs 12-15 feet of water on brush piles and timber. Report by Brian Vickery Fishing.
Livingston
GOOD. Normal stain; 88 degrees; 0.13 feet above pool. Bite has been great in the morning and afternoons. Look for schooling fish right after daylight and late in the evenings. Catching most white bass in 6-17 feet but can be caught on humps in 24-30 feet as well. Ducktracker slabs have been the ticket. Catfish have been decent on flats 10-20 feet. Drifting shad. Largemouth have been good on swim jigs and hitting rocks on wind blown points with square bill crankbaits. Report by Michael Richardson, Lake Livingston Adventures.
Martin Creek
FAIR. Water slightly stained; 94 degrees; 0.58 feet below pool. Bass are fair to good early and late along the hydrilla with swimbaits and Texas rigged worms. Big worms work good on deep brush for larger fish. Crappie remain good in 20-25 feet suspended in brush piles using minnows. Catfish have been good along the dam with Canadian nightcrawlers. Report by Hambone Fishing.
Nacogdoches
EXCELLENT. Water stained; 93 degrees; 0.74 feet below pool. Largemouth bass are good on Carolina rigs and dropshots around 15-20 feet of water in the deep water. Crappie are excellent on standing timber for the big ones. Smaller ones are in brush piles on secondary points and big ones are in the timber. Crappie fishing has been really good. Catfish have been poor. Report by Cal Cameron, Cal’s ETX Guide Service.
Naconiche
GOOD. Water clearing; 90 degrees; full pool. The lake is at full pool, and the summer pattern is in full swing, likely holding steady for the next few months. The best action is early and late, though those who can handle the heat may still be rewarded midday. Offshore fishing has been productive, with fish stacking up in suspended mode 8-10 feet deep over taller water-be sure to stay above thermocline. Downsized lures, like 6-8 feet divers or underspins in Natural Shad colors, are working well. Larger bites have come near the bottom in 8-10 feet of water, with soft jerkbaits getting most of the action, though a big worm around timber near boat lanes in the backs of creeks can also be effective. Early and late, a frog or other topwater can trigger aggressive strikes. Crappie numbers are good, while catfish remain slow. Report by Eric Wolfe, NacoTack Fishing Service.
Pinkston
GOOD. Water clear; 84 degrees. Water clarity is clear with 5 1/2 feet visibility. Bass are excellent now on topwater baits and Carolina rigs around grass lines. Crappie are fair on white and chartreuse jigs in timber. Catfish have been good on cut bait and live shiners. Report by Cal Cameron, Cal’s ETX Guide Service.
Raven
SLOW. Water slightly stained; 89 degrees. Largemouth bass are good on weedless rigged artificial worms in red-tinted colors with glitter. Anglers should target the cove where the boathouse is located. This area has seen recent success when working the hydrilla grass line. No reports of crappie or catfish in recent weeks. Bluegill are good off of the boathouse dock on hotdogs and worms under a bobber.
Sam Rayburn
SLOW. Water stained; 83 degrees; 6.57 feet below pool. The water is low with large stumps exposed and fish moving back to deeper water. Conditions are changing quickly with bass moving to points, humps, and offshore structure due to water releases. Caroline rigs and big baits are working for the deep bite. There’s some topwater action in the shallows early in places, but fishing is mainly focused on deep structure. With all the water being released, the bite has been challenging. Bluegill are abundant on brush piles. Crappie are fair. Catfish are good in creek channels and off points. Lots of freshwater is still coming in from recent rains, but heavy water releases are making fishing difficult. Report by Captain Lynn Atkinson, Reel Um N Guide Service.
Toledo Bend
FAIR. 94 degrees; 2.23 feet below pool. Hot summer conditions have made fishing tough, with the early morning topwater bite showing slight improvement-producing a few fish in the 4 pound range on Yellow Magic, Pop-R, and Spooks-but lasting only 30-45 minutes. With no morning cloud cover, the bite shuts down quickly once the sun clears the trees. Main lake ridge fishing has been fair, improving in the afternoon, with Texas rigs and big crankbaits working best in 15-20 feet of water during the last hour of daylight until dark. Crappie fishing remains very slow, with no solid reports this week. Report by Stephen Johnston, Johnston Fishing.
Tyler
GOOD. Water normal stain; 88 degrees; 0.31 feet below pool. Bream are fair on red worms. Crappie are being caught on minnows in 16-20 feet of water. Catfish are being caught on liver and cut bait in the shallows. Bass are being caught in 10-12 feet of water on crankbaits and topwater. Crappie and catfish are pretty good. Report by The Boulders at Lake Tyler.
Welsh
FAIR. Water stained. 94 degrees. Bass can be caught in deeper water with crankbaits and Carolina rigs.
Wright Patman
GOOD. Water normal stain; 80 degrees; 5.60 feet above pool. Fish are in 8-14 feet of water, stacking up on brush. Using minnows and small hair jigs. Fish are holding close to structure. Best bite is on minnows. Report by River Bottom Boys Guide Service.
