B.A. Steinhagen
FAIR. Water stain; 75 degrees; 0.21 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; 1.10 feet below pool. Channel catfish are excellent in 10-14 feet of water with stink bait or chicken liver. Crappie are excellent in 10-20 feet on brush piles with jigs or minnows. Report by Joey Crews, Lake Bob Sandlin Chubby Chaser Guide Service. Windy banks and main lake points should produce strikes from bass. Try topwater baits early and late in the day. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service. Water clarity is 2-3 feet. Spotted bass are still schooling at the dam, and can be caught in high numbers with an underspin or 4 inch shad swimbait. Largemouth bass catches are excellent when casting a spinnerbait or bladed jig on wind-blown points, especially points with grass. White bass and largemouth can still be caught around green lights at night on small profile shad baits. Report by Blake Doughtie, Lake Country Lunkers Lures and Guide Service.
Caddo
GOOD. Water stained; 80 degrees; 0.28 feet below pool. The lake level is very low, so navigatek with caution. Bass are still in transition while the daily temperature is still in the upper 80s. The fall feeding frenzy will begin when the temperatures drop. Work a fluke and swimbait over the grass on the main lake. The river bite is starting to pick up with slowly working a shad crankbait, rattle trap, and dropshot or shaky head in junebug will work in the river on the drops or cuts up and down the river. The colors are changing and it is a beautiful time to come out here and enjoy this lake that God spoke into existence. Report provided by Vince Richards, Caddo Lake Fishing & Fellowship.
Conroe
GOOD. Water stained; 79 degrees; 1.31 feet below pool. Catfish are still great on baited holes from 10-35 feet deep on Catfish Bubblegum, worms, liver, and punch bait. Drifting natural baits can produce some larger blues. Bass good cranking rocks and flipping docks. Report by Brad Doyle with Bradley’s Guide Service. Crappie have been slow in 12-22 feet with hair jigs producing more strikes than plastics. Hybrids have been in smaller schools in 12-25 feet with some whites mixed in, hanging on flats and dropoffs. Many folks are trolling with a deep diver and a pet spoon trailer, or jigging with slabs from Bradley Outdoors, 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; 2.29 feet below pool. Fishing on Lake Fork has been slow due to lake turnover in the mid lake area. Bass are good on topwaters early around grass, and lipless crankbaits in front of the grass and in the flats 3-6 feet. Carolina rigs are fair on points in 7-12 feet. Report by Marc Mitchell, Lake Fork Guide Service. Streamers are tempting active feeding bass in 1-3 feet on main lake points. Dock fishing is providing a variety of fish with small beaded fish imitations. Catfish are shallow around boat houses and brush. 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; 75 degrees; 0.32 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; 0.60 feet above pool. Water clarity north of 155 bridge is stained with a 1-2 foot visibility with the clarity improving as you venture south. Bass can be caught with shad colored bladed jigs along grass lines, and flipping shallow cover around the mouths of coves can produce bites. Report by Blake Doughtie, Lake Country Lunkers Lures and Guide Service. Crappie are great on timber in 10-25 feet of water.
Livingston
GOOD. slightly stained; 80 degrees; 1.68 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; 80 degrees; 2.19 feet below pool. Bass are good using shaky heads and Texas rigged worms on main points with hydrilla. Rattletraps in the back of Dry Creek and squarebill crankbaits in the high line area. Crappie are good suspended in deep brush piles but are beginning to scatter heading towards the warmer water. Best baits remain to be on minnows and pintail jigs. Catfish are good on either side of the scrapper cut using live or cut bait. Report by Hambone Guide service.
Nacogdoches
GOOD. Water stained; 70 degrees; 1.94 feet below pool. Largemouth bass are excellent with an abundance of 2-5 pound fish schooling in 12-15 feet. Fish can be caught with Carolina rigs and deep diving crankbaits. Crappie are excellent with numbers of keepers being caught on white and chartreuse 1/16 ounce jig. Catfish are fair on live minnows. Report by Cal Cameron, Cal’s ETX Guide Service.
Naconiche
FAIR. Water slightly stained; 70 degrees; 0.00 feet full pool. The fall turnover looks to have officially started. The north ends of the lake have turned chocolate brown, and the main body of the lake will soon be next. With zero rain in the forecast, the turnover should only last a week or so. Throw flash and rattle lures during the turnover. Spinnerbaits, squarebill crankbaits, and chatterbaits in less than 10 feet of water. Crappie population is good. Catfish are slow. Report by Eric Wolfe, NacoTack Fishing Services. Largemouth bass are good with catches in the 2-4 pound range. Fish are schooling subsurface hitting small swimbaits or a dropshot with a straight tailed worm. Crappie are excellent with small 1/16 ounce white crappie jigs. Catfish are fair on live minnows or cut bait. Report by Cal Cameron, Cal’s ETX Guide Service.
Pinkston
FAIR. slightly stained; 76 degrees. Water clarity is clear. Largemouth bass are good with small swimbaits and dropshots in 2-12 feet of water. Crappie are fair on white crappie jigs. Catfish are slow on live minnows or cut bait. Report by Cal Cameron, Cal’s ETX Guide Service.
Raven
FAIR. Water light stain; 79 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; 2.00 feet below pool. There is an abundance of shad in shallow water. Shallow bass feeding on the shad can be caught with spinnerbaits and topwater frogs. Crappie are transitioning from brush main lake brush to creek channels. 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; 80 degrees; 4.57 feet below pool. Water temperature is finally staying in the low 80s, dipping into the upper 70s in the mornings. Bass fishing has improved with catches up to 9 pounds this week. Bass are shallow in 1-5 feet of water on topwater lures, swimbaits and chatterbaits during the first couple of hours. Then target mid range fish in 8-14 feet of water on Texas rigs and crankbaits. There is a deep bite on dropshots and spoons in 18-25 feet. There are good number of fish, just not many big fish yet. Few more crappie getting caught this week on shallow brush and at night on lighted deeper docks. All live bait. Report by Stephen Johnston, Johnston Fishing.
Tyler
GOOD. Water normal stain; 75 degrees; 1.37 feet below pool. Fishing patterns are holding steady. Crappie are good with minnows and jigs in 16-20 feet of water on brush. 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 spinnerbaits scattered throughout the lake. Report by The Boulders at Lake Tyler.
Welsh
FAIR. Water stained. 95 degrees. A few reports that catches of bass are good.
Wright Patman
GOOD. Water stained; 80 degrees; 3.60 feet above pool. Catfish are good with stink bait. Crappie are good with minnows and jigs.
