Prairies & Lakes Region Week of June 12, 2024

Arlington

GOOD. Water stained; 75 degrees; 0.15 feet above pool. the same Bass fishing is good around grass banks with topwaters, and on chatterbaits, crankbaits and Texas-rigs around dock and rocks. Catfish are shallow on rocks and grass as well and the white bass are starting to school in current related areas

Athens

GOOD. Water normal stain; 82 degrees; 0.72 feet above pool. Looks like we are heading into our typical summer patterns. Bass are fair on top waters early and late, jigs and worms after the sun gets up. Crappie are fair as well, on small jigs and minnows on brush out to 25 feet. Report by Jim Brack, Athens Guide Service.

Bastrop

GOOD. Water stained; 90 degrees. The lake temperatures are in the mid 90s with water clarity around 2-4 feet. Creature baits are fair, or a dropshot with finesse worms are good near transitions in 8-15 feet. Report by Jason Hernandez, Bass Institute of Bastrop. Bass are biting in the discharge first thing in the morning using small swimbaits, shaky head trick worms and small Carolina rigs using small soft plastic jerk shad. Later the bass are schooling on the main lake put from the dam. Just look for the boiling water or boats surrounding them. Small clear topwaters, small swimbaits on ball head jigs and shaky head trick worms are working well on these. A frog around the reeds is catching some nice ones as well. Report by Bryan Cotter, Texas Hawgs.

Belton

SLOW. Water lightly stained; 80 degrees; 13.41 feet above pool. All public boat ramps are currently shut down due to flooding. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers typically reopens boat ramps once the water recedes off the asphalt parking lot and turnaround areas back onto the concrete boat ramps. Anticipate this to occur once the flood level reaches about 11.5 feet above full pool. After the asphalt is free of flood water, USACE still waits several additional days to let the road base dry out. USACE is releasing about 3600 CFS resulting in about a 4 inch drop per day. Walk-in access to fish along the bank or from a kayak is still permitted even in parks with gates locked as long as posted signage does not stipulate otherwise. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service. Catfishing is excellent for anglers with access to boat slips. With the steady water currents coming in from the Leon River and Cowhouse Creek anglers should target the mouths of these creeks with fresh shad. Anchoring or drifting at slow speeds with smaller baits is best. Flatheads have been caught heading up rivers around structures.Catfish are excellent. With the steady water currents coming in from the Leon River and Cowhouse Creek anglers should target the mouths of these creeks with fresh shad. Anchoring or drifting at slow speeds with smaller baits is best. Flatheads have been caught heading up rivers around structures. Report by Brian Worley, B&S Catfishing.

Benbrook

FAIR. Water stained; 80 degrees; 3.35 feet above pool. Water is murky but clearing. Crappie are good with live minnows. Yellow bass are being caught on soft plastics in the shallows. Catfish with worms.

Bridgeport

GOOD. Water stained; 81 degrees; 8.93 feet below pool. Lake Bridgeport is around 8 feet low. Water temps are in the low 80s, water clarity is stained. All ramps are open. Crappie fishing has been great. The U.S. Route 380 bridge, docks and main lake brush piles are all holding fish. Jigs and minnows have been best. Catfish are shallow on the rocks spawning. Prepared baits under a cork will put them in the boat. Largemouth Bass have been quite good on cranks, topwaters and swimbaits. Start shallow early and work your way out to deeper main lake points. Hybrids and sand bass are as usual, wandering the main lake. Main lake structure will be holding more fish as it gets warmer. Live bait and slabs will put them in the boat. keep a topwater bait handy for surfacing fish early and late. Report by Keith Bunch, Lake Bridgeport Guide Service.

Cedar Creek

EXCELLENT. Slightly stained; 80 degrees; 0.28 feet above pool. Water is partially stained on the South end of the lake. North end of the lake is very murky and brown due to the heavy rains but is clearing up quickly with hot calmer days. Continue to watch for floating debris after heavy rains! Start early in the morning for hybrids and white bass at daylight. Start at the dam, the western and eastern shorelines of the lake in depths of 4-10 feet. Cast spinners and slabs and look for schooling fish close to seawalls and shorelines. After that fish any hump in depths of 8-17 feet throughout the lake to find fish stacked up in schools. Use spinnerbaits like a mepps#4 spinner or drop a slab down to the bottom and work it fast up and down and the fish will hit it immediately. Also throwing out a slab and reeling it back with a slow retrieve is also working well. The evening bite from 5-8 p.m. has also been very good. Hit up seawalls close to points in depths of 7-12 feet and cast rattle traps, spoons or sassy shads to get the Hybrids to bite.The crappie bite has been getting increasingly better. Now that the water is receding target crappie with small jigs in 5-12 feet under bridge pylons or under docks. Quick limits are being reported. Guides have been reporting exceptionally nice catches on sunny warmer days. Report by Brent Herbeck, Herbeck’s Lonestar Fishing Guide Service. Catfish are good on main lake humps and points in 16-30 feet on cut shad. Report by Jason Barber, Kings Creek Adventures.

Comanche Creek

0.82 feet above pool. Closed.

Cooper

GOOD. Water stained; 75 degrees: 1.00 feet below pool. Water continues to be released at the spillway. Anglers are reporting good catches of sand bass and catfish.

Cypress Springs

GOOD: Water stained; 79 degrees; 1.68 feet above pool. The ramps were closed due to flooding last week, but the lake has since reopened. Fishing patterns should be consistent. Channel catfish are excellent in 12-14 feet of water on tire reefs and brush piles with stink bait. Crappie are fair on brush piles in 20 feet of water with jigs or minnows. Report by Joey Crews, Lake Bob Sandlin Chubby Chaser Guide Service. Shad are spawning so bass can be caught along the banks on topwaters. There is a good bite under docks and off points with jigging spoons and dropshots. Water level is high, so check ramp status before heading out. Report by Mike Stroman, R & R Marine.

Eagle Mountain

GOOD. Water normal stain; 80 degrees; 0.26 feet above pool. White bass are good on main lake structures with slabs with teaser flies. Crappie are fair to good on brush piles and main lake structure on jigs with white color combinations. Blue catfish and channel catfish are good on punch bait. Report provided by Chad Ferguson of North Texas Catfish Guide Service..

Fairfield

Closed to the public.

Fayette

FAIR. Water stained; 86 degrees. Bass are fair to good with an early morning shallow bite on soft plastics and imitation shad baits, switching mid-morning to Carolina rigs in deeper 12-18 feet. Worm colors watermelon red, shady watermelon candy. Report by Bob Green, Bob Green Fishing. Fayette County is fishing well. Bass are good around timber and you will get some good bites as well as near reeds throwing worms Texas rigged or on shaky heads. You can not go wrong with a frog around that vegetation. A crankbait off rocks in the intake or discharge works well as well as along the dam. A topwater over shallow flats with grass is working well also. Report by Bryan Cotter, Texas Hawgs.

Graham

GOOD. Water stained; 80 degrees; 1.23 feet below pool. Bass are biting in the shallow water on plastic worms best in the morning and evenings. Crappie are out on brush on minnows and jigs. Sandbass and hybrids are schooling out on main lake flats good on spoons and jigs. Catfishing is good on cut shad and chicken liver.

Granbury

GOOD. Water stained; 85 degrees; 0.25 feet below pool. Water temperatures are in the middle 80s on the main lake and even higher in the shallows. Black bass are good on main lake points on crankbaits and soft plastics. Look for topwater action early near feeding flats. Striped bass are good to 12 pounds on the lower ends near channel breaks and major entrances. Sand bass are good early as well near Indian Harbor and the Shores. Look for schooling sandies on shallow flats. Slabs and spinners are effective. Crappies are good on submerged trees and bridge pilings using small jigs and minnows worked about 15 feet down. Catfish are best at night on cut shad and prepared baits. Best action is near creek entrances on many areas of the lake. Some good sand bass and striped action has been reported in the river below the dam. Report by Michael Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters.

Grapevine

GOOD. Water clear; 80 degrees; 19.59 feet above pool. The lake is flooded and the water clarity is very stained. The bite is poor for white bass because their normal areas are too deep. Target largemouth bass in the flooded brush, timber and structures with soft plastics. Navigate with caution watching for floating debris. Check ramps status before heading out. Report by Omar Cotter, Luck O’the Irish Fishing Guide Service.

Hawkins

GOOD. Water slightly stained. 75 degrees. Black bass are good early and late on topwaters above and around emerging vegetation. Bream are bedding around the banks. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service.

Jacksonville

SLOW. Water stained; 80 degrees; 0.27 feet above pool. Water temp around 80, muddy from heavy rains. Bass are biting shallow on frogs, spinnerbaits, and square bill, or brush piles with soft plastics in 8-18 feet.

Joe Pool

FAIR. Water slightly stained; 80 degrees; 6.14 feet above pool. Bass can still be found shallow in the grass. Look for wind blown banks with grass and bushes. Crappie on deep brush piles and bridge piling. Catfish are slow on live bait. Report by Gilbert Miller, GTB Outdoors.

Lavon

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 76 degrees; 10.56 feet above pool. Fishing patterns remain similar. White bass are out on the main lake humps 35-40 feet deep with a chartreuse or white slab 1-2 ounce slab with a jig tied 18 inches above for a two banger. Once you get on them, you should be able to limit them within an hour. Early in the morning fish will run in 15 feet of water on shallow points and then regroup in the deep water humps. Not a lot of surface action, but be ready to throw a 3-4.5 inch paddle tail swimbait or 3-6 inch topwater when you find some brief action. Channel catfish are spawning in this submerged brush and rocks 1-7 feet. Fish about 2 feet away from submerged button willow bushes with a slip bobber. Your bobber should be 6 inches to a foot outside of the bushes. Pre-baiting with sour grain in a place where there are lots of bushes and riprap nearby in 1-4 feet of water helps you out tremendously. Crappie are in 25-30 feet on brush. Report by Carey Thorn, White Bass Fishing Texas.

Lewisville

FAIR. Water stained; 80 degrees; 9.01 feet above pool. Little Elm boat ramp is still open. Most ramps are closed due to flooding, so call to check status before heading out. White bass are fair on humps and points in 20-35 feet of water with slabs, jigs, and live bait. Keeper sized hybrid stripers are fair to good in similar depths as the white bass. 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 on cut shad drifting mainlake humps, points, and flats near the river channel have produced in 12-32 feet of water. Channel catfish are fair to good, close to riprap and on baited holes on punch bait. Crappie are fair in 10-30 feet of water on brush piles, rock piles, stumps, standing timber, and laydowns with minnows and jigs. Cover close to drop off ledges has been best. Report by Wes Campbell, BendARod Fishing.

Limestone

GOOD. Water stained; 87 degrees; 0.15 feet above pool. Water clarity is muddy and water level is high. Crappie are stacked up in 6-12 feet on brush piles and standing timber. Catfish can be caught noodling near boat ramps, bulkheads, and other places with washouts. White bass are being caught on the docks with lights at night on beetle spins. During the day white bass can be caught in 8-17 feet on points and flats with silver war eagle super spoons. Largemouth bass are still in 3 feet or less on Texas rigs, frogs, and jackhammer chatterbaits. Some largemouth bass have also moved back to the main lake brush, bulkheads, docks in 4-8 feet using Texas rig, and jackhammer chatterbaits for the deeper bass. Report by Colan Gonzales, CG’s Just Fishing Guide Service.

Navarro Mills

SLOW. Water slightly stained; 76 degrees; 16.48 feet above pool. Lake continues to be flooded, with all boat ramps closed. Bank angling opportunities are available.

Palestine

SLOW. Water slightly stained; 80 degrees; 1.87 feet above pool. Water level is high and stained from heavy rains last week and runoff. Lake is currently about 2 feet high, down from the 4 feet at peak on the 7th. Boat ramps and marinas appear to all be open again, except Lake Palestine Resort. Lots of floating debris in the lake. All species are slow as a result of very high and very stained water, and an unprecedented 4 days of blue bird weather 6th through 9th. Fishing should be improving, looking for all species to be at least good by this weekend. Report by Jim Beggerly, Jim’s Fishing Lake Palestine.

Palo Pinto

GOOD. Water stained; 87 degrees; 1.36 feet below pool. Blue catfish have been great on cut bait and live perch in shallow water. Crappie have transitioned to deeper water and are harder to find, but some can be caught on minnows and jigs. Water clarity is murky after the recent rains. Report by David Holt, Lake Palo Pinto RV Park and Resort.

Ray Hubbard

GOOD. Water stained; 83 degrees; 0.14 feet above pool. White bass are biting later mornings in the levees, long points and ridges in 16-27 feet of water. Early morning schooling is very sporadic. Crappie are good and relating to brush in 18-28 feet deep with some fish suspended mid depth minnows working best. Catfish have moved along long points, using a prepared bait or cut shad working best in 17-24 feet of water. Report by John Varner, John Varner's Guide Service.

Ray Roberts

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 75 degrees; 7.14 feet above pool. Due to flooding and storm damage all boat ramps are closed.

Richland Chambers

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 80 degrees; 0.71 feet above pool. Overall, fishing continues to be fair to good with freshwater flowing through the lake and spillway gates open. Water clarity is good on the main lake and stained up the creeks. White bass are fair on slabs on main lake points and humps in 20 feet of water. Fish are scattered and do not remain in any one place for long. Early morning topwater action on the 309 Flats and South Shoreline near Ferguson Point. Hybrid stripers are fair on the 309 Flats and Windsock Point in 30 feet of water on live shad. Catfish are fair on shad on windblown points. Crappie are slow on minnows over brush piles in 15-20 feet of water. Report by Royce Simmons, Gone Fishin' Guide Service.

Somerville

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 86 degrees; 0.90 feet above pool. Summer is setting in. Lake is 1 foot high and the discharge is about 380 cfs at the dam. Crappie are good, and bluegill and catfish are fair in the marina. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows over brush in 10-20 feet water. White bass very good, trolling with various spoons or anchored with shad and ghost minnows. Hybrids, good, in deeper water, if you locate them, using cut bait. Various species good below the dam while water is being released. Report by Weldon Kirk, Fish Tales Guide Service.

Stillhouse

SLOW. Water stained; 80 degrees; 12.44 feet above pool. All public boat ramps are currently shut down due to flooding. The U.S. Army of Corps of Engineers typically reopens boat ramps once the water recedes off the asphalt parking lot and turnaround areas back onto the concrete boat ramps. Anticipate this to occur once the flood level reaches about 11 feet above full pool. After the asphalt is free of flood water, USACE still waits several additional days to let the road base dry out. USACE is releasing about 1300 CFS resulting in a about 4 inches drop per day. Walk-in access to bank fish and for kayak fishing is still permitted even in parks with gates locked as long as posted signage does not stipulate otherwise. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service.

Tawakoni

GREAT. Water lightly stained; 80 degrees; 2.05 feet above pool. Lake Tawakoni continues to settle in a solid summer pattern and is fishing very well. The hybrid and white bass bite is good. These fish are settling into a deeper pattern as most fish are being caught 20-30 feet on the edges of ledges and humps are best right now. Live bait and slabs are working well. The eating size catfish bite is as good as it gets. Prepared baits such as punch bait and dip bait are working in 18-25 feet. The crappie have been fair on brush tops in 16 feet have been the ticket. Both minnows and jigs are fishing equally good. You can’t rule out bridge pylons in daylight. Largemouth bass have been good at day light on frogs. As the sun comes up shallow water crank bait on dock pylons and riprap have been good. Captain Michael Littlejohn, Lake Tawakoni Guide Service.

Texoma

GOOD. Water stained; 75 degrees; 4.70 feet above pool. Striped bass fishing is great using live bait fishing shallow humps and ledges in 25 feet of water or drifting main lake flats watching for schooling fish on top. Topwaters early right place right time or swim baits on shallow humps near creeks. Crappie fishing is fair on brush piles in 15-20 feet of water near creeks and inflow. Use minnows on shallow rocky banks for black crappie. Catfish are good on shallow flats 10-20 feet of water for channel catfish using cut shad or prepared baits. Blue catfish are in 40-50 feet of water on ledges and deep flats. Bass fishing is fair fishing top waters early in the banks of creeks and along the edges of main lake points. Downsize baits for the shad fry that are 1-2 inch long right now and very thick throughout marinas and docks. Fish a crankbait near shaded docks late in the day. Lake is clearing up some as well. Report by Jacob Orr, Guaranteed Guide Service Lake Texoma. Key on the shad to find the stripers. Small threadfin shad, about .5-1 inch are midlake, so look for nervous water and throw swimbaits. Slab season is almost here. When we see bigger fish beneath the smaller fish feeding on the shad bring out the slabs. Anglers fishing with live bait are doing well. Report by John Blasingame, Adventure Texoma Outdoors.

Weatherford

FAIR. Water heavily stained; 78 degrees; 0.66 feet below pool. Fishing patterns are holding steady. Catfish are good shallow off the rocks on cut bait and nightcrawlers. Crappie are slow with mostly smaller fish. Bass are slow on deeper water ledges with crankbaits and soft plastics.

Whitney

FAIR. Water stained; 79 degrees; 4.55 feet above pool. Catfish are good using cut shad in 28-30 feet of water. Striped bass bite is improving with some limits being caught on live shad in 20-35 feet of water. Crappie continue to be fair on small jigs and minnows in timber in 15-25 feet of water on the north end of the lake. White bass fishing is slow. Largemouth bass fishing is slow. Most boat ramps are closed as are state parks due to high water, so call before heading out. Report by Captain Cory Vinson, Guaranteed Guide Service.

Worth

FAIR. Water normal stain; 78 degrees; 0.08 feet below pool. White bass are good in shallow water main lake points and fish are reported being caught on main lake structure on slabs. White bass are good on main lake structures on slabs with teaser flies. Crappie are fair to good on brush piles and main lake structure on jigs with white color combinations. Blue catfish and channel catfish are good on punch bait. Report provided by Chad Ferguson of North Texas Catfish Guide Service.

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