Prairies & Lakes Region Week of March 27, 2024

Arlington
SLOW. Water stained; 66 degrees; 0.30 feet above pool. Bass are shallow. Catfish are shallow along the rocks.
Athens
GOOD. Water normal stain; 70 degrees; 0.69 feet above pool. Water clarity is clear on the main lake and stained in the creeks. Bass are on spawning beds in 2-4 feet of water. Cast jigs, shaky heads, Texas rigged craws on the beds. Some bass are staging in 4-8 feet on grass lines and breaks hitting shad patterned jerkbaits and chatterbaits over the top of grass. Crappie are fair and scattered in 2-8 feet of water fishing a minnow under a float. Crappie should start to spawn soon. Report by Jim Brack, Athens Guide Service.
Bastrop
GOOD. Water stained; 70 degrees. Water visibility is around 3-4 feet depending on your location. Bass have been good on watermelon seed flukes and watermelon red pearls around thin reeds. Laydowns have produced bites as well. Creature baits have been good in slower presentations around rocks and ledges. Report by Jason Hernandez, Bass Institute of Bastrop. Bass are holding along and in the cane and reed patches. The backs of pockets, creeks and cuts are loaded up for the spawn as well. Numbers of catches on shallow crankbaits, flukes, worms, topwaters or glide baits. Report by Bryan Cotter, Texas Hawgs.
Belton
GOOD. Water lightly stained; 62 degrees; 11.68 feet below pool. The fishing pattern has been inconsistent due to the recent yo-yo of the weather from warm to cold. When fish were shallow out to 15 feet of water with some light topwater action. The MAL Original with white tail or chartreuse tail was the only lure we relied upon for catches in the mid-100s last week. Now that the water has cooled and the fish have vacated shallow water, the larger ¾ ounce white Bladed Hazy Eye Slab has been working. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service. Catfishing is excellent. With the recent rains and steady water currents coming in from the Leon River 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
GOOD. Water stained; 64 degrees; 2.41 feet above pool. Bass and crappie are spawning shallow. Bass are hitting Texas rigs, jigs, spinnerbaits and wacky rigs. Crappie are biting minnows and jigs. Catfish are slow. Report by Camron Wilkerson, Camron’s Quality Crappie Guiding.
Bridgeport
GOOD. Water stained; 60 degrees; 15.10 feet below pool. Lake Bridgeport is still holding at around 15 feet low. The dam and low water ramp in Runaway Bay are still the best launch options. Water is stained with temperatures hovering near 60 degrees. Crappie are shallow in the north end. Cast a minnow and cork around shallow cover, especially on warmer days, should be the ticket. Look for the spawn to be moving south as the lake warms further. Largemouth bass are looking for spawning areas. Check in the back of coves for shallow fish casting spinnerbaits, flat billed crankbaits and soft plastics. Sand bass and hybrids have been on a tear in the main lake! Slabs and deadsticking are catching fish. You may see some birds working over the schools of fish. Catfish still hitting cut bait drifted across flats. Vary your depths until you find them. Report by Keith Bunch, Lake Bridgeport Guide Service.
Cedar Creek
EXCELLENT. Stained; 64 degrees; 0.21 feet above pool. The hybrid striped bass and white bass have made a full recovery from the spawn and are now back in the main lake in droves and are on a feeding frenzy. Look for heavy bird activity throughout the lake on flats and near the dam on edges of drop offs especially on cloudy and overcast days. The bite will continue to get even better in these areas as the shad spawn will start to take place in the next 2-3 weeks across the lake. Slowly retrieve shiny slabs or spinnerbaits off the bottom to catch these fish in depths of 17-26 feet of water. The crappie have also migrated back into the main lake. Look for them under bridge pylons or under docks where the depths are between 3-10 feet. Guides have been reporting exceptionally nice catches on sunny warmer days. Report by Brent Herbeck, Herbeck’s Lonestar Fishing Guide Service. Report by Brent Herbeck, Herbeck’s Lonestar Fishing Guide Service.
Comanche Creek
GREAT. Water stained. 65 degrees; 0.13 feet below pool. Comanche Creek reservoir continues to produce limits of eater sized channel catfish on prepared baits. Largemouth bass are being caught in numbers with catches up to 8 pounds on soft plastics and crankbaits. Comanche Creek is scheduled to close March 31. Report by Michael Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters.
Cooper
GOOD. Water stained; 60 degrees: 1.00 feet below pool. Catfish bite continues to be king on cut shad.
Cypress Springs
FAIR: Water stained; 63 degrees; 1.19 feet above pool. Crappie are fair in 2-6 feet of water around boat houses with minnows or jigs. Catfish are fair in 10-15 feet of water on baited holes with cheese bait. Sand bass are good on main lake points in 10-20 feet of water with yellow or chartreuse slabs. Report by Marty Thomas, Lake O the Pines Crappie Fishing. Bass are good in shallow water out to 12 feet of water using weightless skinny dippers, chatterbaits, and lipless crankbaits. Report by Mike Stroman, R & R Marine.
Eagle Mountain
GOOD. Water normal stain; 60 degrees; 4.61 feet below pool. Fishing patterns are holding steady this first week of spring. White bass are fair on main lake structures using slabs. Some sandies are staging near creeks and can be caught on rooster tails and inline spinners. Crappie are fair in boat slips and on brush on jigs and shallow on jigs. Blue catfish and channel catfish are good on punch bait and shad in multiple depths. All fish patterns are changing with warm and cool days so patterns may change daily. Report provided by Chad Ferguson of North Texas Catfish Guide Service.
Fairfield
Closed to the public.
Fayette
GOOD. Water stained; 68 degrees. Bass are loaded up ready for the spawn at the backs of pockets and creeks. Still some big fish out in the mouths or main lake points and ledges. Cast shallow crankbaits, worms, jigs, shaky heads and dropshots. Huge blow ups right now so fish are starting to chase topwater frogs. Report by Bryan Cotter, Texas Hawgs.
Graham
GOOD. Water stained; 62 degrees; 5.92 feet below pool. Crappie and bass are moving shallow to spawn. Sand bass are schooling on the main lake with the hybrids.
Granbury
GOOD. Water clear; 63 degrees; 0.01 feet below pool. Water temperatures are in the middle 60s on the main lake. The lake is full due to the recent rainfall. Watch out for floating debris. Sand bass action has been good from Indian Harbor to in town on slabs jigged off the bottom in 10-20 feet of water. Striped bass have been hit-or-miss, but some good action can be had on live bait near Decordova subdivision to Blue Water Shores. Crappie action is improving in the creeks and sloughs, but many are still being caught on the main lake structure on jigs from Water’s Edge to the Peninsula. Blues and yellow catfish continue to be good on cut shad on the upper ends. Granbury largemouth bass are fair to good to 6 pounds on soft plastics and spinnerbaits near bedding areas. Some good largemouth bass continue to be caught near major creek entrances. Report by Michael Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters. Striped bass are slow using umbrella-rigs, swimbaits or fresh shad. Fish are scattered from Decordova to the way up to Farm-To-Market 51 bridge. Report by Kraig Sexton, Sexton's Guide Service LLC, Fishing Charter, Marine Electronics & Whitney.
Grapevine
GOOD. Water clear; 62 degrees; 2.72 feet above pool. White bass are becoming more active but fish continue to be scattered in the water column. Best catches are being caught on larger profile slabs with larger hooks. Catfish are hanging under the white bass. Reports that black bass are good. Report by Omar Cotter, Luck O’the Irish Fishing Guide Service.
Hawkins
SLOW. Water slightly stained. 60 degrees. Time to start working those top water patterns. Chain Pickerel are excellent in the lily pads and around flooded grass. Look for bedding bass in the grass and shallow brush. Small crayfish patterns are excellent. Small deceivers and streamers should work well. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service.
Jacksonville
GOOD. Water slightly stained; 68 degrees; 0.21 feet above pool. Water is muddy in the backs of creeks from recent rains. Bass are biting good from the bank to 14 feet with soft plastics, and topwaters.
Joe Pool
FAIR. Water stained; 65 degrees; 1.37 feet above pool. Big bass are biting shallow and in full spawn mode. Crappie are anywhere you like to catch them. The water is stained after the recent rains. Report by Gilbert Miller, GTB Outdoors.
Lavon
GOOD. Water lightly stained; 55 degrees; 1.97 feet above pool. Crappies are showing up in the shallows in 2-4 feet of water. The bite is not on fire, but some limits are being taken in the shallows with jigs and minnows. Prespawn fish roaming some hanging on brush 5-15 feet. White bass spawn is in full swing, with a few hybrids thrown in the mix. Sandies are spawning in the creeks on the North end. Use a 4 pound mono and spinners and small jigs 1/80-5/8 ounce depending on current. minnows under a bobber, or minnows Carolina rigged with small split shot all on 4-6 pound mono lures. Hybrid stripers are also invading the creek systems trying to spawn as well. Same lures are catching them, as well as Rapalas in banana, or chartreuse or silver, Mr. Twister grubs are also working well, and live 3 inch gizzard shad or bluegills Carolina rigged on the bottom with a 12 pound line. Catfish are good in 10-20 feet of water on baited holes with big chunks of cut shad or sunfish on a Santee rig. Seeing some pre-spawn black bass males in 3-5 feet of water using 3-6 foot divers with Texas rig worms and creature baits. Swimbaits and smaller Alabama rigs working well over brush piles. Report by Carey Thorn, White Bass Fishing Texas.
Lewisville
FAIR. Water lightly stained; 61 degrees; 0.18 feet above pool. White bass are fair relating to the river channels making their way to the deep ledges of humps and points in 20-35 feet of water. Some sandies are up the creeks as well biting slabs, jigs, and live bait. Keeper sized hybrid stripers are fair 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. Catfish are good drifting flats near the river channel and ledges of wind blown points in 12-30 feet of water. The shallow water catfish bite has been good as well with the water temperature warming. Fishing on anchor in 1-5 feet of water near wind blown points, timber, sticks, and creek and river mouths has been good. Crappie are fair to good in the main lake and creeks in 5-32 feet of water on bridge columns, brush piles, rock piles, stumps, and laydowns with minnows and jigs. Standing timber near creek mouths and shallow coves has produced as well. Report by Wes Campbell, BendARod Fishing. The lake continues to be muddy due to high winds. Crappie are slow on live minnows and jigs. White bass and hybrid bass are running in the creek channels hitting flutter spoons, or umbrella rigs. Largemouth bass are starting to transition to pre-spawn areas in 5 feet of water. Bass are good flipping jigs, spinnerbaits or any soft plastics. Water visibility is 2 feet deep.
Limestone
GOOD. Water stained; 63 degrees; 0.13 feet above pool. Fishing has slowed, but should improve heading into the weekend. Shad spawn started this past week, and should continue for the next month. The second wave of spawning largemouth bass and crappie should begin soon. Largemouth bass are good on spawning beds in 1-4 feet of water in the creek channels using swim jigs, Texas rigs, spinnerbaits, and chatterbaits. Crappie are good fishing minnows in brush, standing timber, and creek channels in 1-10 feet of water. White bass that did not go into creeks or the river are spawning on the main lake right now on points and in smaller coves. Lots of white bass up the river at the Texas State Highway 164 bridge for bank anglers. Catfish moved into spawning areas this week hitting cut bait. Report by Colan Gonzales, CG’s Just Fishing Guide Service.
Navarro Mills
GOOD. Water slightly stained; 63 degrees; 1.02 feet above pool. Fishing patterns are holding steady this first week of spring. White bass are fair on minnows and jigs in shallow water. Crappie are good on black and chartreuse jigs in 1-3 feet deep creeks. Blue catfish are excellent on cut bait near timber. Channel catfish are good on punch bait. Report by Clay Major, Major Guide Service.
Palestine
GOOD. Water normal stain; 63 degrees; 0.48 feet above pool. The lake continues at the full level, giving lots of area for spawning activity. However, the weather continues to be uncooperative, keeping the water temperatures about 5 degrees lower than normal for this date. The fish are moving in through the staging areas, but in 2-3 days they are pushed back out by north winds and lower temperatures. All species can be caught and fishing is good, but the bite periods remain short. Best bet is to watch the wind forecasts for south to southeast winds at less than 10-12 mph, and watch the moon position for the classic rise, set, and meridian times. Blue catfish remain very good on live minnows and cut bait. Hybrid stripers are good trolling rigs, but they tend to move out of an area quickly, a pattern that will continue until the strong shad spawn develops. Report by Jim Beggerly, Jim’s Fishing. Crappie fishing is good on jigs and minnows in 1-15 feet of water. About half of the fish have already spawned. Bass fishing is good in 2-8 feet of water on plastics around structure and baits that displace water on grass lines and edges of structure. Report by Sam Parker, Freshwater Fishing Adventures.
Palo Pinto
SLOW. Water lightly stained; 65 degrees; 9.20 feet below pool. Water is on the rise as water enters from Palo Pinto Creek. Blue catfish are great on cut bait and shad. Crappie are good with many limits being caught. Sand bass and hybrids are good on spinnerbaits and roadrunners.
Ray Hubbard
GOOD. Water normal stain; 62 degrees; 0.13 feet below pool. White bass are good as the fish stage to spawn on mid flats mid lake 24-30 feet water and are relating to bottom more than suspended using slab jig combo. Birds have been working on occasion later in the morning and late afternoon. Reports of white bass being caught up the rivers using small road runners. Crappie are fair in shallow water 1-3 feet by the reeds and golf-coarse and are moving in and out of shallow water for spawning. Catfish have moved shallow on the north end of the lake 3-7 feet of water biting cut shad. Report by John Varner, John Varner's Guide Service.
Ray Roberts
FAIR. Water slightly stained; 55 degrees; 0.27 feet below pool. The white bass are pushing shallow, but some smaller fish can be caught deep in 40-45 feet of water with some bigger males staged up 20-25 feet at the mouths of the creeks. Bigger females may have moved shallow in the creeks. Now is a good time to fish fish from the banks. Bigger blue catfish are good on cut bait on shallow flats near creek bends and timber lines. Channel catfish are good in the creeks or any small ditch leading into them. Report by Justin Wilson, Wilson Outdoor Connection.
Richland Chambers
FAIR. Water normal stain; 60 degrees; 0.24 feet above pool. White bass and hybrid stripers are fair to good fishing with slabs, sassy shad and live bait off the 309 flats and main lake points in 20-30 feet of water. Many undersized hybrids are mixed in with schools of sandies, look for the gulls. Crappie can be caught in shallow water coves and creek channels with minnows. Check out the Coves at Fisherman's Point Marina for an early morning and late evening bite. Eater size blue catfish are fair on punch bait on treble hook in the same areas as the white bass. Larger blue catfish are being caught on shad or cut bait along windblown points in shallow water. Report by Royce Simmons, Gone Fishin' Guide Service.
Somerville
FAIR. Water stained; 64 degrees; 0.23 feet below pool. Water temperatures dropped a few degrees delaying the spring bite. Catfish, crappie, and bluegill are fair on minnows, worms, and stink bait at Somerville Marina early morning. Black bass are fair in 3-6 feet of water hitting spinnerbaits, and crankbaits. Crappie are fair on the main lake brush piles in 14 feet of water and pilings biting minnows and very small jigs. Most catches have eggs. Catfish are good and continue to be scattered in shallow water due to the freshwater. Larger catfish are fair in deep water on jug lines baited with shad or cut bait. Seeing small egg sacks in most catches. White bass are good in the lake trolling, using Pet spoons and jigs. Hybrids are fair, fishing schools, caught on cut bait and 2 ounce jigs. Hybrids continue to be caught from shore at the dam and Welch Park areas. Report by Weldon Kirk, Fish Tales Guide Service.
Stillhouse
GOOD. Water stained; 62 degrees; 17.00 feet below pool. The fishing pattern has been inconsistent due to the recent yo-yo of the weather from warm to cold. White bass are slow due to lack of flow in the tributaries and low water. Look for white bass fishing to pick back up by mid-June. Largemouth bass fishing is improving as new hydrilla begins to grow and the lake warms toward preferred spawning temperatures bringing many fish up shallow. Dark, natural hues of soft plastics worked on the outside edge of the hydrilla, especially where that hydrilla growth coincides with topographic anomalies, is productive. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service.
Tawakoni
GOOD. Water lightly stained; 60 degrees; 1.41 feet above pool. Lake Tawakoni continues to fish well despite the brief cooldown in water temperature this week. Main lake is sitting at 60 degrees right now. Heavy overcast skies and cooler temperatures had the hybrids and white bass feeding all day. Swimbaits have been the ticket for the bigger fish and slabs for the white bass. 20-40 feet is best. The eating sized blue and channel catfish bite is wide open. Blues are being caught in 2-4 feet using fresh cut shad. The channels are coming out of 15-25 feet using prepared bait such as punch and dip baits. Trophy blue catfish are slowing down as our waters are warming. Still seeing fish up to 60 pounds being caught in 1-4 feet of water on rod-and-reel. Crappie are spawning right now. Fishing shallow on warmer days is key. The largemouth bite is good on docks and riprap with crankbaits, hogs and worms are all catching them in 1-4 feet. Report by Captain Michael Littlejohn, Lake Tawakoni Guide Service.
Texoma
GOOD. Water normal stain; 57 degrees; 1.86 feet below pool. Striped bass are good using live shad and cut bait anchored in 45-65 feet of water thumping the boat and running a splasher to get the fish under the boat. Recent rains will have a lot of big female fish up river but look for them on flats and structure with swim baits in 12-25 feet of water. Crappie are good on jigs using electronics to fish brush in the little mineral arm 15-22 feet of water. Also seeing fish in the creeks 2-4 feet of water on brush. Smallmouth or largemouth bass are slow fishing docks and structure with crankbaits and spinnerbaits. Look for SM on gravel beds along the bluffs in 6-12 feet of water. Catfish are slow on cut gizzard shad anchored near the rivers in 5-10 feet of water but starting to see eater size fish coming on ledges and flats in 40-55 feet of water. Report by Jacob Orr, Guaranteed Guide Service Lake Texoma. Striped bass continue to be caught with Alabama rigs or sassy shad targeting ledges and structures in 5-40 feet of water. Some sporadic schooling activity and bird action. Some fish are moving into creeks. The shad spawn should begin as the water near 68 degrees. This runs around six weeks, bringing predator fish shallow and kicks off topwater season. Report by John Blasingame, Adventure Texoma Outdoors.
Weatherford
FAIR. Water heavily stained; 61 degrees; 5.24 feet below pool. Crappie are biting at the crappie house and the marina near rocks. Bass are starting to transition to shallower water for the pre-spawn. Catfish are slow on the main lake with cut bait.
Whitney
FAIR. Water slightly stained; 64 degrees; 1.24 feet above pool. Catfish are fair using cut drum or shad. Striped bass are fair to slow using live bait and jigs. Crappie continue to be fair on small jigs and minnows fished near deeper structure. White bass are good up the creeks in shallow waters. Largemouth bass continue to be fair along structures and docks. Report by Captain Cory Vinson, Guaranteed Guide Service. Striped bass on Whitney is slow. Fish are scattered throughout the reservoir in mostly small schools. They can be caught on swim baits, umbrella-rigs or live bait. Report by Kraig Sexton, Sexton's Guide Service LLC, Fishing Charter, Marine Electronics & Whitney.
Worth
FAIR. Water normal stained; 60 degrees; 2.68 feet below pool. Fishing patterns are holding steady the first week of spring. White bass are good in the river and in creeks. Crappie are good in the river and in creeks, river and shallow. Blue catfish and channel catfish are fair to good in multiple depths on shad and punch bait. All fish patterns are changing with warm and cool days so patterns may change daily. Report provided by Chad Ferguson of North Texas Catfish Guide Service.

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