Prairies & Lakes Region Week of July 24, 2024

Arlington

GOOD. Water stained; 88 degrees; 1.00 feet below pool. Fishing patterns are holding steady, but the water temperature is cooling due to the rain. Bass are fair on points, or off docks where bass are seeking out that secondary cover. Catfish are excellent on shallow rocks with cut bait on a bobber. Crappie are biting on brush piles with jigs and minnows.

Athens

FAIR. Water normal stain; 90 degrees; 0.36 feet above pool. Fishing patterns are stable. Bass are slow, but solid body frogs, buzz baits, and chatterbaits are catching fish early and late. After the sun rises target Shaky-head worms and jigs on the outside of grass lines 8-12 feet on main lake points and flats. Crappie limits are possible at night over brush in 20-25 feet with small jigs. Report by Jim Brack, Athens Guide Service.

Bastrop

GOOD. Water stained; 90 degrees. Lake Bastrop is fishing well. Working shaky heads with trick worms and small Carolina rigged fluke juniors in the discharge first thing is catching a lot of fish. Later moving out of the north end of the dam and working the schools of bass there with small clear topwaters and small swimbaits is working well. Small straight tail swimbaits deep on ball head jigs work well under the schools also. Report by Bryan Cotter, Texas Hawgs.

Belton

SLOW. Water stained; 87 degrees; 0.91 feet above pool. Surface temperature 86-87F. Fishing for white bass is consolidated into the first 70 minutes of light in the morning and the last 2 hours of light in the evening. During these times, white bass are massing together in schools to feed on shad, occasionally breaking on the surface, especially when no direct sun is shining on the water. Fish found on topwater have be smacking the MAL Mini recklessly, and white bass on the bottom are responding to small silver spoons fished horizontally by downrigging (#12 Pet Spoons) and by using a sawtooth method. Larger white bass and hybrid striped bass in these schools can be selected for using a larger offering like the MAL Dense with a silver body. Outside of these early/late windows, not much else is happening for white bass. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service. Catfishing has been great. Shallow water continues to be productive for nights and early mornings. Smaller blues and trophy size can be caught in 10ft or less using live bait as well as fresh cut bait. As the sun rises drifting deeper water along river channels has been great. Flatheads have been caught near rock piles with live perch or shad. Channel catfish have been great in shallow water around timber using punch bait. Report by Brian Worley, B&S Catfishing.

Benbrook

GOOD. Water stained; 80 degrees; 1.05 feet below pool. Crappie are good in 18-20 feet of water using live minnows. Largemouth bass are good using soft plastics in deeper water brush. Catfish are good with chicken liver, worms and live bluegill. Bluegill are biting worms in shallow water. Hybrid bass are good on shad and minnows. Report by Benbrook Marina.

Bois d'Arc

stained; 85 degrees; 0.47 feet below pool. Bass fishing has been steady with the best bite on offshore points and brush piles or man made structures. Carolina rigs and Texas rigs are good with big worms and creature baits in 10-16 feet of water. Texas rigs with creature baits good on standing timber and bushes in 6-12 feet. Shaded trees or bushes best. Spinnerbaits and chatterbait bite slowed down a bit with this heat. Report by Marc Mitchell, Lake Fork Guide Service.

Bridgeport

GOOD. Water normal stained; 87 degrees; 10.05 feet below pool. Lake Bridgeport is around 10 feet low, lightly stained with temps in the mid 80s. All ramps are open, although the ramp at the dam is still slippery. Crappie fishing continues to be good! The US Highway 380 bridge, deeper docks and offshore brush piles have been productive with minnows and jigs putting them in the boat. Hybrids and sand bass are cruising the main lake and moving fast! On main lake humps, ledges, ridges have been good with live bait and slabs catching fish. Some Sand Bass surface action is happening on cool mornings and warm afternoons. Largemouth bass have been good on topwaters early in the morning, and with flat billed crankbaits of finesse baits near lake points later in the day. Catfish are good on cut bait, drifting shallow flats early and late. Report by Keith Bunch, Lake Bridgeport Guide Service.

Cedar Creek

EXCELLENT. slightly stained; 87 degrees; 0.37 feet below pool. EXCELLENT. Normal stain; 86 degrees; 0.42 feet below pool. Hybrids and white bass are good early in the morning at daylight on midlake points and drop offs along sandy flats throughout the dam area, Crappie Island, Key Ranch and the spillway humps in 13-22 feet. Cast spinners and slabs and look for schooling fish on these flats as well as deeper seawalls and shorelines. Then fish any hump in 17-25 feet throughout the lake to find fish stacked up in schools as the day heats up. Use spinnerbaits 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 5-9 p.m has also been very good. Hit up seawalls close to points in depths of 5-18 feet and cast rattle traps, spoons, slabs or sassy shads to get the hybrids to bite. The crappie bite has been getting better. Target crappie with small jigs and minnows in 5-12 feet under bridge pylons, hidden brush piles throughout the lake or under docks. Limits are being reported, although guides have been reporting conditions are improving with bigger sized fish being caught. Report by Brent Herbeck, Herbeck’s Lonestar Fishing Guide Service. Blue catfish are best anchored on main lake humps and points in 15-24 feet, or drifting in with cut bait suspended a few feet off bottom. Report by Jason Barber, Kings Creek Adventures.

Comanche Creek

0.31 feet above pool. Closed.

Cooper

GOOD. Water stained; 83 degrees: 2.00 feet below pool. Catfish are excellent in a post-spawn phase hanging out in 2-13 feet of water on timber. Hybrids and sand bass are good schooling on main lake humps and points, and in the river feeding under balls of shad. Fish can be caught on spoons or slabs. Crappie are good on main lake brush piles, or in 4-18 feet of water on timber. Fish are not schooled up, so hit several trees for a mess of crappie. Minnows are out fishing jigs. Report by River Bottom Boys.

Cypress Springs

GOOD: Water stained; 91 degrees; 0.31 feet above pool. Channel catfish limits can be caught quickly in 15-20 feet of water with stink bait. Crappie are good in 25-30 feet of water on brush piles with minnows. Report by Joey Crews, Lake Bob Sandlin Chubby Chaser Guide Service. Bass are good on deep water points and boat docks with deep jigs, diving crankbaits, dropshots and Texas rigs. Schooling activity has picked up on main lake points. Night fishing has the best bite and is an escape from the heat and recreational boaters. Report by Mike Stroman, R & R Marine.

Eagle Mountain

GOOD. Water normal stain; 84 degrees; 2.00 feet below 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

GOOD. Water normal stain; 95 degrees. Bass are good early until about 8 a.m. on shallow points with square bill crankbaits and underspins. Then target bass in 15-25 feet of water with deep diving crankbaits. Bluegill are good in 3-6 feet of water on rocky banks with nightcrawlers. Please note, the warm water and the cooler rain can change the oxygen levels in the water resulting in a slight fish kill. Do not be alarmed, this is a common phenomenon for this power plant lake and typically does not affect the fishery. Report by Mark Fransen, Fransen’s Guide Service.

Graham

SLOW. Water stained; 90 degrees; 2.46 feet below pool. Bass are slow. Only feeding early and late. Sand bass and hybrids are good schooling all over the lake. Crappie and good on deep brush.

Granbury

GOOD. Water stained; 89 degrees; 0.09 feet below pool. Granbury water level is full and water temperatures vary from the middle 80s to the low 90s. Some recent rains have cooled the surface bringing a little relief. Sand bass are slow to fair on slabs and spinners from Decordova to Indian Harbor. Striped bass are good to 12 pounds on live bait and trolled alabama rigs. Largemouth bass are slow to fair on crankbaits and soft plastics worked near main lake points and near shaded docks later in the day. Catfish are good on cut bait fished mainly at night, however many are being caught on shallow humps mid lake. Crappie continue to be good on small minnows and jigs fished near suspended timber mid-lake and near bridge pilings. Report by Michael Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters.

Grapevine

SLOW. Water clear; 85 degrees; 7.59 feet above pool. The lake level continues to be high and water is being released. White bass are slow but scattered using jigging spoons. 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. 80 degrees. Black bass are chasing poppers and shallow streamers on the main lake points. Cooler weather and light rain have dropped the water temp. Bead heads will tempt bream and bass. Bream will be on beds and easy to spot, remember they can see you too. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service.

Jacksonville

SLOW. Water normal stain; 88 degrees; 0.14 feet above pool. Fishing has been better, catching more numbers at times, and bigger fish have been being weighed in this week. Swim baits, crank baits, on suspended fish, and soft plastics for fish in brush from 8-16 feet. Water has cleared up, and water temps are in the upper 80's.

Joe Pool

SLOW. Water slightly stained; 88 degrees; 0.62 feet above pool. Water temperature has cooled a degree or two. Crappie on deep submerged brush and or trees. Bass bite is fair with small fish shallow, and the occasional big fish out on deeper on points or channel edges. Catfish have been ok on creek channels. Report by Gilbert Miller, GTB Outdoors.

Lavon

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 80 degrees; 1.11 feet above pool. Crappie are great on brush piles in 15 feet of water and submerged timber or hard structure in 9-22 feet of water. Crappie are biting 1/32-1/8 ounce jigs or minnows. Black bass are in 3-20 feet of water with white and chartreuse spinnerbaits early in the morning. Switch to a 3-6 foot diver about an hour after sunlight. Then gradually transition to a 12-15 foot diver as the sun rises higher around 10 a.m. Somedays, fish will not react to a reaction bait, such as a crankbait, so you might have to slow down using a Carolina rig or Texas rig to entice a bite. There is still some submerged brush on main points and secondary points that are holding fish, so pitch in and around the submerged brush with senkos or Texas rigs. Any standing timber 10 feet off the bank might hold bass as well as an ambush point. White bass are scattered when the gates are open. You can find pockets of a couple hundred, but they are usually moving quickly. If you get lucky, they will stay under the boat and you can finish your limit with 1 ounce slabs in chartreuse or white or silver. Bluegills are great on brush piles in 15-20 feet with earthworms, wax worms, mealworms on light line about 2-4 pounds. Crickets are catching bigger bluegills. Do not be surprised if you catch crappies while targeting the gills. Report by Carey Thorn, White Bass Fishing Texas.

Lewisville

FAIR. Water stained; 85 degrees; 2.37 feet above pool. White bass are fair on humps and points in 15-30 feet of water with slabs, jigs, 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 humps, points, and flats near the river channel in 12-32 feet of water. Channel catfish are good on baited holes close to riprap, and on points near the channel with punch bait. Crappie are fair in 6-26 feet of water. Check brush piles and submerged cover close to a drop off ledge with minnows and jigs. Report by Wes Campbell, BendARod Fishing. Bait is pushed up on main lake hard bottoms points in 8-12 feet of water attracting hybrid stripers. Bass fishing is slow while the water level continues to be high. Some reports on brush piles with big worms or jigs.

Limestone

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 88 degrees; 0.50 feet below pool. Lake level has come down slightly, but fishing patterns are consistent as the thermocline continues to be in 12-15 feet of water. Catfish are being caught in 15-20 feet this week. Crappie are in 12-18 feet of water on brush piles. White bass are in 7-14 feet of water on silver war eagle super spoons. Target docks with lights at night using beetle spins. Largemouth bass are biting on topwater at daylight, then off docks, standing timber, brush piles, bulkheads and rocks with Texas rigs, swim jigs, Carolina rigs. Alot of Report by Colan Gonzales, CG’s Just Fishing Guide Service.

Navarro Mills

SLOW. Water slightly stained; 80 degrees; 6.94 feet above pool. Liberty Hill Boat ramp is now open. Lake level continues to be high. White bass are good on chartreuse slabs. White bass can be found in the main lake on underwater humps or schooling on the surface in the morning and afternoons. Catfish are good on punch bait in the flooded timber around the edge of the lake. Crappie are fair on minnows in the flooded timber around the edge of the lake and on brush piles. Largemouth bass are fair on crawfish jigs near the dam. Report by Clay Major, Major Guide Service.

Palestine

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 87 degrees; 0.17 feet above pool. Water temps are at 84-89 degrees. The recent weather with overcast clouds and intermittent rain and a forecast for more the next several days has really improved fishing, and made it more comfortable for anglers. Bass are good and have improved after the first light and before late afternoon in the deeper water points and the few drop-offs. White bass and hybrids have also expanded their bite periods. Channel catfish remain excellent but small in the daytime near shore, but blues are better at night for rod and reelers using shrimp and punch bait. Report by Jim Beggerly, Jim’s Fishing Lake Palestine.

Palo Pinto

GOOD. Water normal stain; 90 degrees; 0.76 feet below pool. Black bass are slow, with the best bite in the shade with moving baits. Crappie are really good on minnows in 8-13 feet of water with minnows. Sand bass are good in the early morning and late evenings. Catfish are slow. Report by David Holt, Lake Palo Pinto RV Park and Resort.

Ray Hubbard

GOOD. Water stained; 85 degrees; 0.12 feet below pool. White bass are good on levees and ridges in 16-27 feet of water. There has been some early morning schooling on flats and later morning deep water schooling. In deep water, throw your slab out, let it sink then reel 10 turns and let it drop back to the bottom. Crappie are good and relate to brush 24-35 feet deep minnows working best. Reports of crappie suspended on bridge piles suspended. Catfish are fair around the north end of the lake around timber using cut shad working best in 10-15 feet water. Report by John Varner, John Varner's Guide Service.

Ray Roberts

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 83 degrees; 2.00 feet above pool. White bass are schooling up on top early mornings late evenings. Evenings have still been a little more consistent. Crappie are decent in 15-30 feet brush piles and bridge pillars on minnows and small jigs. Channel catfish bite is great on punch bait 10-20 feet of water. Report by Justin Wilson, Wilson Outdoor Connection.

Richland Chambers

FAIR. Water normal stain; 87 degrees; 0.32 feet above pool. Fishing continues to be fair as the lake level is slightly above full pool and spillway gates open. Water temp is 87 degrees and water clarity is good. White bass are fair, while fish are scattered with very few being found or caught on the main lake. Whites can be found up the creek arms on points l in 10-15 feet of water with slabs. Hybrid stripers are fair early morning on the 309 Flats in 20 feet of water when you have a south wind. Check out the Lighthouse area on the South Shoreline when you have a northeast wind. Live bait is producing catches while very few fish are caught on artificial lures. Blue and channel catfish are good on shad or punch bait in 20 feet of water in timber on the Richland Creek Arm of the Lake. Chum them with range cubes. Report by Royce Simmons, Gone Fishin' Guide Service.

Somerville

FAIR. Water slightly stained; 86 degrees; 1.10 feet above pool. Summer pattern is here to stay until September. Crappie bite is slow, and bluegill and catfish are fair at the Somerville Marina. Crappie are slow on jigs and minnow, over brush, 8-16 feet of water. Catfish are fair in 3-10 feet of water on cut shad or punch bait. White bass are good trolling with various spoons or anchored with shad and ghost minnows. Hybrids are fair but pick up to good in the afternoon in deeper water, if you locate them, using cut bait. Various species are fair below the dam while water is being released at about 95 cfs. Report by Weldon Kirk, Fish Tales Guide Service.

Stillhouse

SLOW. Water stained; 87 degrees; 2.23 feet above pool. Surface temperature 86-87F. Fishing has been very hit or miss for both white bass and for largemouth bass thanks to the atypical (cool, damp) weather we have and will continue to experience since Thursday, 18 July through to at least Tuesday, 30 July. White bass are very scattered in the lower half of the lake in small schools either on bottom in less than 25', or suspended above the 25' level. Downrigging with #12 Pet Spoons in areas with heavy shad concentrations is yielding so-so results. With a near 100% loss of hydrilla due to May's flooding, largemouth bass are consolidating on the few remaining rock and wood structures, as well as on topographic features. If you catch fish, fish that area thoroughly, as multiple fish are likely be be holding on available cover. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service.

Tawakoni

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 86 degrees; 0.10 feet below pool. Lake Tawakoni continues to fish good as we make our way through the peak of summer. Water temperatures are staying steady at 86 degrees. The hybrid striper and white bass bite is good. A lot of fish are being caught on the surface early in the morning as they feed on schools of threadfin shad, so slabs and swimbaits are working best in these situations. We are also catching these fish vertically on humps and ledges using the same artificial lures. The eating size catfish bite is still wide open. Fishing over baited holes using prepared bait such as punch bait and dip bait are working best. The best depths have been 18-25 feet. Crappie have been decent on brush piles and bridge pylons in 12-18 feet. Minnows are out fishing jigs currently. The largemouth bass bite has been decent on rooster frogs early in the morning in the pads. Then again in the afternoon and evening the top water bite has been good. Report by Captain Michael Littlejohn, Lake Tawakoni Guide Service.

Texoma

GOOD. Water stained; 75 degrees; 1.76 feet above pool. Striped bass fishing is good fishing live bait along ledges and flats in 25-50 feet of water watching for schooling fish and birds working. Swimbaits and slabs are working along the banks early in the morning as well. Crappie are slow on jigs and minnows fishing brush piles in 15-25 feet of water. Fish are roaming near creeks and coves chasing small shad. Bass are slow on topwaters early along the bluffs and soft plastics in the backs of the coves midday. Fish off the banks in 10-15 feet of water midday using electronics to see active fish and bait. Catfishing is great using cut shad and punch bait in 10-20 feet of water on humps near the dam and down the bluffs. Small channel catfish and blue catfish are filling the coolers. Report by Jacob Orr, Guaranteed Guide Service Lake Texoma. Stripers are good with slabs fishing under the smaller topwater fish in 30-60 feet of water in the middle of the lake. Some anglers are landing catches with live bait and trolling. Report by John Blasingame, Adventure Texoma Outdoors.

Weatherford

SLOW. Water heavily stained; 85 degrees; 1.67 feet below pool. Catfish are slow on cut bait and shrimp. Crappie are slow with mostly undersized catches on jigs or minnows in the brush piles. Bass are slow on deeper water ledges with crankbaits and soft plastics.

Whitney

FAIR. Water normal stain; 88 degrees; 0.09 feet above pool. Catfish are good using cut shad in 20-25 feet of water. Striped bass bite is slow on live bait in 30 feet of water. Very few fish caught on artificial baits while trolling umbrella rigs and Alabama rigs. Crappie are slow on small jigs and minnows in timber in 15-20 feet on the north end of the lake. White bass fishing is slow. Largemouth bass fishing is slow. Report by Captain Cory Vinson, Guaranteed Guide Service.

Worth

FAIR. Water normal stain; 87 degrees; 2.11 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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