Also See:
Jeff Nail’s Lake Lanier Bass Fishing Report
Lake Hartwell Fishing Report from Captain Mack
Lake Lanier Fishing Report from Captain Mack
Lake Guntersville Weekly Fishing Report from Captain Mike Gerry
Lake Country Fishing – fishing reports on Lakes Sinclair and Oconee, and more. (subscription required)
Texas Parks and Wildlife Weekly Freshwater Fishing Reports
Texas Parks and Wildlife Weekly Saltwater Fishing Reports
Freshwater Weekly Fishing Report Week of December 18, 2024
GOOD. Water clear; 51 degrees; 0.03 feet above pool. Crappie are good in 15-30 feet on jigs and minnows. Catfish are good on liver and cut shad. Report by The Bait Shop, Post, Texas.
FAIR. Water normal stain; 68 degrees; 65.84 feet below pool. Black bass are fair on main lake points and ledges. Football head jigs, grubs, Ned rigs, crank baits, Texas rigged worms fished in 20-25 feet are having the best results. White bass are good in 30-40 feet on spoons, underspins, umbrella rigs. Stripers are slow. Happy Fishing! Report by Captain Raul Cordero, Far West Guide Service.
FAIR. Water stained; 65 degrees; 5.04 feet below pool. Water level is low, but rising so the clarity is murky. Continue to target fish near the dam, and the deeper part of the lake. Drop down on brush piles. Use a slower approach now that we are experiencing colder weather and water temperatures.
GOOD. Water lightly stained; 50 degrees; 5.37 feet below pool. Catfish are good drifting with fresh cut shad out in the main part of the lake. Report by Brandon Brown, Brown’s Guide Service.
GOOD. Water normal stain; 57 degrees; 0.54 feet below pool. Fishing patterns are holding steady. Bass are good and can be caught in grass 5-10 feet with Texas rig worms, wacky rig senko and lipless crankbaits. Crappie are slow on small jigs over deep brush 25 feet. Report by Reagan Nelson, Lake Athens Bass Guide.
GOOD. Water stained; 62 degrees; 0.54 feet below pool. Water temperatures have quickly dropped on Lake Austin. Hovering in the lower 60s. Bass fishing has been good using a variety approaches. The most effective pattern for catching numbers would be fishing a small worm around grass beds and docks. There are fish hanging out around the mouths of creeks feeding on Shad. A shallow Jerkbait and weightless fluke are good in these areas. Report by Carson Conklin, ATX Fishing.
FAIR. Water stain; 63 degrees; 0.49 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.
GOOD. Water stained; 66 degrees. Bass are good working worms and flukes around any water vegetation have been the most productive. The outlet will always produce some bass too. You can use small swimbaits and Texas rigged and shaky head trick worms to get bites. Some big fish gather on the rock piles out where the reeds on the right end on the way out. Cranking the dam or throwing a frog along the dam will get you a bite. Report by Bryan Cotter, Texas Hawgs. Bass are hiding in the edge of the reeds and what little grass there is holding bass. Deep humps and points holding a better size fish with dropshots and jigs. Water temperature is ranging from 62-66 degrees depending on which side of the lake. Report by David Townsend, Austin Fishing Guide.
FAIR. Water stained; 60 degrees; 2.15 feet below pool. Fishing is inconsistent right now. The typically good bird activity by gulls and terns has yet to materialize, and what few birds are present are focused on hyper-active short hybrid striped bass which flare up and feed briefly, then settle back down. these fish are tough to pin down, as they chase shad very quickly and are tough to keep up with. White bass fishing is fair in the Leon Arm, below average in the main basin, and just about non-existent in the Cowhouse Creek Arm. Although the fish are still chasing MAL Dense Lures vertically and chasing White Tornados horizontally thanks to a warm up early this week, that will likely stop again after the water drops back into the high 50s later this week. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service. Santa has been making early deliveries on Belton Lake! Trophy blue catfish have been excellent drifting along river channels and underwater points. Fishing shallow water on anchor with fresh cut bait has produced a wide range of fish sizes. Fishing patterns are changing as we head into the winter pattern. Anglers should not be afraid to move often until they find an active fish. Report by Brian Worley, B&S Catfishing.
GOOD. Water stained; 60 degrees; 4.70 feet below pool. Catfish are fair in deeper water. Perch are good in shallow water. Crappie are fair on structure with live minnows. Largemouth bass and smallmouth bass are shallow around structure using chatterbaits and Texas rigged worms.
GOOD. Water slightly stained; 60 degrees; 1.01 feet below pool. Fishing has been excellent for big largemouth, especially when the sun is shining. Water clarity is dependent upon the amount of remaining live vegetation present and wind direction. There is up to 4 feet of clarity in grassy and calm areas and approximately 2 feet on the windblown points or coves. Bass have started to move out from the backs of creeks and are starting to congregate at the mouths of main creek channels. The larger fish are sitting on the bottom along creek channel bends or saddles off of mainlake humps. Big fish can be caught with an Alabama rig, flat-sided crankbaits, or a dark colored jig in 10-15 feet of water. 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.
SLOW. water stained; 60 degrees; 3.86 feet below pool. Bass are slow in the early mornings, but the midday bite has been the best with Texas rigs and Viper XP Jigs on big timber around fence rows and creeks and ditches are best in 4-8 feet. Carolina rigs are good on pond dams and brush piles in 4-12 feet. Squarebill crankbaits are good around old ponds in 3-6 feet. Report by Marc Mitchell, Lake Fork Guide Service. The lake level is low. Crappie fishing is excellent in the main river channel timber and lower third of the lake in 30-50 feet of water catching crappie 6-28 feet down. Fish are very healthy with big black crappie being caught on jigs. Some catches near the bridge. Report by River Bottom Boys Guide Service.
SLOW. Water stained; 70 degrees; 13.49 feet below pool. Black bass are slow with a few being caught late afternoon before dark around deeper rocky shorelines using senkos and slow rolling spinnerbaits. Catfish are slow with a few caught late afternoon into the night on cut bait. Crappie and white bass are slow.
SLOW. Water stained, 66 degrees. Redfish are being caught off the bank with shrimp and fish bites, some catches out of a boat trolling rattle traps. Channel catfish are along the rock line being caught on cheese bait. Report by Harry Lamb, Alamo Texas Fishing.
GOOD. Water stained; 55 degrees; 8.17 feet below pool. Lake Bridgeport is just over 8 feet low. Water clarity ranges from muddy in the north end to very stained in the main lake. Catfishing remains good on cut and prepared baits. The north end and the mouths of creeks have been the best areas. Sand bass and hybrids remain scattered, slabs and deadsticking main lake structure may bring a fish or two. Largemouth bass have been slow but shallow running crankbaits fished near main lake points are catching a few fish. Crappie remain sluggish in the stained water, a few fish are coming in on minnows and jigs. Brush piles and deeper docks should hold some fish. All ramps are open. Report by Keith Bunch, Lake Bridgeport Guide Service.
GOOD. Water stained; 56 degrees; 0.32 feet above pool. Black bass to 7.64 pounds are fair on 1/8 ounce minnow baits scoping and Hag’s Tsunami �½ ounce jigs in Juice Box in 1-5 feet along weed edges and on the ledges. Crappie are slow with fish up to 10 inches on white or black/chartreuse jigs and minnows in brush piles 10-12 feet. White bass are slow on crankbaits and jigs off lighted docks. Catfish are fair to 4 pounds on cut bait.
GOOD. Water stained; 70 degrees. Crappie are midlake suspended over deep water with most catches on minnows. Report by The Bait Barn.
EXCELLENT. Water slight stain; 62 degrees; 15.99 feet below pool. The high winds have made it challenging some days but striper and white bass can be caught if you can handle the waves. Target depths of 28-42 feet vertical jigging, or slabbing, with �½-1ounce spoons has been the best technique. Deadsticking soft plastics has produced some nice limits of stripers of the past week. The birds continue to work some nice schools of fish most days. Report by Travis Holland, TH Fishing. Fishing patterns are consistent. Striped bass and white bass are good with jigging spoons and deadsticking in 17-40 feet of water. The afternoon seems to be the best bite. There is increased bird action leading the ways to schools of stripers and white bass. Report by Captain Aaron Dick, One Up Fishing Guide Service. Remember, the colder it gets the better this lake fishes. Throwing jigs and shaky heads with trick worms, die those tails, around those rock piles will catch a pile of bass. Crankbaits and swimbaits around the same areas will catch some big ones as well. A fluke in perch colors or even shad colors around rocks and lumber will get some bites anywhere out on this lake as well. A walking style topwater will catch some good ones around steep banks on main and secondary points. Report by Bryan Cotter, Texas Hawgs.
GOOD. Water stained; 50 degrees; 0.37 feet above pool. The winter bite on Caddo has started to really kick in good with water temperatures now around 50 degrees. The white bass and black bass are running up the river pretty good chasing shad, look for the bait on your graph or pay attention to the birds on the lane poles. Alabama rigs, rattle traps, chatterbait, underspin or swimbait will work well for the black bass. and a rooster tail works good for the white bass. I am seeing my crappie friends showing up more and more so I would assume they are biting also. As long as the clarity does not become muddy from rain or the water temperature falls in the lower 40s the bite should be good for a while. This is a great time of year on this lake that God spoke into existence. Report provided by Vince Richards, Caddo Lake Fishing & Fellowship.
GOOD. Water slightly stained, 69 degrees. Redfish are slow from the bank and trolling from a boat. Blue catfish are fair 15-20 feet on cut bait and cheese bait. Channel catfish are good around rock lines and weeds on cheese bait. Bass are slow. Report by Harry Lamb, Alamo Texas Fishing.
GOOD. Water slightly stained; 62 degrees; 27.84 feet below pool. Largemouth bass are excellent along grass edges with chatterbaits, crankbaits, and really whatever your favorite lure is. White bass are good in 30-50 with white or silver slabs spoons. Stripers are slow schooling by the dam on days with a light wind. Report by Charles Whited, Barefoot Fishing Tours.
GOOD. stained; 55 degrees; 3.76 feet below pool. 55-57 degrees; 3.71 feet below pool. The hybrid and white bass winter deadsticking bite is now in full swing! Use half ounce to 1-1/2 ounce jigs with 4-5 inch plastic flukes depending on what the winds are and drift long lengths of the lake in the deepest water 35-50 feet. Drift at speeds of .2-.6 mph using your drift mode on your trolling motor or using drift socks. If the winds are not too bad you can just drift with the wind. Thumping on the bottom of your boat will attract fish and group them up underneath as you drift. Utilizing a splasher also works well with thumping. You will find the fish suspended between 22-28 feet when deadstricking. Look for birds and loons early mornings as the fish will come up to follow the bait and feed early especially on cloudier/colder days. The crappie bite has been getting better. Target crappie with small jigs and minnows in 7-15 feet under bridge pylons, hidden brush piles throughout the lake or under docks. Crappie fisherman have been moving spot to spot finding limits. Lots of crappies in the 7-9 inch range. Limits of crappie will happen but you may catch a lot of small ones getting to your limit. Report by Brent Herbeck, Herbeck’s Lonestar Fishing Guide Service. The shallow bite continues to be good for catfish along wind blown banks and points near the mouths of major creeks where the actual creek runs into the lake. Due to the low water you can only get a few hundred yards away. Fish in 2-6 feet with fresh shad anchored on bottom. The deep bite is also good dragging bigger cut shad or rough fish in 15-30 feet drifting main lake flats. Report by Jason Barber, Kings Creek Adventures.
SLOW. Water stained; 65 degrees; 32.85 feet below pool. Few anglers on the water while the lake level is low. It is possible to launch a flat bottom boat, or kayak. It is possible to fish from the bank at Callahan State Park. Report by Scott Springer, Fish Choke Canyon Lake.
GOOD. Water slight stain; 63 degrees; 12.23 feet below pool. Blues are biting good on cut bait. Crappie are hitting minnows in 30 feet of water. Report by Lake Cisco Rentals.
SLOW. Water normal stain; 65 degrees; 0.13 feet above pool. Lots of freshwater in the lake slowing the bite until the water settles. Largemouth bass are dispersed throughout the lake relating primarily near stumps and boat houses. Crappie are slow with jigs and minnows.
GOOD. 75 degrees; 0.53 feet above pool. Number of largemouth bass on points and near creek channel ledges. Eater sized channel catfish limits are common on prepared baits. Report by Michael Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters.
GOOD. Water stained; 61 degrees; 1.21 feet below pool. Catfish are great with lots of big catfish coming in as well as eaters. Eater catfish are great on baited holes using catfish Bubblegum, liver, worms or punch bait from 7-40 feet of water. Drift fishing natural baits can produce plenty of eaters as well as some trophy class fish. Largemouth bass have been good on shallow to offshore structure or schooling on shad. Report by Brad Doyle with Bradley’s Guide Service. Crappie are in 12-22 feet close or in structure hitting jigs and minnows. Many folks have reported catches in 4 feet north of 1097. Hybrid stripers have been schooling in 15-26 feet of water hanging on flats and drop-offs. Many anglers are trolling with a deep diver and a pet spoon trailer, slabs, or casting swimbaits or crankbaits when schooled up. Always wear your life jacket! Merry Christmas! Report by Mike Cason, Fishical Therapy.
GOOD. Water stained; 55 degrees: 2.00 feet below pool. The lake is low, best to launch near the dam. Crappie are good roaming in the river channel transitioning to the dam for the river pattern. Crappie are hitting minnows, jigs, or hand tied jigs. Report by River Bottom Boys Guide Service.
SLOW. 65 degrees; 12.39 feet below pool. Reports of a good blue catfish bite in 19 feet of water off the bottom. Catfish were 1.5-4 pounds. A group of anglers had success for gar, some small catfish and and a few white bass fishing with shad. They cast net caught shad for bait fish. Report by Weber’s Boat Landing.
GOOD: Water normal stain; 50 degrees; 0.64 feet below pool. Fishing has been excellent for big largemouth, especially when the sun is shining. Water clarity is dependent upon the amount of remaining live vegetation present and wind direction. There is up to 4 feet of clarity in grassy and calm areas and approximately 2 feet on the windblown points or coves. Bass have started to move out from the backs of creeks and are starting to congregate at the mouths of main creek channels. The larger fish are sitting on the bottom along creek channel bends or saddles off of mainlake humps. Big fish can be caught with an Alabama rig, flat-sided crankbaits, or a dark colored jig in 10-15 feet of water. Report by Blake Doughtie, Lake Country Lunkers Lures and Guide Service.
GOOD. Water normal stain; 56 degrees; 4.85 feet below pool. White Bass are fair, look for birds working or schools of bait on the main lake and in mid-depths on chartreuse and white slabs or paddle tail swim baits. Some white bass are still being caught in black water on 3-4 inch paddle tail swimbaits. Crappie are being caught on deeper structure and cover using larger profile baits and also spider rigging open water. Catfish are being caught on punch bait and cut bait in basically all depths and are moving a lot with the changing water temperatures. The warmer weather scattered the fish so you will have to work to find feeding fish, and expect the pattern to change daily. Report provided by Chad Ferguson of North Texas Catfish Guide Service.
Closed to the public.
GOOD. Water stained; 68 degrees; 45.16 feet below pool. Alligator gar rod and reel and bow fishing has slowed due to cold water. Trophy catfish are good in 8-12 feet of water with fresh cut bait on santee cooper rig. Keeper catfish are good in 3-10 feet of water on vertical structure with stink bait or shrimp on a slip bobber to keep bait about a foot off the bottom. Bigger catfish are on offshore timber. Largemouth bass are fair early or late in the day. Slowly drag deep diving crankbaits or plastic jigs over hard bottoms in 5-10 feet of water. Report by Ram Reyes, Ram Outdoors.
GOOD. Water slightly stained; 68 degrees. Bass are good on rattle traps and topwaters, shaky heads, and some dropshots in 2-20 feet of waters. Find the bait and find the fish. Report by Mark Fransen, Fransen’s Guide Service.
GOOD. Water Stained; 60 degrees; 2.34 feet below pool. Bass are good on Viper XP jigs and Texas rigs around big wood near any depth changes like creeks and ditches in 5-7 feet. Squarebill crankbaits and chatterbaits are good around docks in 3-6 feet. Carolina rigs are good on long points 8-15 feet. Report by Marc Mitchell, Lake Fork Guide Service. The water is cooler, so now we have deeper fish. Black bass are slow in 5-10 feet of water with Clousers with a sinking tip line are your best 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. Lake Fork water temperatures have finally dropped into the upper 50s and the big fish are showing up and showing off. This week we have fish all over the lake in depths from 12-58 feet. You can find big numbers of black crappie at the base of shallow trees in 12-18 feet in the mid lake areas. Sometimes you will find white crappie in the same trees suspended halfway down. It is the opposite once you move to deeper water. The black crappie are higher on the trees off shore and the white crappie are further down on the trees. We have seen some bigger crappie in the 2.5 pound range being caught so the winter time big fish season has arrived. The best areas for concentrations of fish are loaded with shad. The bite has been up and down this week but my boat has put the minnow bucket up until next summer. You can still use minnows and they will produce great. Small hand tied jigs are also working extremely well this week. We should also see the aggressive fish hitting plastics and even large baits as the water cools off. Report by Jacky Wiggins, Jacky Wiggins Guide Service.
SLOW. Water stained; 65 degrees; 6.59 feet below pool. Crappie are fair as anglers continue to wait for crappie to move to winter patterns on deep structures. Bass are slow with a shallow crankbait or spinnerbait on rocky structure on the south side.
SLOW. Water stained: 60 degrees; 11.87 feet below pool. Sand bass can be caught with spoons. Bass can be caught in vegetation with crankbaits and Texas rigs.
FAIR. Water stained; 60 degrees; 0.35 feet above pool. Water is cooling off and muddy. Fishing is slow. Crappie are on brush piles in about 15 feet of water. Good on minnows. Bass are shallow on rocky banks good on crank baits and spinner baits. Sandbass and hybrids are schooling around the hot water outlet and on main lake flats. Good on spoons. Catfish is good on main lake flats on cut shad.
GOOD. Water stained; 57 degrees; 0.18 feet below pool. Granbury water temperatures vary from low 50s in the river to 57 degrees on the main lake. Granbury is at full pool and there is a lot of debris floating. Be careful navigating. Granbury sand bass and crappie are good on small jigs on the upper ends from in town to Tin Top. Largemouth bass are also good on soft plastics on the upper ends near points and laydowns. Some good largemouth are also being caught near major creek entrances near Decordova subdivision. Striped bass numbers are good on soft plastics on the lower ends. Bigger striped bass are being caught from in-town to Hunter Park in 20-30 feet of water. Big blue and yellow catfish are also fair on cut bait near Hunter Park on channel ledges near tree lines. Report by Michael Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters.
GOOD. Water lightly stained; 60 degrees; 0.95 feet below pool. Black bass are slow. Crappie are fair on jigs fished on the bottom in open water from 12-20 feet deep. White bass are slow. Blue catfish are good on jug lines baited with shad. Yellow catfish are slow. Report by Tommy Tidwell, Tommy Tidwell’s Granger Lake Guide Service.
GOOD. Water normal stain; 58 degrees; 1.30 feet below pool. White bass continue to transition to a winter pattern so be prepared to move frequently from shallow points to deep water. The best days have light winds out of the south. Some fish are stacking in deep water and can be caught on slabs with a stinger hook. Report by Omar Cotter, Luck O’the Irish Fishing Guide Service.
GOOD. Water normal stain; 65 degrees; 49.25 feet below pool. Crappie are in standing timber. Sand bass are good. Catfish are good on minnows and worms. Largemouth bass are good.
GOOD. Water slightly stained. 60 degrees. Chain Pickerel are active in shallow water. Concentrate on areas with stumps, brush, and vegetation. Small bass are active in shallow areas relating to vegetation and structure. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service.
SLOW. Water stained; 60 degrees; 0.30 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.
SLOW. Water Stained; 60 degrees; 13.01 feet below pool. The lake has risen about two feet over the week. Bass are fair with a few three fish stringers over 10 pounds. Try dragging soft plastics slowly on the bottom in 8-15 feet of water. Blue catfish can be caught on juglines with live bait or cut carp. White bass are schooling throughout the day.
SLOW. Water stained; 59 degrees; 0.14 feet above pool. Bass are slow with some fish suspended on swim baits and Alabama rigs, and soft plastics in brush and near the bank. Water is murky after heavy rains.
SLOW. Water normal stain; 60 degrees; 0.49 below pool. Small bass can be caught on Texas rig soft plastics. Fishing should pick back up after these cold fronts stabilize. Crappie are in the shallow wood, but may slide out a little with the incoming front. White bass and catfish are sporadic here and there. Report by Gilbert Miller, GTB Outdoors.
GOOD. Water slightly stained; 65 degrees; 0.51 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.
EXCELLENT. Water lightly stained; 65 degrees; 3.27 feet below pool. Crappie are in 20-30 feet of water on brush piles and deep submerged timber. There are a few fish in 15-18 feet on structures, but most of them are a little bit deeper. A lot of them are hugging the bottom so you have to let your 1/8 ounce hand tied jig, minnows, or soft plastics touch the bottom and then slowly lift to entice a bite. Crappie need a bigger profile bait to zone in on. You can also find Fish spider rigging, or dragging a jig through the depth of the baitfish. Sometimes the fish will be laying on the bottom next to the dam usually no more than 100 yards off the rocks, other times fish lay at the base of the riprap where it turns into silt and they will be on the first tier of the rip rap going underwater, up to the rocks, to the dam. White bass are in 15-30 feet primarily on deepwater humps and levees, but some will be on points. Thumping the boat making noise will attract them to the boat if they are in the area. Slabs and 3-4 inch flukes have been getting them. There are also a small number of white bass inside the black water. Black water is the water along the shoreline that looks black because there is so much bait l, it turns the water black. There will be a line of black water approximately 3-4 feet thick and it’s just a little band of black going along the banks. The white bass will be swimming inside that black water with the bait so you must cast almost on the shoreline and drag it through the black water. Swimbaits 3-4 inches or rooster tails rooster tails will catch them. Expect to catch a couple black bass in your journey to the Blackwater. Look for the birds on the bank and if you see a couple of them, go investigate and see what the water looks like There are a lot of spots that got the lake that you can just walk up to the black water as it will be 3 feet from the bank right in front of you, with millions of fish swimming by! Black bass are still strong on white and chartreuse spinnerbaits with a half of a zoom motor oil worm as the trailer in 1-5 feet on rocks or concrete. Texas rig and bass jigs are pulling them out of 15-20 feet deep brush piles. Due to black water, where all the shad gather right up against the shoreline and it turns black, some fish are being found 5-10 feet all day on any kind of structure close to the shoreline, such as stumps, trees, rocks, or any kind of debris pile. If you happen to stumble across black water, back off and fish, any ledge that you can find within 20-50 yards of the black water. The swimbait bite dragged a couple inches or so above brush piles has been stellar. Along with Alabama rigs if you can take the arm beating, it gives you. Blue catfish are great in 20-30 feet on cut gizzard shad on a Santee rig dragged behind the boat at approximately .03-.05 mph. Every day the school moves so you have to locate them. One day fish will be on one side of the lake and the next they will have traveled 3-4 miles to the other side of the lake. There is a great school of 15-25 pound fish roaming out there and once you find them, it can be an incredible outcome. Every so often as an example, if the wind suddenly changes directions, you will notice on your side imaging, the catfish are now laying in the mud and are not giving you a sonar shadow, but you can see them, sitting there. If they do not have a shadow on your side, imaging that means they are laying in the mud. If they do have a shadow that means they are on the hunt and those fish are catchable. Bluegills are getting harder to find, but they are still around in the deep water brush piles, but not as thick as they were last month. Worms on a very small hook and a split shot above just to keep it in the strike zone will still produce a nice table of fish. Crickets have been king as they also catch a few crappies. A cricket cage bait holder is imperative if you are gonna use them. Report by Carey Thorn, White Bass Fishing Texas.
FAIR. Water stained; 60 degrees; 0.20 feet below pool. Crappie are fair on minnows in 12-16 feet of water on brush with chartreuse jigs. Channel and blue catfish are good on punch bait in 22-26 feet of water over drop-offs and rock piles. Report by Jess Rotherham, Texas Crappie Fishing Service. Bass are good working docks and bulkheads with creature baits, worms and flukes. A frog or topwater around underwater vegetation is working well. Do not forget a wakebait in those same areas. Report by Bryan Cotter, Texas Hawgs.
FAIR. Water stained; 53 degrees; 3.13 feet below pool. White bass are slow on humps, points and ledges in 27-38 feet of water, and on deep flats and in river channels in 40-60 feet of water. In-line spinners, jigs, swimbaits, and live bait are working. Keeper sized hybrid striper are slow to fair as well. They have been in 10-45 feet of water on drop-off ledges, the deeper parts of points, and deep flats. If you are keeping fish, please be aware that there are a lot of undersized hybrid stripers in the lake that look very similar to a white bass. Blue catfish are fair to good on cut shad. Drifting main lake flats near the river channel with active bait schools nearby has produced in 16-38 feet of water. Also with the recent rain, they will be shallow near the creeks and river mouths. Channel catfish are fair on baited holes on punch bait in 15-28 feet of water on humps and points. Crappie are fair in 6-38 feet of water. Check brush piles, bridge pilings, and submerged cover close to a drop off ledge. Cover close to drop off ledges has been best. The creeks have also started to produce. Minnows and jigs are catching those fish. Report by Wes Campbell, BendARod Fishing. Bass are slow, with the best bite in the late morning slowly dragging soft plastics on a Texas rig or Ned rig.
EXCELLENT. Water stained; 59 degrees; 3.01 feet below pool. Fishing patterns are holding steady. Crappie are in 10-18 feet on offshore brush with minnows, or tight lining straight down in standing timber. White bass are schooling under the surface in 7-17 feet. Catfish are being caught in 10-20 feet on cut bait and minnows. Largemouth bass can be caught from 2-18 feet this week on docks, timber, bulkheads, rocks with Texas rigs, jigs, chatterbaits, and spinnerbait. Numbers of bass are still on offshore brush and roaming main lake points. Catfish and white bass are on points, flats, and roaming open water. Report by Colan Gonzales, CG’s Just Fishing Guide Service.
GOOD. slightly stained; 63 degrees; 0.95 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.
GOOD. Water slight stain; 59 degrees; 1.66 feet below pool. The power plant has only one unit working now and the water temperature is still below normal. Look for bass in deeper water as their food source has migrated deeper. Jigging spoons, deep crankbaits and Texas rigged worms are working well. Crappie have picked up fishing deep brush piles in 25-30 feet with shad colored jigs and minnows. Report by Hambone guide service.
SLOW. Water lightly stained; 65 degrees; 91.68 feet below pool. Few reports and anglers on the water due to limited access and low water level.
FAIR. Water stained; 53 degrees; 47.48 feet below pool. Fishing patterns are holding steady as the water starts to cool off. White bass are excellent slabbing. Bass are fair on artificials. Catfish are fair to good with nightcrawlers, minnows, chicken liver and frozen shad. Crappie are fair with artificial baits and minnows. Trout were recently stocked at the Stilling Basin. Expect the bite to improve on spinnerbaits, power baits, nightcrawlers and minnows. Walleye are good on minnows, grubs, and other artificial baits. Best of luck to you out there. Please be safe out there, watch weather reports. Life vests save lives. Report by Kenneth Wysong, SharKens Honey Hole.
SLOW. Water stained; 52 degrees; 2.21 feet below pool. Bass are slow. Hybrids are still scattered, expect them to start schooling mid-December. Blue catfish are fair on shad in 14-20 feet of water. Very few catches of channel catfish. Crappie are slow in 14 feet of water.
GOOD. Water stained; 55 degrees; 0.22 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.
GOOD. Water heavily stained; 55 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.
FAIR. Water slightly stained; 57 degrees. 0.47 feet below pool. Bass are fair flipping soft plastics around reed bases in 1-3 feet of water. The key is to cover water until you find a good stretch that holds multiple bass. It is also important to slow down your retrieve this time of year to trigger these lethargic winter bass. Crappie were fair around main lake boat docks on chartreuse jigs and catfish were fair on cut bait and stink bait around river channel bends. Report provided by the Angelo State Fishing Team.
GOOD. Water slightly stained; 60 degrees; 1.44 feet below pool. Catfish are excellent with catches up 32 pounds possible from the bank with shad. Crappie are good on brush piles using minnows. The occasional largemouth bass catch when crappie fishing. Report by Navarro Mills Marina.
SLOW. Water stained; 60 degrees; 38.40 feet below pool. Few reports and anglers fishing due to low lake levels.
GOOD. Water slightly stained; 55 degrees; 22.70 feet below pool. Black bass are fair with reports of one 10 pound fish and a few more to 7 pounds. Cast jerkbaits in clearwater over 25 feet. Small jig minnows scoping or catching most fish. Some fish can still be caught in shallow brush with chatterbaits and Texas rig stick worms in green pumpkin. Crappie are slow on deeper trees in The Colorado River bends in 15-25 feet. Small jigs best. Catfish fair in 15-25 feet of water on cheese bait and earthworms. Upriver seems to be the best. Report by Wendell Ramsey, Ramsey Fishing.
SLOW. Water lightly stained; 60 degrees; 17.85 feet below pool. Fishing continues to be slow with few anglers on the water. The white bass are being caught using small spoons such as the Bomber slab. A few reports of crappie being caught on brush piles with BoneHead jigs. Report by Bronte Guns and Tackle Pro Staff.
GOOD. Water slightly stained; 57 degrees; 0.95 feet below pool. Lake level is holding, with our sporadic but relatively light rains, and all launches appear to be open and usable. There have been 2 unseasonable, but short, warm spells lately that have gotten the fishing more active, and I think now we should be prepared for the more normal winter to move in. All fish metabolism will slow to a certain extent as the water cools, the normal seasonal low for Palestine is about 40 degrees. Bass will have brief feeding periods in December and January until they feel the beginnings of the spawn stage, so slower, larger baits with some vibration could be more effective. Catfish should continue to be fair to good. To catch smaller channels and blues in the daytime use smellier baits. Target flatheads and larger blue catfish at night on larger live and cut bait. Hybrid stripers should be sporadic biters, with the best chances in the mid-morning to early afternoon times on bright days, often trolling. Crappie should remain deep during the winter. Live scopes will find them, as well as fishing with jigs or minnows at 20-25 feet over deeper areas where you can see them schooled, very slowly dragging the bait. White bass will also be sporadic, with short bite periods. Deadsticking a few feet over the deep schools will work in 25-40 feet. Report by Jim Beggerly, Jim’s Fishing Lake Palestine.
SLOW. Water stained; 65 degrees; 0.09 feet below pool. Catfish are in 2-3 feet on cut bait or fresh shad. Crappie are slow with very few reports of bites. Sand bass are biting on roadrunners early in the morning and late evening. The lake is full, the water is murky, but the creek is clear. Blue catfish are biting in the creek on limb lines against the bank on cut bait and fresh shed. Report by Lake Palo Pinto RV Park.
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.
GOOD. Water stained; 57 degrees; 0.04 feet below pool. Striped bass are fair in 20-40 feet of water with live bait. Your best bet is to just put baits in the water and slowly move around with the trolling motor until you find them. Keep in mind that we are approaching deadstick season. Sand bass are fair in 20-30 feet of water with live shad or small slabs and jigs. Live shad seems to produce a few more fish than artificial. White and silver are good colors, but white seems to be preferred. Catfish are still fair to good near Rock Creek Camp. Cut shad is producing good numbers of fish in 5-20 feet of water fished on or near the bottom. Water clarity is steady at 1-8 feet of visibility and slightly stained. Report by TJ Ranft, Ranft Guide Service. Bass are moving up with the lake level rising. Target points and drop-offs with Carolina rigs, chatterbaits, and jigs. Report by JK Outdoors Bass Fishing Guide.
FAIR. Water stained; 60 degrees; 0.11 feet above pool. Catfish are good on cut bait. Hybrid bass are good on swimbaits.
FAIR. Water light stain; 65 degrees. 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.
GOOD. Water slightly stained; 57 degrees; 2.74 feet below pool. White bass are gathering up in big schools on southern parts of the lake. Look for big bait balls in 30-38 feet of water with 3/4 ounce slabs with 2 jigs tied above working best spread at least 16 inches apart. When fish come thru they are mostly suspended in the 20-30 feet range and reel up to the fish. Crappie are fair and relating to brush 18-28 feet deep moving on and off structure and starting to roam the deep flats. Minnows working best. Catfish are excellent around the north end of the lake around timber using cut shad working best in 10-20 ft water on prepared punch bait and cut bait. Larger blue catfish are showing up on the deep flats. Drifting cut bait as shad, buffalo or carp works best. Report by John Varner, John Varner’s Guide Service.
GOOD. Water slightly stained; 65 degrees; 1.36 feet below pool. White bass on live bait and slabs.25-45 feet on deep water humps. Crappie are in 15-25 feet on brush piles and small patches of structure, minnows or jigs. Recommend using a half ounce sinker on top of your jig. Blue catfish can be caught drifting or anchored on flats in 20-45 feet with cut bait. Report by Justin Wilson, Wilson Outdoor Connection.
GOOD. Water normal stain; 58 degrees; 2.14 feet below pool. White bass fishing has improved and can be rated good with reports of catches being made on slabs fished on the bottom in 25-30 feet of water off Pelican Island, main lake points and the 309 Flats. Hybrid striper action is fair on live bait and slabs off main lake points and Windsock Point in 30 feet of water. Lots of small hybrids mixed in with the keepers! Eatersize blue and channel catfish are excellent on punch bait n 15-20 feet of water in timber on the Richland Creek Arm of the Lake when you chum with range cubes. Report by Royce Simmons, Gone Fishin’ Guide Service.
FAIR. Water slightly stained; 58 degrees; 2.02 feet below pool. The forecasted cold will initially slow the bite as fish become accustomed the fish will really start to feed. 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. Catfish are good in 15-26 feet of water on cut bait and minnows. Report by Captain Lynn Atkinson, Reel Um N Guide Service.
SLOW. Water normal stain; 53 degrees; 2.19 feet below pool. At Somerville marina the crappie bite is slow, bluegill are fair on crickets and worms, and catfish are fair on minnows and punch bait. On the lake crappie are slow on jigs and minnow over brush 8-16 feet of water. Catfish are good in 6-10 feet of water using cut shad or punch bait. Black bass are slow on slow moving plastics in 6-12 feet of water. White bass slow, trolling with various spoons or anchored with shad and ghost minnows. Hybrids, fair in deeper water, using cut bait and mussels. Below the dam fishing is slow. Report by Weldon Kirk, Fish Tales Guide Service.
SLOW. Water stained; 65 degrees. 45.55 feet below pool. Very few anglers on the water. The reports are very slow for black bass. The white bass are actively schooling biting spoons and inline spinners. Catfish are slow, with some reports of channel and blue catfish being caught from shore on cut bait. Report by Bronte Guns and Tackle Pro Staff.
SLOW. Water stained; 60 degrees; 0.36 feet below pool. Crappie are good trending towards excellent fishing concrete submerged structures. The crappie house is starting to draw more anglers. Crappie have a belly full of shad. Some bait fish are shallow and on structures attracting the game fish. Bass are fair casting a small squarebill crankbait along shallow rocks. Catfish are fair.
GREAT. Water stained; 60 degrees; 2.01 feet below pool. The white bass and largemouth bass are still putting on a show at Stillhouse with 2-angler catches over 100 fish in a morning. White bass are feeding on the edges of flats in the 20-foot range just after sunrise, then moving quickly deeper and continuing to feed until around 10:45 a.m. Fish can be caught as deep as 48-53 feet, especially on calmer, clearer days when the sun’s rays reach that deep on this lake’s very clear water. As of December 16, the water temperature from top to bottom was still 58-62 degrees, but will likely drop entirely into the high 50s with the chilly weather forecast heading into the weekend. MAL Dense Lures with silver bodies and chartreuse tails worked straight up off the bottom aided by a splasher are getting these results. We will likely drop back to a Bladed Hazy Eye Slab with a spinner and stinger hook going forward as the water cools and the fish slow down. There are plenty of largemouth bass and freshwater drum mixed in with the white bass in these same deep water areas. The shad-imitating 5/8 ounce Bladed Hazy Eye Slab is the go-to bait for these fish. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service.
GOOD. Water lightly stained; 63 degrees; 2.85 feet below pool. Lake Tawakoni has shifted from a fall bite to more of a winter pattern as cold front after cold front continues to cool the water temperatures. The hybrid striper bite has been very up and down the last week. Lots of big wind has made it difficult to fish areas that are holding fish. Swimbaits and slab spoons are working best. Seems like the 10-25 feet range are holding fish. The eating sized catfish bite in the 1-4 pound range are still excellent. Baited holes are working best in 15-25 feet with punch bait. The trophy catfishing continues to improve weekly. Fish are being caught on cut bait in 2-15 feet. The largemouth bite has been good on plastics in 1-6 feet. Slow rolling shallow cranks are still putting fish in the boat but downsizing is working best. Report by Captain Michael Littlejohn, Lake Tawakoni Guide Service.
FAIR. Water stained; 60 degrees; 4.85 feet below pool. Catfish are good on the south end of the lake. Lake conditions continue to deteriorate with water levels continuing to drop. Certain boat ramps will be closing soon if the water level does not rise, so check before heading out.
GOOD. Water stained; 55 degrees; 0.73 feet above pool. Striper fishing is a little tougher with the full moon and warming conditions. Watch for gulls on cloudy days working the river channels and ledges. Fish are roaming deeper water in big schools, biting swimbaits and live shad. Bigger fish will move up on structure with the next cold front, settling in 8–12 feet of water on humps and ledges. Look for crappie on bridge pilings and structure in 15–20 feet of water with jigs and minnows. Bass can be caught with soft plastics on structure and brush in 8–15 feet of water. Bass will push up into coves and around docks, feeding on shad. Swim jigs and crankbaits will work off ledges and on humps. Catfishing is good. Drift cut gizzard shad and rough fish on deeper flats in 30–40 feet of water near river mouths in muddier water. Bigger fish will move up shallower as the water cools. Report by Jacob Orr, Lake Guaranteed Guide Service. Striped bass are good transitioning to a deadstick bite and using Alabama rigs. Smaller fish are in 10-15 feet on structure with slabs, swimbaits or Alabama rigs. Bird action will lead the way to the deeper fish, but on bluebird days the birds are working at first and last light. The quality of fish is improving but we are still not seeing the big fish in bigger groups like what is typically for this time of year, but expect this to improve as the water cools. Report by John Blasingame, Adventure Texoma Outdoors.
FAIR. Water normal stain; 61 degrees; 3.73 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.
GOOD. Water slightly stained; 61 degrees; 42.97 feet below pool. Bass are chasing shad in the backs of coves and cuts near deeper water. Also work the deeper water docks on the main lake with jigs and Texas-rigged power worms in pumpkin colors. A rattle trap or shallow crank in any craw colors is working well right now as well. Don’t forget to throw a small craw worm or creature bait on a light line if the bite falls off. Report by Bryan Cotter, Texas Hawgs.
SLOW. Water stained. 53 degrees; 38.57 feet below pool. Water level is very low so navigate with caution. Fishing continues to be slow. Crappie are slow with mostly smaller sized catches in deeper water on structure. Channel catfish are slow, targeting deep structures near the channels. Blue catfish are suspended off the bottom in deep open water. Report by Captain Michael Peterson, 4 Reel Fun Guide Service.
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.
FAIR. Water stained; 60 degrees; 2.29 feet below pool. Crappie are fair with minnows and crappie jigs. Blue catfish are good with cut bait.
GOOD. Water slight stain; 65 degrees. The water is lightly stained with decent visibility. Water levels are still very low. The boat ramp remains closed to power boats due to ongoing infrastructure repairs. Launching kayaks and canoes, or fishing from the bank, is still viable but increasingly difficult. Careful of the low water conditions and rock piles at the ramp. Fishing against the reeds has been challenging and less productive due to the significantly lower water levels and dense grass mats. Focus on the open flats with submerged vegetation using moving techniques like weedless swimbaits, spinnerbaits, and lipless crankbaits. Jerkbaits and A-rigs can also work out in the open water. Weedless setups with soft plastics, stick baits, dropshot rigs, and jigs can also be effective around the edges of grass mats. Despite the warm December weather, start moving to winter fishing patterns, slow down your presentations and target deeper waters around 10-15 feet in depth. Report by Team YAKUSA.
SLOW. Water heavily stained; 53 degrees; 5.08 feet below pool. Bass are slow. Crappie are good in the crappie house on jigs or minnows. Catfish are fair off rocks with punch bait and shad. Water visibility is 4 inches.
FAIR. Water stained. 60 degrees. A few reports that catches of bass are good.
GOOD. Water normal stain; 62 degrees; 22.30 feet below pool. Blue catfish can be caught with cut shad.
FAIR. Water normal stain; 60 degrees; 0.02 feet below pool. Catfish are good using punch bait in 18-25 feet of water. Striped bass bite is getting better on live bait or trolling in 20-30 feet of water. Some Stripers being caught on top water baits. Crappie are fair on small jigs and minnows in timber in 15-20 feet on the north end of the lake. White bass fishing is slow. Large mouth bass fishing is good around the docks. Report by Captain Cory Vinson, Guaranteed Guide Service.
FAIR. Water normal stain; 56 degrees; 2.58 feet below pool. White Bass are fair, look for birds working or schools of bait on the main lake and in mid-depths on chartreuse and white slabs or paddle tail swim baits. Some white bass are still being caught in black water on 3-4 inch paddle tail swimbaits. Crappie are being caught on deeper structure and cover using larger profile baits and also spider rigging open water. Catfish are being caught on punch bait and cut bait in basically all depths and are moving a lot with the changing water temperatures. The warmer weather scattered the fish so you will have to work to find feeding fish, and expect the pattern to change daily. Report provided by Chad Ferguson of North Texas Catfish Guide Service.
GOOD. Water stained; 65 degrees; 3.82 feet above pool. Catfish are good with stink bait. Crappie are good with minnows and jigs.
GOOD. Water normal stain; 60 degrees; 0.09 feet above pool. White bass are on fire just about everywhere in the lake eating to be ready for winter. The sandies are very active early mornings and late afternoons eating swimbaits, spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Largemouth bass are on docks and structure eating just about anything as well. Catfish are decent on the drop offs being caught with fresh caught shad. Crappie are deep and very tight to structure on the bottom being caught with minnows and small jigs but need to be enticed to bite a bit. Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing.
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