Prairies & Lakes Region Week of February 11, 2026

Dunlap

GOOD. Water stained; 56 degrees. The bass bite has turned on this week. Bass are good for quality size fish up to 7 pounds and quantities of fish being caught on soft plastics and crankbaits. The spawn is just around the corner. Crappie are good on mainly minnows and a few on jigs. Catfish are good. Report by Lee Johnson and Kenneth Linder, local anglers.

Aquilla

GOOD. Water normal stain; 51 degrees; 0.95 feet below pool. Crappie are good on brush piles in 25-30 feet of water with minnows or jigs. Bass are fair on spinnerbaits in 15-20 feet of water. Catfish are good in 25-30 feet of water in the timber with prepared baits. Sand bass are slow in 20-30 feet of water on jigging spoons off main lake humps. Report by Captain Cory Vinson, Guaranteed Guide Service.

Arlington

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 57 degrees; 1.64 feet below pool. Bass are good as fish move shallower and feed heavily. It is that 2-4 week period before the spawn that we call pre-spawn. White bass are running up the creeks and rivers. Crappie are loading up around docks getting ready to spawn. Big catfish are feeding heavily on shad. Report by Cade Rudiger, local angler.

Athens

FAIR. Water normal stain; 54 degrees; 0.45 feet above pool. Fishing should be good before and after the cold front, but anticipate more fish to be offshore post front. Find offshore bass with a livescope and use umbrella rigs. Shallow bass can be caught with a weightless 5 inch stick bait in shad and bluegill patterns around docks. Mix in a dropshot, Carolina rig, and Texas rig worm on the edge of the grass line. Crappie are congregated on main lake brush piles biting crappie jigs or minnows. Report by Captain Kirk Pasalich, Artifishable Fishing Guide Service.

Bastrop

SLOW. Water normal stain; 55 degrees. Bass will be biting at the hot water discharge, or schooled up on deep main lake humps and drop-offs. Fish slowly with Carolina rigs, Alabama rigs and jigging spoons. Any imitation shad bait will be good this time of year.

Belton

FAIR. Water normal stain; 51 degrees; 0.83 feet above pool. We are starting to see a transition from winter spring due a lengthy warming trend in the forecast. White bass are slowly working up the Lampasas River channel to stage for the spawn. The consistently productive deep flats which held fish all winter have fewer fish lingering with each passing day. Target fish early when there is low-light and bird activity in less than 30 feet of water. Find fish with the aid of Garmin LiveScope and draw fish under the boat with a thumping device. Work a white 5/8 ounce Bladed Hazy Eye Slab with a stinger hook vertically, using a snap-jigging method or a slow-smoking method. The fish quit feeding around mid morning once the sun brightens things up. Shift the focus to hovering over schools of threadfin shad in the river channel using a deadstick tactic with a light jighead and a soft plastic under 3 inches. Here again, LiveScope and a thumping device will significantly up your catch. Largemouth bass bycatch is beginning to decrease. Some fish have entered the Lampasas River, but are only coming and going in spurts right now. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service. Catfish are excellent in 25-45 feet of water. Slow drifting with suspended baits around points and river channels has worked best for blue catfish. Flatheads are slow but have been caught near structure and rock piles with live perch or shad. Channel catfish are slow but have been caught around deeper timber using punch bait. Report by Brian Worley, B&S Catfishing.

Benbrook

FAIR. Water normal stain; 50 degrees; 3.03 feet below pool. Crappie are good next to structure on minnows in 20-30 feet. Catfish are fair on cut bait 18-30 feet. Hybrids fair on live bait in 20-40 feet. Report by Hundley's Guide Service.

Bois d'Arc

FAIR. Normal stain; 55 degrees; 2.76 below pool. Water temperatures are 50-54 degrees and have risen as high 55-58 degrees in the trees. The morning bite continues to be slow, with the best bite midday. Shallow fish can be caught in 3-6 feet of water around bushes with spinnerbaits. Texas rigs are fair around creeks edges in 3-5 feet. The offshore bite has picked up with big crankbaits and deep husky jerkbaits over structure or old pond dams in 15-22 feet. Report by Marc Mitchell, Mitchell's Guide Service. Crappie are slow with fish clinging to the bottom. When you can find fish, vertically jig. Report by River Bottom Boys Guide Service.

Bridgeport

FAIR. Water clear; 50 degrees; 4.79 feet below pool. Crappie are fair on docks 15-30 feet deep with some roaming in 20-30 feet. Fish are biting minnows or jigs. Largemouth bass are fair using Alabama rigs on main lake points, creek channels, or on banks in the late afternoons. Crankbaits and chatterbaits on main lake rock and suspended on docks are landing catches as well. Bass will be pushing shallower with this warm weather. White bass and hybrids are fair on main lake humps and points, deadsticking slabs and flukes. Catfish are good on cut shad and bluegill on main lake deep holes, deeper holes in coves, and in the river in creek channels drifting. Report by Jack Pellegrini, Lake Bridgeport Crappie Guide Service.

Cedar Creek

EXCELLENT. Water normal stain; 50 degrees; 3.92 feet below pool. The winter deadsticking bite is in full force. Target hybrid striped bass and white bass in 36–45 feet of water throughout the lake. Use a fish thumper and splasher to draw fish beneath the boat, as schools will often move through the water column at depths of 28-34 feet. Depending on wind speed, use a ½–1 ounce jighead paired with a 3–4 inch soft plastic fluke. Be ready for subtle bites and set the hook quickly. Drift at speeds of 0.3–0.5 mph for best results. If you are not getting bites within 20–30 minutes, move to a new location. Key areas to target include sharp drop-offs, ledges, and mid-lake humps and points across the lake. Adjust jig and plastic colors based on cloud cover and sunlight, rotating between bright and shad patterns for the best success. A significant warm-up is in the extended forecast, along with periods of rain. This pattern will likely trigger the white bass spawning run, pushing fish into creek channels and sandy shallow points throughout the lake. White bass and hybrids will attempt to move up shallow creeks. However, without a solid 3–4 inches of rainfall they are expected to remain in the main lake, staging on shallow humps where water temperatures are warmer and conditions are calmer for their annual spawn. The crappie bite continues to improve. Target crappie with small jigs and minnows in 14-22 feet of water around bridge pylons, brush piles, and docks. Anglers are finding success by staying mobile catching several fish per spot before moving on. Guides report improving conditions, with larger crappie showing up more consistently. Big Catfish are being caught regularly, with anglers reporting limits by making long drifts in 30–45 feet of water using cut shad fished right off the bottom. Report by Brent Herbeck, Herbeck’s Lonestar Fishing Guide Service. Catfish are fair drifting deep flats in 24-40 feet of water with cut gizzard shad or carp. Some catfish are still being caught anchored in 3-10 feet fishing shad off the bottom. Report by Jason Barber, Kings Creek Adventures.

Comanche Creek

GOOD. 68 degrees; 0.64 feet above pool. Comanche Creek continues to produce numbers of largemouth bass and channel catfish. Catfish are good on prepared baits and cut shad. Largemouth bass are good on a variety of baits. Some good reports on dropshot rigs near creeks and points. Report by Michael Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters.

Cooper

FAIR. Water stained; 50 degrees; 4.89 feet below pool. Crappie slow and vertically jigging will be the best tactic. Look in river channels further from the dam for crappie staging in spawning grounds. Report by River Bottom Boys Guide Service.

Cypress Springs

EXCELLENT. Water normal stain; 50 degrees; 0.65 feet below pool. Crappie are excellent as fish migrate shallow to spawning grounds. The fish will spook easily, so cast versus vertically jig. Report by River Bottom Boys Guide Service.

Eagle Mountain

SLOW. Water stained; 50 degrees; 2.54 feet below pool. Few anglers on the water due to the cold weather. All species are reported to be slow. Big blue catfish can be caught drifting deep water with cut shad. Crappie are slow. Black bass are slow. Perch will always bite around structures with nightcrawlers under a cork. Report by Captain Bobby Mann, Catch a Dream Guide Service.

Fayette

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 66 degrees; full pool. Bass are in a prespawn mode. Many small bass are running the banks biting rattle traps. Bass are good in 6-9 feet of water with Carolina rigs. A few small bass caught along the bank with a wacky rig. Reports of improved catfish activity. Report by Mark Fransen, Fransen's Guide Service.

Graham

GOOD. Water stained; upper 50 degrees; 4.04 feet below pool. Crappie are good on rock piles in 12-14 feet of water with minnows. Sand bass and hybrids are feeding out on main lake flats. Catfish are good on cut shad in 16-18 feet of water. Bass are good on main lake points with slow moving baits like jigs and Texas rigs.

Granbury

FAIR. normal stain; 50 degrees; 0.52 feet below pool. Lake Granbury water temperatures are close to 50 degrees. Some dead baitfish have been reported midlake. If you see any dead or dying fish, please report to the Texas Parks and Wildlife or the Brazos River Authority. Granbury fishing has been on and off for many species. Striped bass are slow on 5 inch soft plastics worked from near the dam all the way to the Peninsula Subdivision in 30 feet of water. Sand bass reports are slow, but they are staging for their spawning run. Some sand bass are being caught in the river above Granbury. Blue and yellow catfish are fair to good on cut shad fished around the Hunter Park area. Largemouth bass are good near deeper docks and creek channel entrances slowly working soft plastics. The best fishing action on Granbury will be crappie. Target deeper docks and submerged structures on the main lake. Some good catches in the river around Tin Top. Report by Michael Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters.

Grapevine

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 47 degrees; 0.36 feet below pool. White bass are good in areas with baitfish and then utilize a thumper to bring fish to the boat. Fish near creek channels to locate fish in 45-50 feet of water suspended 37-30 feet down. The bite is very light, and use a very slow retrieve. Small males are moving in the creeks. Report by Omar Cotter, Luck O'the Irish Fishing Guide Service.

Hawkins

FAIR. Water slightly stained; 50 degrees. Small shiny bait fish patterns are a good bet for chain pickerel. Black bass are on the move around grass in shallow sunny banks. Use small white and red streamers with good success. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service.

Jacksonville

SLOW. Water slightly stained; 46 degrees; 0.14 feet above pool. Water is clear and 51 degrees. Bite was very slow, some fish caught out really deep with jig and dropshot.

Joe Pool

GOOD. Water normal stain; 51 degrees; 0.18 feet below pool. Bass are good as fish move shallower and feed heavily. It is that 2-4 week period before the spawn that we call pre-spawn. White bass are running up the creeks and rivers. Crappie are loading up around docks getting ready to spawn. Big catfish are feeding heavily on shad. Report by Cade Rudiger, local angler. Water temperatures are in the low 50s and should rise to the mid 50s with the warmer weather in the forecasts. The sudden drop in temperature has shocked the fish and pushed them out deep along with the bait. Bass have been found in the 15-20 feet depth range on rock piles, submerged old creek banks, and channel swings. Fish have been in decent size schools hugging the bottom. Be persistent in one area until you get one to bite. Baits of choice have been dropshot, shaky head, and Ned rigs. You want to use small subtle baits with very little action like senkos, creature baits that do not have a lot of appendages. Be safe and wear your life jacket, falling in cold water will shock you and your body will lock up quick. Report by Gilbert Miller, GTB Outdoors.

Lavon

FAIR. Water stained; 50 degrees; 2.04 feet below pool. Before the Arctic blast fishing patterns were consistent. Crappie are on the humps or in 25-30 feet of water on structures hugging the silt bottom. Find threadfin schools and the crappie will be nearby. Spider rig fishing with minnows and jigs will land fish. White bass are deep 100-500 yards off the dam. Turn on your noise making thumper or splasher and anchor up for about 10 minutes. Moving a quarter of the way down the dam until you find fish. Use live scope and watch for fish studying the bait. Then start reeling up slowly to trigger a bite. Small swimbaits on 5/8 ounce jigheads, minnows, or slabs will work. Live threadfin, if you can get them and keep them alive, work great. Expect a bi-catch of crappie, catfish, and sometimes some largemouth bass. Catfish are good in 3-15 feet and 25-30 feet. Anchoring up on tree lines in the shallows with cut bait on the bottom seems to be producing some very large catfish. There can be large schools in 25-30 feet of water in the shad wall or bait. This thick wall of bait is from the bottom to 7-15 feet. Drag cut bait and santee rigs along the bottom. Panner boards help tremendously. Black bass are on laydowns and rock piles in 15-20 feet. Cast a squarebill crankbait or a 12 foot diver on boat ramps throughout the day. Any super sharp drop-offs in around 15 feet of water are producing bass with Carolina rigged jigs and 5/8 ounce jigs with a jerkbait soft plastic minnow attached. Free swim it over the bass if you have live scope. Bluegills and tilapia seem to have disappeared for the winter. Report by Carey Thorn, White Bass Fishing Texas.

Lewisville

FAIR. Water normal stain; 50 degrees; 0.59 feet below pool. White bass are fair to good in 40-60 feet of water. Hybrid stripers are fair in that same depth. Check river channels and flats near the channels. Jigs, spinnerbaits, and swimbaits are working. If you are keeping fish, please be aware that there are a lot of undersized hybrid stripers in the lake that look very similar to a white bass. Blue catfish are fair on cut shad drifting or anchoring on points, ledges, and flats near the river channels and in river channels in 25-50 feet of water. The shallow water bite in 2-8 feet in the upper ends of the lake is fair as well. Crappie are slow to fair in 15-38 feet of water. Check brush piles, submerged timber, laydowns, bridge columns, and rock piles near a drop off ledge. The creeks are producing as well. Minnows and jigs are working. Report by Wes Campbell, BendARod Fishing.

Limestone

GOOD. Water clear; 55 degrees; 2.16 feet below pool. The water temperature rose to 55 degrees. Bass are headed for the banks to get on spawning beds, so it is time for the bank anglers to shine. Hot spots for bank anglers will be Branch Marina, Dooley Creek on Farm to Market 3371, and Lambs Creek on Farm to Market 1512 Bridge, Navasota River on Texas State Highway 164, Blaines Creek Bridge, and Lake Limestone Marina. As far as the lake fishing goes, largemouth bass will move to 5 feet or less on Texas rigs, spinnerbaits, and chatterbaits. Crappie are still deep, but will start trickling into the creeks very soon. Minnows will be the bait of choice. Catfish will be in creek channels and points on mouths of creeks. White bass will make the annual trip up the river and lay eggs. Cast minnows, beetle spins, and rooster tails. Some white bass will stay in the lake and spawn on mainlake flats closer to the middle or end of March. White bass will continue to be caught on silver super spoons. Report by Colan Gonzales, Lake Limestone Guide Service.

Navarro Mills

SLOW. 50 degrees; 0.27 full pool. So sorry. Crappie bite is fair with best bite in the afternoon over morning. Target crappie in shallow water or on brush piles with blue jigs or minnows. Trophy and eater dose catfish are excellent with carp or shad. Seeing signs of white bass mixed in with crappie, but no schooling action yet. Sandies are biting minnows. Report by Navarro Mills Marina.

Palestine

SLOW. water stained; 50 degrees; 0.06 feet below pool. The arctic blast dropped water temperatures to the 40s. The bass fishing practically stopped, crappie either retreated to staging areas or never left them. The only semi good news was with catfish and hybrid stripers. Bass were just about stopped cold, pun intended, but did get somewhat active during the bright, sunny, mild wind days. Crappie, mostly white crappie, continue to be caught primarily deep, around brush and timber 16-22 feet down. Some mixed crappie have been caught around the standard winter bridge and deep end areas, with a lot of juveniles. No male crappie seem to be wearing the tuxedos or blackface yet, but many females are showing the growing eggs. Catfish bites were fair to good, rod and reel and set lines, in 6-25 feet around structure. Hybrids have been fair, occasionally very good, trolling spoons or big lead heads with spinners under. Report by Jim Beggerly, Jim’s Fishing Lake Palestine.

Palo Pinto

SLOW. normal stain; 54 degrees; 0.80 feet below pool. Blue catfish are good with an aggressive bite in shallow water with cut bait or fresh shad. Hybrids and sand bass are starting to bite on minnows in deep water. Crappie are good in the creeks. Conditions on the lake are good with an abundance of bait fish and perch. Report by Palo Pinto RV.

Ray Hubbard

GOOD. Water normal stain; 48 degrees; 1.71 feet below pool. White bass are excellent on deep flats 32-38 feet of water. No reason to start at daylight as the mid-morning and afternoons have produced excellent catches. The south end of the lake is the most productive area. Locate schools of bait and fish those areas with the 2-3 jigs tied above a 1 ounce slab. Thumping the boat produces the best chances. The fish also were on the lower half of the water column. Afternoons will be better after the water starts warming back up. Crappie are fair and also moving out from brush and out of deeper water along flats and levees moving into feeder creeks on the warm sunny days. Big blue catfish bite picked up with the colder water. Drifting large baits in 38-42 feet of water is working best. Report by John Varner, John Varner's Guide Service.

Ray Roberts

SLOW. Water slightly stained; 50 degrees; 1.06 feet below pool. Big drop in the water temperature has created a tough bite. Crappie are slow in the creeks, with a better bite bite in 25-40 feet of water on brush and rocks. Fish are very lethargic, so you will have to use a slow presentation and put the bait right in front of the fish. A chartreuse or monkey milk jig should be good. Blue catfish should be in 35-50 feet of water. Report by Daniel Koberna, Lt. Dan's Crappie Co.

Richland Chambers

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 54 degrees; 2.02 feet below pool. Hybrids are eating up and following bait. They can be caught on Alabama rigs and deadsticking flukes. If you able to see the birds working, get ready to catch the hybrids. They have been in the middle of coves and in the main lake in 30-45 feet. Big white bass are around the hybrids, or in schools off of points in 30-40 feet. Anglers are catching limits of catfish and some trophy sizes. Black bass can be caught on shallow baits such as square bills and chatterbaits. The docks are becoming more of a player as a lot of shore line cover is out of the water. Good Fishing. Report by Terry Hawkins Guide Service.

Somerville

SLOW. Water stained; 53 degrees; 3.06 feet below pool. The nightbite has picked up this week. At the marina the crappie bite is good, and catfish are fair on minnows or punch bait. Bluegill are slow on crickets and worms. Black bass are starting to stage for spring spawn. Bass are fair on craw jigs and slow moving plastics baits in 6-14 feet of water. On the lake crappie are good with various jigs and minnows holding tight under brush in 8-16 feet of water or roaming. Catfish are good in 5-12 feet of water on drop-offs with cut shad, punch bait or using jug lines. Chumming areas helps. White bass are fair trolling with various spoons or anchored with shad and ghost minnows. Hybrids are fair with jigs or cut bait in deeper water. Below the dam all species are slow while water is not being discharged. Report by Weldon Kirk, Fish Tales Guide Service.

Stillhouse

FAIR. Water stained; 53 degrees; 1.70 feet above pool. We are starting to see a transition from winter spring due a lengthy warming trend in the forecast. White bass are slowly working up the Leon River channel to stage for the spawn. The consistently productive deep flats which held fish all winter have fewer fish lingering with each passing day. Target fish early when there is low-light and bird activity in less than 30 feet of water. Find fish with the aid of Garmin LiveScope and draw fish under the boat with a thumping device. Work a white 5/8 ounce Bladed Hazy Eye Slab with a stinger hook vertically, using a snap-jigging method or a slow-smoking method. The fish quit feeding around mid morning once the sun brightens things up. Shift the focus to hovering over schools of threadfin shad in the river channel using a deadstick tactic with a light jighead and a soft plastic under 3 inches. Here again, LiveScope and a thumping device will significantly up your catch. Largemouth bass bycatch is beginning to decrease. Some fish have entered the Leon River, but are only coming and going in spurts right now. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service. Bass are fair targeting nomadic fish roaming in open water with minnow-style soft plastics. Forward-facing sonar will play a key role in locating these schools. Large groups of bass, sometimes numbering dozens of fish, are following bait and can provide fast action once located. Alabama rigs will catch fish in submerged vegetation in 12–20 feet of water, where anglers can often catch multiple bass from the same area. Report by Ander Meine, Bassquatch Fishing,

Tawakoni

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 52 degrees; 1.98 feet below pool. The white bass and hybrid-striper are still feeding. The best bite was with soft plastics in 20-25 feet on the main lake. Eating sized blue catfish are good in 40-50 feet on small cut shad and punch bait. Bigger fish are being caught compared to last week. The trophy catfish are good as fish feed up due to the falling temperatures. Quality fish up to 40 pounds are on main lake points and mid depths in 30-45 feet of water. The crappie are still fair on bridge columns and deep timber with jigs in 20-28 feet. The largemouth bass bite has slowed down with the cold shallow water temperature. Try rip rap with larger plastics in 8-12 feet. Report by Captain Michael Littlejohn, Lake Tawakoni Guide Service.

Texoma

FAIR. Water stained; 42 degrees; 0.75 feet above pool. With the warmer sunny days since the arctic cold we experienced over the last couple weeks the water temperatures have warmed back up a few degrees. Casting swimbaits in 15-25 feet of water on points and structure is producing fish, along with deadsticking on more active groups of fish in 50-65 feet of water. Keep an eye out for actively working groups of birds, most are lying lately but worth checking. Big fish will move back shallow, 5-12 feet of water on big swimbaits and roadrunners. Catfishing remains a deep water game, finding fish scattered in 50-70 feet of water drifting medium to large cut gizzard shad is producing some good catfish. Have patience and stick with it as they are more scattered in the deep water. With the warmer sunnier days we have had and are forecasted in the coming days the crappie will be moving a little more into the 15-20 feet of water on structures. Productive bite on jigs, colors, and sizes vary day to day. Report by Jacob Orr, Lake Texoma, Guaranteed Guide Service. The cooler water temperature has ignited the deadstick bite. Drop 4 inch flukes straight down and hold them still until you get a bite. Stripers are good with Alabama rigs or swimbaits on structures in 12-20 feet of water. Report by John Blasingame, Adventure Texoma Outdoors.

Weatherford

SLOW. Water slightly stained; 50 degrees; 5.96 feet below pool. Crappie are good at the crappie house with minnows and jigs. Yellow bass are mixed in. Bass are slow in deep water with soft plastics. Catfish are slow in deep water with liver or stink bait. The water clarity is heavily stained with 6 inches of visibility.

Whitney

FAIR. Water normal stain; 50 degrees; 1.54 feet below pool. Catfish are good using punch bait or cut bait in 30 feet of water. Catfish will be beneath roosting birds. Striped bass are good on live bait and swimbaits in 50-60 feet of water. Crappie are good up in the main lake in brush 30-40 feet of water. White bass are slow on slabs in 30 feet of water. Largemouth bass are fair using soft plastics on deep structure and around docks. Report by Captain Cory Vinson, Guaranteed Guide Service.

Worth

SLOW. Water normal; 50 degrees; 1.82 feet below pool. Crappie are slow on the main lake, but can be caught in creeks and rivers. No report for bass or white bass. Catfish are good on cut bait. Report by Michael James, local angler.

« Fishing Report Search