B.A. Steinhagen
FAIR. Water stain; 63 degrees; 0.39 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; 1.03 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; 0.36 feet above pool. The water temperature has still been holding in the low 50s, so the bite has been really good on the lake. Anything shad pattern should work in the river or on the main lake around the grass and pad stems. Alabama rigs, chatterbaits, swimbaits, flukes and rattle traps will work. Crappie seem to be in the river channels. White bass, yellow bass and crappie are biting decent even with the black bass. Still a wonderful time of the year to come visit this majestic lake that God spoke into existence. Report provided by Vince Richards, Caddo Lake Fishing & Fellowship.
Conroe
GOOD. Water stained; 61 degrees; 1.73 feet below pool. Catfish are excellent with eater sized and trophy class fish being caught on baited holes and bulkheads. Bass are good shallow and deep with bigger fish on offshore structure with jerkbaits and swimbaits. Report by Brad Doyle with Bradley’s Guide Service. Crappie are in 13-22 feet close or in structure using 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 from Bradley Outdoors to jig for them and get ready for deadsticking. Always wear your life jacket! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Report by Mike Cason, Fishical Therapy.
Fork
GOOD. Water Stained; 57 degrees; 2.39 feet below pool. Lake level is still low with water temperatures 55-58 degrees. Creek channels and ditches are best with Texas rigs and jigs worked around big wood or lay downs on the edges in 3-8 feet. Suspending jerkbaits is also working in the same areas. Docks are producing some fish. Offshore look for the bass to be on road beds and high spots in 15-22 feet with Carolina rigs and spoons. 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; 0.17 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.
Livingston
GOOD. slightly stained; 63 degrees; 0.96 feet below pool. Water color is a good green. White bass can be caught in 10-20 feet of water. Lots of juvenile hybrids right now, so people need to watch for not keeping them. Catching all fish on Ducktracker slabs and Texas teasers. White and chartreuseReport by Michael Richardson, Lake Livingston Adventures.
Martin Creek
GOOD. Water slight stain; 57 degrees; 1.62 feet below pool. There are two turbines running at the power plant bringing water temperatures warmer after the outage. Bass are in pre-spawn to spawn depending on the area of the lake. Try spinnerbaits, swimbaits and rattle traps in and around the hydrilla. Crappie are a bit slow but should pick up when water temperatures stabilize better. Best bet will be 10-15 feet of water around brush using minnows and jigs. Report by Hambone guide service.
Nacogdoches
GOOD. Water stained; 55 degrees; 0.32 feet below 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.
Naconiche
GOOD. Water heavily stained; 58 degrees; 0.50 feet below pool. There are still some large groups of bass in deeper water hovering just off the bottom, so a drop-shot has been working pretty well. A few have also been boated with a deep-diving crankbait. As always, shad imitations are in vogue. Crappie population is good. Catfish are slow. Report by Eric Wolfe, NacoTack Fishing Services. Largemouth bass are excellent on small swimbaits, Carolina rigs and dropshots. Crappie are excellent on brush piles and standing timber with a 1/16 ounce white crappie jig on a split shot. Report by Cal Cameron, Cal’s ETX Guide Service.
Pinkston
GOOD. slightly stained; 55 degrees. Largemouth bass are excellent for numbers with many fish in the 3-5 pound range. Cast small swimbaits in 25 feet of water. Crappie are good on small white jigs on a split shot rig. Catfish are on cut bait. Report by Cal Cameron, Cal’s ETX Guide Service.
Sam Rayburn
FAIR. Water slightly stained; 58 degrees; 2.29 feet below pool. Fishing patterns are holding steady. The first two weeks of January are usually when the water really cools down. Bass are chasing shad in the shallows and off points. When you can find grass on the south end there is usually a bass that can be caught on crankbaits. Crappie and white bass are moving in the river channel, but are not stacked up in the river like normal. 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; 61 degrees; 3.76 feet below pool. Fishing is good for this time of year with a late fall pattern. Bass can be caught with a swim jig, chatterbait, and spinnerbait on the bank in 1-6 feet of water. Then back out to 10-16 feet of water and catch them with a Texas and Carolina rig, or 18-25 feet of water with a spoon or dropshot. Report by Stephen Johnston, Johnston Fishing.
Tyler
SLOW. Water normal stain; 65 degrees; 0.57 feet below pool. Crappie are slow in 20-25 feet of water. Catfish are slow, scattered in 10-16 feet of water stink bait and nightcrawlers. Bream are slow on red worms in deep water. Bass are slow on trick worms and 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
GOOD. Water stained; 65 degrees; 3.85 feet above pool. Catfish are good with stink bait. Crappie are good with minnows and jigs.
