Freshwater Weekly Fishing Report Week of January 15, 2025

Alan Henry

GOOD. Water clear; 49 degrees; 0.32 feet below pool. Crappie are fair in 15-40 feet on jigs and minnows. Report by The Bait Shop, Post, Texas.

Amistad

FAIR. Water normal stain; 55 degrees; 65.83 feet below pool. Fishing patterns are holding steady. White bass and striper are good in shallow hitting small swimbaits. Black bass are fair in 15-20 feet of water soft plastics. Crappie are good under trees in the coves with jigs and minnows. Report by Shon Riley, Lake Amistad Fishing Guides.

Arlington

GOOD. Water stained; 65 degrees; 1.48 feet below pool. Fishing has improved on the lake. Bass are hitting crankbaits and moving baits in the morning. Bass are moving to offshore structures 10-15 feet in the middle of the day hitting soft plastics, with brush hogs worms working best when the water temperature is in the mid 50s.

Arrowhead

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 44 degrees; 5.50 feet below pool. Fishing patterns are holding steady. Catfish are good drifting with fresh cut shad out in the main part of the lake. Report by Brandon Brown, Brown’s Guide Service.

Athens

SLOW. Water normal stain; 53 degrees; 0.29 feet below pool. Bass are slow in 8-15 feet of water in the grass 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.

Austin

FAIR. Water stained; 52 degrees; 0.59 feet below pool. Water temperatures are in the low 50s. The fish are grouped up around grass edges and creek mouths. Jerkbaits, Alabama rigs, shaky heads and dropshots have been getting some bites. Overall, the fishing is decent and will get better as we move closer to February. Report by Carson Conklin, ATX Fishing.

B.A. Steinhagen

FAIR. Water stain; 60 degrees; 0.87 feet below pool. 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.

Bastrop

GOOD. Water stained; 63 degrees. Fishing patterns are similar, just be sure to slow down your approach. Bass can be caught in deep water with deep crankbait or jigs around ledges, or a Carolina rigged finesse worm. On the warmer days, you can catch some fish along the inside of grass lines, but the best bite is on the outside. Report by Bryan Cotter, Texas Hawgs.

Belton

FAIR. Water stained; 52 degrees; 2.37 feet below pool. The polar blast and cutoff low pressure system which brought massive changes to our weather did not in any way help the fishing. Fishing from this point on until the spring warmup will be tougher and slower than it was up until Sunday, January 5. Some white bass will continue to use deep topographic anomalies such as points and humps, while others will simply roam after the nomadic threadfin shad. Those on bottom features are best targeted with a Bladed Hazy Eye Slab in 5/8 ounce or 3/4 ounce in white color. Drop the lure to bottom and then slowly lift it upwards 4-6 feet while observing on 2D or forward facing sonar for a follow. Those suspended and roaming after shad are best targeted using a deadstick tactic with half ounce or heavier jigheads and 2-3.5 inch soft plastic bodies oriented horizontally. Again 2D or forward facing sonar will help anglers position the bait just inches above these fish. Fish will rise and strike once; a solid hookset is a must. Birds will continue to be helpful in finding both kinds of white bass. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service. Catfish are fair. Blue catfish can be found along deeper river channels in 25-50 feet of water. Drifting at slower speeds with fresh cut shad has worked best. Channel catfish have been poor. Flatheads have been slow but can be found around tree piles and rock ledges using live bait. Report by Brian Worley, B&S Catfishing.

Benbrook

GOOD. Water stained; 60 degrees; 5.31 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.

Bob Sandlin

FAIR. Water stained; 60 degrees; 0.21 feet below pool. Fish are holding tight to large pieces of hard cover in the depth transition between shallow sunny areas and deep water access. They have been biting on a black and blue jig, a finesse worm on a shaky head, and a small paddle tail swimbait in a dark shad color while fishing parallel to depth transitions. Most bites are coming off of individual pieces of hard cover. 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.

Bois d'Arc

SLOW. water stained; 55 degrees; 3.82 feet below pool. Water level continues to be low with the water temperature 42-48 degrees. Bass are very slow and difficult to catch while cold fronts are rolling through. Few bass can be caught in timber on Viper XP jigs on or near drop-offs like ditches and creeks in 7-11 feet. Offshore brush piles fair in 16-20 feet on Viper XP jigs, or Carolina rigs with flukes. Report by Marc Mitchell, Lake Fork Guide Service. Expect the crappie to become stationary to reserve energy. If the water temperature drops into the 30s a shad kill is possible. If this happens crappie will feed on the shad and follow the fish deep to feed. Crappie are good in 20-60 feet of water on timber in the creek channels. 1-5 fish in a tree but occasionally there will be 20-50 fish. The best approach is a light line with an â…› ounce jig. The primary species being caught is black crappie. Report by River Bottom Boys Guide Service.

Brady

SLOW. Water stained; 60 degrees; 13.70 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.

Braunig

SLOW. Water stained, 70 degrees. Redfish are fair from the bank on fish bites and shrimp. Redfish are slow trolling. Channel catfish are fair along rock lines on cheese bait. Bass are good in the weeds on plastic worms or jigs. Report by Harry Lamb, Alamo Texas Fishing.

Bridgeport

GOOD. Water stained; 52 degrees; 8.71 feet below pool. The water is lightly stained with temperatures in the low 50s. All ramps are open. Hybrids and sand bass are wandering the main lake in small groups. If they gather up to feed, Gulls may give away their location. Deadsticking soft plastics should put a few in the boat. The main lake structure is a good place to start looking for them. Catfish are good on prepared baits and cut bait. The north end at the river mouth has been best. Crappie are scattered but can be found around brush piles and the deep water in front of main lake docks. Minnows and jigs have been best. Largemouth bass are in the earliest stages of their pre-spawn. Check out protected water (from the north wind) on sunny, warmer days. Try fishing very slowly with a jig and pig combo. Black with a blue craw is a good bet. Report by Keith Bunch, Lake Bridgeport Guide Service.

Brownwood

GOOD. Water stained; 54 degrees; 0.15 feet above pool. Black bass to 2.5 pounds are slow on jerkbaits and crankbaits in 2-12 feet. The bass are in a normal winter pattern. Crappie are slow on jigs and minnows in brush piles 9-15 feet of water. White bass are fair to 2 pounds on crankbaits and jigs scattered around the lake. Catfish are slow on cut bait and livers.

Bryan

GOOD. Water stained; 60 degrees. The bass pattern is strange with a lot of fish suspended on bait. You can catch bass dragging or cranking, or casting little swimbaits. Expect fishing to be tough due to the forecasted cold front. Report by the Aggie Anglers.

Buchanan

EXCELLENT. Water slight stain; 55 degrees; 17.09 feet below pool. Striper and white bass are all biting in 32-36 feet of water hanging tight to bottom. Vertical jigging, or slabbing, with ½-1 ounce spoons continues to be the best producer. The birds continue to work some nice schools of fish most days. Report by Travis Holland, TH Fishing. Expect a slow bite with the forecasted cold front. Striper fishing and white bass are slow, but can be caught on jigging spoons in 20-40 feet of water. Report by Captain Aaron Dick, One Up Fishing Guide Service. Crappie are fair in deep timber with minnows. Report by Jess Rotherham, Texas Crappie Fishing Service.

Caddo

GOOD. Water stained; 42 degrees; 1.21 feet above pool. The cold weather has dropped the water temperatures into the lower 40s and this next cold front is going to drop it more. The bite has been slow but this is to be expected with lower water temperatures. Stay in the river and fish slowly with a jigging spoon or a suspended jerkbait. You need it in the upper 40s or low 50s for the fish to really be active and feeding. Stay in the river and bayou system and use your graph to find bait if you can find any. This will be where the black bass and some white bass should be hanging around. It is always a majestic time to come out, and fish on this amazing lake that God spoke into existence. Report provided by Vince Richards, Caddo Lake Fishing & Fellowship.

Calaveras

SLOW. Water slightly stained, 75 degrees. Few anglers on the water due to the cold weather. Redfish are slow from the bank, and fair trolling rattle traps and swimbaits. Blue catfish are slow on rock piles with cheese bait and cut bait. Channel catfish are slow along rock lines on cheese bait. Bass are slow. Report by Harry Lamb, Alamo Texas Fishing.

Canyon Lake

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 52 degrees; 28.64 feet below pool. Largemouth bass are good dragging along the grass or near hydrilla in 14-20 feet of water with an Alabama rig or underspin with your favorite plastics. Stripers and white bass can be found on deep humps in 35-55 feet of water with jigging spoons. Report by Charles Whited, Barefoot Fishing Tours.

Cedar Creek

GOOD. stained; 50 degrees; 2.61 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 on shallow flats as the fish will come up to follow the bait and feed early especially on cloudier/colder days. The crappie bite has been tough with reports of fish being scattered. 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. Still 2.7 low and water temps are in the 50 degree range give or take a degree with the clarity being stained to slightly stained heading south. The best bite is now drifting from 18 to 35' using cut shad or rough fish along the bottom. Report by Jason Barber, Kings Creek Adventures.

Choke Canyon

SLOW. Water stained; 60 degrees; 33.11 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.

Cisco

GOOD. Water slight stain; 55 degrees; 12.45 feet below pool. Anglers who brave the weather are catching fish. Channel catfish are good on liver. Report by Lake Cisco Rentals.

Coleman

SLOW. Water normal stain; 55 degrees; 0.28 feet below pool. Lots of freshwater in the lake slows 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.

Comanche Creek

GOOD. 75 degrees; 0.47 feet above pool. The warm water from the power plant continues to lure in the largemouth bass anglers and catfish anglers from all over the state. Channel catfish limits are common on prepared baits and largemouth to 7 pounds are good on soft plastics fished near points and creek channels. Largemouth bass catches of 40-60 fish a day are possible. Report by Michael Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters.

Conroe

GOOD. Water stained; 54 degrees; 0.22 feet below pool. The recent cold blast has bunched up the shad and pretty much every predator fish is taking advantage of it. Otherwise the eater catfish are good from 10-50 feet on baited holes on Catfish Bubblegum, liver, worms, and punchbait. Drifting channels and deep flats where shad are schooled up can produce giants this time of year using fresh natural baits. Largemouth bass are good early and late on the edges but slow working baits in and under shad schools can really produce. As well as fishing deep structures. Watch points for schooling bass of all kinds early and late in the day. Crankbaits, jerkbaits, and swimbaits for schooling fish and creature baits on structure do well. Crappie have been fair but hit or miss depending on whether the spot has been drained already. And most have. With the cold weather please take extra precautions and wear life jackets. Most who go in the water this time of year won't make it out. Report by Bradly with Bradley Guide Service. Hybrids are being caught in 21-42 feet on flats and drop-offs. Some can be caught trolling, however deadsticking has worked, as well as using a teasers, all can be found at Bradley’s Outdoor. Always wear your life jacket! Report by Mike Cason, Fishical Therapy.

Cooper

SLOW. Water stained; 50 degrees: 2.00 feet below pool. The lake is low, best to launch near the dam. Historically a strong cold front will shut the bite off when the water temperature is 43 degrees or lower. Expect the crappie to become stationary to reserve energy. If the water temperature drops into the 30s a shad kill is possible. If this happens crappie will feed on the shad and follow the fish deep to feed. Report by River Bottom Boys Guide Service.

Corpus Christi Lake

SLOW. 60 degrees; 12.61 feet below pool. Catfish are being caught in deep water. Bass can be caught near the surface. Crappie are in the tree stumps near the shore. The recent winds have mostly been from the northeast direction. Anglers looking for relief from the wind can fish in the cove which shares land mass with Carmel Hills Subdivision and Pernitas Point. Report by Weber’s Boat Landing.

Cypress Springs

FAIR: Water normal stain; 50 degrees; 0.30 feet above pool. Fish are holding tight to large pieces of hard cover in the depth transition between shallow sunny areas and deep water access. They have been biting on a black and blue jig, a finesse worm on a shaky head, and a small paddle tail swimbait in a dark shad color while fishing parallel to depth transitions. Most bites are coming off of individual pieces of hard cover. Report by Blake Doughtie, Lake Country Lunkers Lures and Guide Service.

Eagle Mountain

GOOD. Water normal stain; 51 degrees; 4.33 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 swimbaits. Crappie are being caught on deeper structure cover using larger profile baits and also spider rigging open water, with the colder weather coming in docks will start producing again. Catfish are being caught on punch bait and cut bait in all depths and are moving a lot with the changing water temperatures. The cold this week should bunch them back up again. Report provided by Chad Ferguson of North Texas Catfish Guide Service.

Fairfield

Closed to the public.

Falcon

GOOD. Water stained; 68 degrees; 44.26 feet below pool. Keeper catfish are good with cut shad or smaller cut bait in vertical structure in 5-15 feet of water. Bigger trophy catfish are spread out in 5-50 feet of water on fresh cut bait, or Fish Bite. Anchor on structure or drag down the river. Bow fishing for gar is good. Largemouth bass are staged at the end of points and creek channels. Report by Ram Reyes, Ram Outdoors.

Fayette

SLOW. Water slightly stained; 60 degrees. Bass are slow but can be caught targeting deeper edges of points fishing slowly with Carolina rigs, shaky heads, deep crankbaits. Hopefully this cold front will have bass staging in deeper water. Report by Mark Fransen, Fransen’s Guide Service.

Fork

GOOD. Water Stained; 47 degrees; 1.66 feet below pool. The bass bite is best on the main lake around humps and ledges in 15-25 feet with Alabama rigs. Mid range bass are fair, suspended on timber in 12-15 feet with jerkbaits and large spinnerbaits. Report by Marc Mitchell, Lake Fork Guide Service. Lake Fork crappie fishing has been up and down just like the weather the last few weeks. We have settled into the winter pattern and you can find fish from about 18 feet to as deep as you can find. Some fish are just 8-18 feet down on the timber even in sixty-plus feet deep water. You can also find fish down as deep as 45-50 feet on the same timber. We are seeing a lot of fish but we are seeing tons of small fish. Seems like you can pick a bigger fish or two out of a group and then just find you another group of fish. Smaller baits are working well for my boat and 1/16 ounce hand ties on 6-12 pounds fluoro is my best bait in neutral colors. The key is to hold those baits very still and wait for the bite. If you move the bait or the waves move your bait that fish will most likely not bite. You will need to find fish in protected areas if the wind is blowing that day. Minnows and soft plastics will get you bit as well. Report by Jacky Wiggins, Jacky Wiggins Guide Service.

Ft. Phantom Hill

SLOW. Water stained; 55 degrees; 6.80 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.

Georgetown

SLOW. Water stained: 60 degrees; 11.51 feet below pool. Sand bass can be caught with spoons. Bass can be caught in vegetation with crankbaits and Texas rigs.

Graham

FAIR. Water stained; 55 degrees; 0.64 feet above pool. Bass fishing is slow. Crappie are good in brush 15 -20 feet on jigs and minnows. Catfish are good in deep water on cut shad. Sand bass and hybrids are schooling around the hot water outlet.

Granbury

GOOD. Water stained; 50 degrees; 0.10 feet below pool. Granbury continues to be at full pool and the water temperatures are in the middle 40s on the main lake. White bass are on the move and are being caught on the upper ends and in the river. Some really big sandbass catches to 2.5lbs are being reported on slabs and 3 inch soft plastics. Striped bass to 12 pounds are good on 3-5 inch soft plastics fished near the deeper schools of baitfish on the upper ends. Some good striped bass catches have been reported near the Peninsula subdivision and some are being caught on the lower ends as well near the Power Lines in striper alley. Crappie action is good in town near submerged timber and some good catches continue to be caught in the river near Tin Top. Best crappie baits continue to be small jigs or small minnows. Big blue and yellow catfish catches to 30 pounds plus have been fair to good on cut shad fished on shallow flats near the river channel near Hunter Park. Largemouth bass fishing is better on those warmer days. Best largemouth catches have been reported near creek entrances and near laydowns on the upper ends and are best on soft plastics worked slowly. Report by Michael Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters.

Granger

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 60 degrees; 1.00 feet below pool. Black bass are fair up the river on jigs and crank baits. Crappie are slow in the river, but some are being caught in the main lake open water. White bass are starting to move up river but the bite is hit-or-miss. Blue catfish are very good to 30 pounds on shad baited jug lines fished in the main lake. Yellow catfish are slow. Report by Tommy Tidwell, Tommy Tidwell’s Granger Lake Guide Service.

Grapevine

SLOW. Water stained; 50 degrees; 0.13 feet below pool. Cold fronts have kept anglers off the water and expect the bite should be slow. The best bite will be the day before a front hits. Fish slowly with a stinger hook and a sensitive rod to feel the light bite. Report by Omar Cotter, Luck O’the Irish Fishing Guide Service.

Greenbelt

GOOD. Water normal stain; 55 degrees; 49.21 feet below pool. Crappie are in standing timber. Sand bass are good. Catfish are good on minnows and worms. Largemouth bass are good.

Hawkins

GOOD. Water slightly stained. 55 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.

Houston County

SLOW. Water stained; 55 degrees; 0.87 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.

Hubbard Creek

SLOW. Water Stained; 55 degrees; 13.20 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.

Jacksonville

SLOW. Water stained; 52 degrees; 0.24 feet above pool. Water is muddy with temperatures in the low 50s. Bass are good in shallow water with soft plastics, or in 10-12 feet on structure with crankbaits.

Joe Pool

SLOW. Water normal stain; 58 degrees; 0.55 above pool. Bass are slow with small bass eating Texas rig soft plastics. Crappie are holding on deep timber. Fishing will begin to slow down and a winter should emerge. Report by Gilbert Miller, GTB Outdoors.

Lake O' the Pines

FAIR. Water slightly stained; 60 degrees; 1.51 feet above pool. Fish are holding tight to large pieces of hard cover in the depth transition between shallow sunny areas and deep water access. They have been biting on a black and blue jig, a finesse worm on a shaky head, and a small paddle tail swimbait in a dark shad color while fishing parallel to depth transitions. Most bites are coming off of individual pieces of hard cover. Report by Blake Doughtie, Lake Country Lunkers Lures and Guide Service.

Lavon

EXCELLENT. Water lightly stained; 45 degrees; 1.79 feet below pool. Crappie are in 20-30 feet of water on brush piles and deep submerged timber. There are a few fish sitting 15-18 feet on the structure. Crappie are hugging the bottom so you have to let a ⅛ ounce hand tied jig touch the bottom and then slowly lift to entice a bite. Minnows or soft plastics of any color will produce fish. A lot of times in the winter they will hit it in the fall so be prepared. Use a bigger profile lure, so keep a couple 1/8 ounce jig heads. 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. Fish are laying at the base of the riprap where it turns into silt, and on the first tier of the riprap going underwater up to the rocks, to the dam. White bass are in 20-30 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 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 in 1-5 feet on rocks or concrete with Texas rigs, or in 15-20 feet on brush piles with jigs. 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. If you have side imaging, scan to find any kind of anomalies that these fish can hold on. 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. To catch a monster target catfish in 3-10 feet the north end of the lake. Bluegills are becoming harder to find in numbers but can be found in 20-30 feet of water brush piles. The dam has trees and brush bluegill and crappie are mixed in. 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. Using a cricket cage bait holder is imperative. Report by Carey Thorn, White Bass Fishing Texas.

LBJ

FAIR. Water stained; 58 degrees; 0.27 feet below pool. Crappie are good in open water in 20-25 feet with orange and chartreuse jigs. White bass are good in 30-35 feet of water with white jigging spoons. Report by Jess Rotherham, Texas Crappie Fishing Service. Fishing patterns are similar, just be sure to slow down your approach. Bass are good on rock piles and brush piles on sunny days. Docks always come into play on this lake so if you find the right ones you can catch a mess of bass. Look for deeper docks but if you do not find any bass try the outside edges. There are some nice grass patches around the lake as well and lots of bass can be found around some of those. Baits working are Texas-rigged plastics like worms and craws and wacky rigged stick worms. A shallow to mid crankbait and spinnerbaits are working as well. Report by Bryan Cotter, Texas Hawgs. Largemouth bass can be caught in 7-15 feet of water on the outer edge of grass with shad patterned Alabama rigs, or crawfish colored rattle trap or chatterbait, or dragging senkos or 6 inch trick worms on the outer edge of grass. Some fish are on humps long drawn out points Texas rigs or Carolina rigs, or in boat docks wacky rigged senkos. Report by Charles Whited, Barefoot Fishing Tours.

Lewisville

FAIR. Water stained; 49 degrees; 2.15 feet below pool. White bass are fair on deep flats and in river channels in 40-60 feet of water with jigs, slabs, and live bait. Keeper sized hybrid stripers are fair as well, 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 to good on cut shad drifting main lake flats near the river channel and the river channel itself has produced in 20-48 feet of water. With the recent precipitation, the river and creek mouths will have blue catfish up shallow. Crappie are fair in 4-38 feet of water. Check brush piles, bridge pilings, and submerged cover close to a drop off ledge. The creeks have also started to produce. Minnows and jigs are catching those fish. Report by Wes Campbell, BendARod Fishing.

Limestone

EXCELLENT. Water normal stain; 50 degrees; 2.39 feet below pool. Expect the water temperature to drop to the high 40s and low 50s after the forecasted cold front. Winter patterns continue. Crappie, white bass and catfish have been as deep as 20 feet this week. 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 in 5-7 feet of water. Catfish and white bass are on points, flats, and roaming open water. Report by Colan Gonzales, CG’s Just Fishing Guide Service.

Livingston

GOOD. slightly stained; 63 degrees; 0.82 feet below pool. Hi, the lake is a few inches high due to rain from last week. Water is a little off color north and midlake but still green on the south end. Catching a lot of white bass in 15-25ft on the south end. Ducktracker slabs. Look for catfish in the mouths of the creek due to running water. Report by Michael Richardson, Lake Livingston Adventures.

Martin Creek

GOOD. Water stained; 54 degrees; 0.11 feet above pool. Martin Creek is at full pool and the clarity is stained with water temperatures 54 degrees at boat launch, and 71 degrees at the discharge. Bass are good on the warm water side from mid lake into dry creek. Utilizing forward facing sonar is producing the best stringers on small minnow lures and jerkbaits. Bass are spawning in some areas. Crappie are fair with minnows and pintail jigs. For the most part the fish have scattered but schools can be found in 35 feet near the dam. Catfish are good at hot water discharge using live and cut bait. Report by Hambone Guide Service.

Medina

SLOW. Water lightly stained; 65 degrees; 92.35 feet below pool. Few reports and anglers on the water due to limited access and low water level.

Meredith

FAIR. Water stained; 50 degrees; 47.44 feet below pool. White bass are good on shad colored Rapala and minnows. Largemouth bass have been caught on artificial grubs and minnows in Sanford Yake Cove, North Canyon and off the docks. Catfish are great throughout the lake. The Stilling Basing, Spring Canyon, has been stocked. Many are catching catfish on chicken liver and cut bait. No reports of Crappie this week. Bluegill and perch underneath the docks and shallow areas around the lake. Worms are best to catch this fish. Walleye are great with large fish being caught with minnows at docks near Sanford Yake. Floating worm harnesses and red head jigs are good. Report by Dave Wright, Wright-On Bait, Tackle and Watercraft Rental.

Millers Creek

SLOW. Water stained; 52 degrees; 2.42 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.

Nacogdoches

GOOD. Water stained; 53 degrees; 0.46 feet above pool. Largemouth bass are excellent on hard spots in 16-20 feet of water with Carolina rigs, dropshots, and deep diving crankbaits. Crappie are excellent roaming in standing timber when utilizing forward facing sonar. The bite is slow to fair when you do not use sonar because fish are moving quickly. Catfish are slow on cut bait or live minnows. Report by Cal Cameron, Cal’s ETX Guide Service.

Naconiche

FAIR. Water slightly stained; 49 degrees; 0.50 feet below pool. There are still some large groups of bass in deeper water hovering just off the bottom. A dropshot has been working well, and a few have also been boated with a deep-diving crankbait. As always, shad imitations are in vogue, but when the water is off-color, a bold color is good! Crappie population is good. Catfish are slow. Report by Eric Wolfe, NacoTack Fishing Services. Largemouth bass are fair while the water is heavily stained. The best bait has been Alabama rig or small swimbait. Crappie are fair on brush piles and standing timber with a ⅛ ounce white crappie jig on a split shot. Catfish are slow on cut bait or live minnows. Report by Cal Cameron, Cal’s ETX Guide Service.

Nasworthy

FAIR. Water slightly stained; 54 degrees. 0.42 feet below pool. The bass bite has been 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 largemouth. 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.

Navarro Mills

SLOW. Water slightly stained; 52 degrees; 0.90 feet below pool. Catfish are excellent on just about anything off the bank for smaller fish, and in deeper water for bigger catfish. Crappie are slow in the brush with a few catches off the dock, but the numbers are down. Huge groups of carp are being seen on electronics. Report by Navarro Mills Marina.

O.C. Fisher

SLOW. Water stained; 55 degrees; 38.72 feet below pool. Few reports and anglers fishing due to low lake levels.

O.H. Ivie

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 48 degrees; 23.04 feet below pool. Black bass are improving with a couple of fish over 10 pounds being caught, and several 7-8 pound fish. Variety of baits are working from large swimbaits, to jigs, deep crankbaits and umbrella rigs. Main Lake seems to be best, but Upper River areas are starting to get some bites. Crappie are good with minnows in deep trees out in front of Ranger Cove, Elm Creek and Bull Hollow. White bass good spooning on silver slabs and cash Masters in 30-35 feet on flats next to 45-50 feet drop. Report by Wendell Ramsey, Ramsey Fishing.

Oak Creek

SLOW. Water lightly stained; 55 degrees; 18.11 feet below pool. Anglers are reporting a slow bite for all species. We have received some reports of crappie being caught in 8-10 feet of water. Black bass can be caught with Alabama rigs. Report by Bronte Guns and Tackle Pro Staff.

Palestine

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 52 degrees; 0.32 feet below pool. A big cold front came through last weekend, after a short warming trend there is another cold front in the forecast for the weekend. None of this is good for fishing, just makes it uncomfortable. White bass are good, but there is a limited bite period. Target the channel in front of Flat Creek Island, or the humps of the bay right after sunrise. Hybrid stripers are good, but again, limited bite periods. Try trolling the channel in front of the Eagles Bluff boathouses, and the channel leading to the overflow spillway. For trolling use redneck trolling rigs with Pet spoons, or yankee trolling rigs with Coyote spoons. Report by Jim Beggerly, jimsfishinglakepalestine. Crappie are good with jigs and minnows in creeks off Lake Palestine. There are even reports of some white bass trickling in as well. White bass can be caught on white curly tails and small crappie jigs, or spinnerbaits. Report by Caleb Hensley, 903 Fishing.

Palo Pinto

SLOW. Water normal stain; 52 degrees; 0.09 feet below pool. Blue catfish fair on cut bait and fresh shad. Crappie are in deep water around brush piles on minnows. No reports of sand bass or hybrids. The lake is starting winter off full, so crappie season should be great in March. Report by Lake Palo Pinto RV Park.

Pinkston

GOOD. slightly stained; 54 degrees. Largemouth bass bite is good with 3-5 fish schools in deep water biting small swimbaits on ⅛ ounce jigheads. Crappie are slow. Catfish are slow. Report by Cal Cameron, Cal’s ETX Guide Service.

Possum Kingdom

GOOD. Water stained; 54 degrees; 0.04 feet below pool. Striper are fair in 20-40 feet of water with live bait. The water should now be cold enough to try deadsticking, but it may need to drop a few more degrees to really be worth trying. Look for them in 20-40 feet of water. Stay on the trolling motor and keep moving. If deadsticking, stay still and let the fish come to you. Hold your rod still and set the hook at the slightest hint of a bite. The fish are constantly moving and you should be moving too unless deadsticking. Sand bass are fair in 20-30 feet of water with live shad or small slabs and jigs. White and silver are good colors, but white seems to be preferred. Catfish are still fair to good. Fish up the river near Rock Creek Camp. Cut shad is producing good numbers of fish in 5-20 feet of water fished on or near the bottom. Some people like to use cut carp and Buffalo and have good luck with that. It might be worth a try if no other fresh bait is available. 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.

Proctor

FAIR. Water stained; 55 degrees; 0.15 feet above pool. Catfish are good on cut bait. Hybrid bass are good on swimbaits.

Raven

SLOW. Water light stain; 60 degrees. Cool weather this week with a strong cold snap coming this weekend. Anglers report that the bass fishery is slow. No reports of catfish or crappie. Bluegill fishing is good at the boathouse dock and our piers.

Ray Hubbard

GOOD. Water stained; 47 degrees; 1.20 feet below pool. White bass are in big schools on the southern parts and middle part of the lake. Look for big bait balls in 35-39 feet of water with ¾ ounce slabs with 2 jigs tied above working best spread at least 16 inches apart. Also hybrids closer to the bottom with 1 ounce jig heads with 4 inch flukes. Drifting has been best with drift socks. When fish come through they are mostly suspended about 5-10 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 good up on the deep flats drifting cut shad, buffalo or carp. Blue catfish up to 25-30 pounds are best on long drifts. Report by John Varner, John Varner's Guide Service.

Ray Roberts

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 65 degrees; 0.93 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.

Richland Chambers

GOOD. Water normal stain; 52 degrees; 1.64 feet below pool. No Report of anglers fishing due to cold temperatures, rain, sleet, and high winds. Historically, when an extreme cold Front hits the eater size blue and channel catfish remain good on punch bait in 30 feet of water in timber on the Richland Creek Arm of the lake as well as main lake wind blown shorelines and coves. Fish a little deeper for the eater size fish as the water gets colder. Chum with Range Cubes and Fermented Grain for best results. Report by Royce Simmons, Gone Fishin' Guide Service.

Sam Rayburn

FAIR. Water slightly stained; 50 degrees; 1.32 feet below pool. Bass are scattered so cast spinnerbaits and crankbaits looking for active schools of fish. Target stumps in creek bends for the best bite. The water is off colored in the creeks and pockets. Crappie and white bass are moving up the creek channels. Catfish are good in 15-26 feet of water on cut bait and minnows. Report by Captain Lynn Atkinson, Reel Um N Guide Service.

Somerville

SLOW. Water normal stain; 52 degrees; 2.14 feet below pool. Winter mix of precipitation with lows in the 20s heading into the weekend. 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 fair 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 fair 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, slow in deeper water, using cut bait and mussels. Below the dam fishing is slow. Report by Weldon Kirk, Fish Tales Guide Service.

Spence

SLOW. Water stained; 55 degrees. 45.93 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.

Stamford

GOOD. Water stained; 60 degrees; 0.50 feet below pool. Crappie are good throughout the lake on jigs and minnows. Some bait fish are shallow and on structures attracting the game fish. Bass are fair or typical for this time of year. Bass are not shallow just yet. Catfish are good with more anglers setting up juglines.

Stillhouse

FAIR. Water stained; 60 degrees; 2.53 feet below pool. The polar blast and cutoff low pressure system which brought massive changes to our weather did not in any way help the fishing. Fishing from this point on until the spring warmup will be tougher and slower than it was up until Sunday, January 5. Some white bass will continue to use deep topographic anomalies such as points and humps, while others will simply roam after the nomadic threadfin shad. Those on bottom features are best targeted with a Bladed Hazy Eye Slab in 5/8 ounce or 3/4 ounce in white color. Drop the lure to bottom and then slowly lift it upwards 4-6 feet while observing on 2D or forward facing sonar for a follow. Those suspended and roaming after shad are best targeted using a deadstick tactic with half ounce or heavier jigheads and 2-3.5 inch soft plastic bodies oriented horizontally. Again 2D or forward facing sonar will help anglers position the bait just inches above these fish. Fish will rise and strike once; a solid hookset is a must. Birds will continue to be helpful in finding both kinds of white bass. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service.

Tawakoni

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 47 degrees; 1.89 feet below pool. Lake Tawakoni is in full winter mode. White bass and hybrid striper are good on the main lake mixed in with large schools of threadfin shad suspended over deep water. This makes it difficult to target them. Flukes and small swim baits are working best as a slow drift seems to be what they like. The trophy catfish bite is wide open. Fish up to 60 pounds can be caught in 15-45 feet with fresh cut bait. Drifting and anchoring are working equally well. The eater catfish bite is also very good. Blue cats 1-2 pounds are solid on punch bait suspended over deep water. The crappie have been good on deeper structures including bridge columns and deeper timber. Jigs are working best. Largemouth have been slow this week. Report by Captain Michael Littlejohn, Lake Tawakoni Guide Service.

Texana

FAIR. Water stained; 60 degrees; 4.77 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.

Texoma

GOOD. Water stained; 53 degrees; 0.35 feet above pool. Striper fishing is great with the drop in water temperatures. Lures have really started producing, deadsticking flukes along river channels and deep flats in 40-60 feet of water or swimbaits on structure, ledges and humps in 20-35 feet of water. Slow down your approach and stick with fish if you’re getting bit and marking them as they turn on longer into a drift. Trophy fish are showing up and all the fish are healthy! Catfishing remains tough with the drop in water temps. Target big blues moving up in creeks and near the rivers with whole gizzard shad anchored up in 5-15 feet of water. Drift flats near the river channel in 30-50 feet of water. Crappie are holding deep in 20-30 feet of water on humps and ledges with brush and structure. Jigs with a tipped minnow fishing vertically in the brush. Electronics make it easier to spot fish but it doesn’t make them eat! Bass fishing slowed with the water temps dropping but look for fish to move up in coves and near docks on sunny days. Shaky head or a swim jig on drop-offs near stumps in 8-15 feet of water. Look for brush and stumps fish that will be holding close to Texas rigged plastics as well. Report by Jacob Orr, Lake Guaranteed Guide Service. Striped bass continue to be good with Alabama rigs or sassy shad on structure in 15-25 feet of water. When this bite ends, the bigger fish are being caught under the birds in deeper water deadsticking or with Alabama rigs. This bite is typically around the last hour of sunlight. The deadsticking bite is really picking up. Report by John Blasingame, Adventure Texoma Outdoors.

Toledo Bend

FAIR. Water normal stain; 51 degrees; 2.49 feet below pool. Another cold front is in the forecast at the end of the weekend. Bass fishing is slow. Most creeks are still running mud, but the main lake is still clear. Few bass can be caught on main lake points with Carolina rigs and big crankbaits in 12-18 feet. Most of the deeper fish are now off bottom and have started to swim around. No crappie report. Report by Stephen Johnston, Johnston Fishing.

Travis

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 52 degrees; 43.21 feet below pool. Fishing patterns are similar, just be sure to slow down your approach. Bass are great with fish chasing shad deep or feeding shallow. A shallow crankbait will catch a bunch including a lot of chunky white bass. Work deeper docks and ledges with Texas rigged worms, creature baits or craws to get some bigger bites. Report by Bryan Cotter, Texas Hawgs. Largemouth bass can be caught on the lower end hydrilla and grass with underpins and Alabama rigs. The best bite has been between the dam and Sandy Creek. Target bluff walls with an ⅛ ounce Ned rig or Alabama rig. Some bass are under docks ⅜ ounce pumpkin jig or wacky rigged senko. At night the white bass and stripers can be caught in the lights with jigging spoons and small swimbaits. Report by Charles Whited, Barefoot Fishing Tours.

Twin Buttes

SLOW. Water stained. 53 degrees; 38.82 feet below pool. The water level is very low so navigate with caution. Cold weather and wind have kept anglers off the water. Fishing continues to be slow. Crappie are slow with mostly smaller sized catches in deeper water on structure. Channel catfish are slow on stink bait. Report by Captain Michael Peterson, 4 Reel Fun Guide Service.

Tyler

SLOW. Water normal stain; 52 degrees; 0.25 feet above pool. Very few anglers on the water due to the cold fronts. Expect the bite to continue to be slow for all species. Report by The Boulders at Lake Tyler.

Waco

FAIR. Water stained; 60 degrees; 2.28 feet below pool. Crappie are hit-or-miss with the best bite in the morning at 9 a.m. in 17 feet of water on structure with jigs. Report by Greg Culverhouse, Crappie King.

Walter E. Long

GOOD. Water slight stain; 60 degrees. Water levels remain extremely low, and the boat ramp continues to be closed to power boats due to scheduled repairs. Small personal watercraft, like kayaks and canoes, can still launch from the shore, and bank fishing is possible, but the low water and exposed rock piles makes the ramps pretty much unusable. The lake continues to fish well, despite the low water conditions. Focus on submerged vegetation utilizing moving techniques like weedless swimbaits, chatterbaits, and lipless crankbaits. Weedless soft plastics, stick baits, dropshot rigs, and jigs are also good options at grass edges and across submerged vegetation. On colder days, look for fish in slightly deeper water and slow down your presentations to account for lethargic bass. Report by Team YAKUSA.

Weatherford

SLOW. Water heavily stained; 46 degrees; 4.82 feet below pool. Crappie are good in the Crappie House on jigs and minnows. Bass and catfish are slow deep and around rocks. Water visibility is 12 inches.

Welsh

FAIR. Water stained. 60 degrees. A few reports that catches of bass are good.

White River

SLOW. Water normal stain; 50 degrees; 22.57 feet below pool. Fishing is slow for all species. Reports of walleye catch.

Whitney

GOOD. Water normal stain; 53 degrees; 0.29 feet above pool. Catfish are good using punch bait in 20-25 feet of water. The Striped bass bite is getting better while dead sticking with flukes, or live bait in 30-45 feet of water. Crappie are good on small jigs and minnows in timber in 15-20 feet on the north end of the lake. White bass fishing is fair on flukes and slabs. Largemouth bass fishing is good around the docks. Report by Captain Cory Vinson, Guaranteed Guide Service.

Worth

FAIR. Water normal stain; 51 degrees; 2.37 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 swimbaits. Crappie are being caught on deeper structure and cover using larger profile baits and also spider rigging open water, with the colder weather coming in docks will start producing again. Catfish are being caught on punch bait and cut bait in all depths and are moving a lot with the changing water temperatures. The cold this week should bunch them back up again. Report provided by Chad Ferguson of North Texas Catfish Guide Service.

Wright Patman

SLOW. Water stained; 65 degrees; 8.39 feet above pool. Fishing should be slow for all species until the water settles.

Houston

GOOD. Water normal stain; 60 degrees; 0.03 feet above pool. Largemouth bass have been very hungry lately even in the muddy water tight to structure in both the offshore structure and shallow structure. Paddle tails and crankbaits are doing the trick with grubs in the afternoons being the go to baits. Crappie are good in deep water right to structure using small jigs to entice bites. The mouth of Luces Bayou is a great place to start. Catfish are great in the creeks on drop-offs in creeks using fresh caught as bait. White bass are excellent and full of eggs eating swim baits, spins and crank baits. Will not be long until they are making their move up the rivers and creeks. Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing.

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