Prairies & Lakes Region Week of February 25, 2026

Dunlap

GOOD. Water stained; 63 degrees. Bass fair for fish up to 2 pounds on plastics. No signs of spawning bass. Crappie fair on jigs but better on minnows. Catfish slow and perch fair on corn. Report by Lee Johnson and Kenneth Linder, local anglers.

Aquilla

GOOD. Water normal stain; 56 degrees; 0.98 feet below pool. Crappie are good on brush piles in 10-12 feet of water on minnows and jigs. Bass are fair on spinnerbaits in 10-20 feet of water. Catfish are good in shallow windy banks. Sand bass are starting to move out of the main lake up the creeks to spawn. Report by Captain Cory Vinson, Guaranteed Guide Service.

Arlington

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 57 degrees; 1.46 feet below pool. Prespawn bass are feeding heavily. Colder days seem to have bass relating to deep water while warmer days have fish moving shallower for the impending spawn. Crappie and white bass are being caught up the creeks. Catfish are good around big balls of shad. Report by Cade Rudiger, local angler.

Athens

FAIR. Water normal stain; 54 degrees; 0.41 feet above pool. Bass are in pre-spawn mode with a decent concentration of fish roaming and on the deeper grass .As for the shallow bite some of the fish in the deeper grass will start moving up in the afternoons as water temps peak. A bladed jig and jerkbait are great options to cover water this time of year. Always a go to is the 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. Offshore fish can be found with live scope and caught with an umbrella rig and a minnow on a jig head. Crappie are schooled up roaming out in the main lake areas and some still on brush piles. Report by Captain Kirk Pasalich, Artifishable Fishing Guide Service.

Bastrop

SLOW. Water normal stain; 60 degrees. Bass should be on spawning beds, target these areas with bladed jigs, rattletraps or spinnerbaits. Prespawn and spawned out fish should be on drop-offs outside of spawning areas biting dropshots or Carolina rigs.

Belton

FAIR. Water normal stain; 60 degrees; 0.87 feet below pool. It is a "tale of two fisheries" right now for Lake Belton white bass. There are fish steadily making their way up the Leon River to spawn, and there are fish still residing in the main lake. Both have their pros and cons. The river fishery is best on the weekdays and during poor weather when fishing pressure is minimized, otherwise, expect plenty of company. Trolling crankbaits which imitate medium-sized threadfin shad, like the Bomber 5A, or the Storm Smash Shad will put fish in the boat slowly but steadily. If you closely watch side-imaging, you will likely spot migrating schools which can be cast to to put bonus fish in the boat. Horsehead-style jigs with an underspin in white and chartreuse less than 2 inches long do well. Back on the main lake the deep, lethargic fish which have been present but difficult to goad into biting are now much more aggressive. Look in 35 feet or less along the old Leon River channel or Cowhouse Creek channel during bright conditions, and as shallow as 12-14 feet at first light, last light, and under cloud cover. The Mini White Bass Alabama rig with white paddle tails less than 3 inches long or MAL Originals get the job done when retrieved with a sawtooth retrieve. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service. Catfish are excellent in 10-25 feet of water. Slow drifting with suspended baits around points and river channels has worked best for blue catfish. Flathead catfish are slow, but have been caught near structure and rock piles with live perch and shad. Channel catfish are fair and have been caught in shallow water around timber using punch bait. Report by Brian Worley, B&S Catfishing.

Benbrook

FAIR. Water normal stain; 54 degrees; 3.57 feet below pool. Crappie are good next to timber on minnows in 20-30 feet. Catfish are good on cut bait or stink bait in 18- 30 feet. Hybrids are fair on live bait in 20-40 feet. Be aware there are many undersized fish that resemble white bass. Report by Hundley's Guide Service.

Bois d'Arc

FAIR. Normal stain; 57 degrees; 2.41 below pool. Water temperature is ranging from 51-62 degrees. The morning bass bite is slow, then improves after a few hours. Squarebill crankbaits are fair around old ponds in 3-4 feet of water. Spinnerbaits, bladed jigs, flukes and stick baits are very good around big laydowns or bushes in 2-4 feet. Report by Marc Mitchell, Mitchell's Guide Service. Crappie are slow as fish transition to the mouths of coves and river channels. Fish are primarily in prespawn patterns, and should begin to spawn within the next few weeks. Report by River Bottom Boys Guide Service.

Bridgeport

FAIR. Water clear; 54 degrees; 4.77 feet below pool. Crappie are in a prespawn and this next wave of warm weather should trigger the first spawn. Male crappie are shallow and in the creeks. Crappie bite is fair with jigs or minnows on docks in 15-30 feet of water with some roaming in 20-30 feet. Male 1-3 pound bass have pushed shallow, with big bass still in 10-20 feet. It should be another few weeks before the first spawn push. Largemouth bass are fair with Alabama rigs on main lake points, creek channels, or on banks in the late afternoons. Use crankbaits and chatterbaits on main lake rock and suspended on docks. Bass will be pushing shallower with this warm weather. Hybrids are fair deadsticking slabs and flukes on main lake humps and points. White bass are good in creeks. 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; 58 degrees; 3.86 feet below pool. Deadstick for hybrid striped bass and white bass in 30–42 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 15-24 feet. Depending on wind conditions, 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-pattern colors for best results. 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 7-12 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. Report by Brent Herbeck, Herbeck’s Lonestar Fishing Guide Service. Catfish patterns remain consistent with fish up to 45 pounds possible. Catfish are good drifting flats in 24-40 feet of water with cut gizzard shad or carp, or anchored in 3-10 feet fishing shad off the bottom. Report by Jason Barber, Kings Creek Adventures.

Comanche Creek

GOOD. 68 degrees; 0.95 feet above pool. Comanche Creek continues to be one of the best fishing lakes in the area due to the warm water from the power plant. Limits of channel catfish and largemouth bass are common. The Tilapia are abundant on this reservoir as well. Report by Michael Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters.

Cypress Springs

EXCELLENT. Water normal stain; 57 degrees; 0.54 feet below pool. Crappie are good on jigs or minnows in the mouths of coves and river channels. Fish are primarily in prespawn patterns, and should begin to spawn within the next few weeks. Report by River Bottom Boys Guide Service.

Eagle Mountain

GOOD. Water stained; 63 degrees; 2.53 feet below pool. Blue catfish are good with fish moving into spring patterns. Reports of a 52 pound catch in shallow water. Crappie are moving into a pre-spawn pattern into boat docks and slips. White bass are staging at the mouth of the river and running up the river, with limits reported on beetle spins. Perch can be caught in shallow water with nightcrawlers. Black bass should be staging on spawning beds in shallow water. Report by Captain Bobby Mann, Catch a Dream Guide Service.

Fayette

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 67 degrees; full pool. Bass are spawning in less than 5 feet of water. Many catches with bladed jigs. Squarebill crankbaits, shaky heads, and rattletrap. Spawned out fish will be on points near spawning grounds with Carolina rigs. Bass are feeding on the recent shad hatch. Report by Mark Fransen, Fransen's Guide Service.

Graham

GOOD. Water stained; upper 56 degrees; 4.46 feet below pool. Crappie are good in 12-14 feet deep in brush with jigs. Sand bass and hybrids are good with jigs or spoons on main lake humps in 14-16 feet. Catfish are good with cut shad in 4-8 feet on flat banks. Bass are slow on main lake points with slow moving baits.

Granbury

FAIR. normal stain; 60 degrees; 0.19 feet below pool. Granbury water levels are at full pool. Water has been flowing from Possum Kingdom, and Granbury has been releasing some water. Water temperatures are in the middle to upper 50s with some low 60s on the upper ends. Water is stained water in the river near Tin Top bridge. Water clarity is good on the main lake. There continues to be a golden algae bloom mid-lake. Low to moderate levels of the algae have been reported. Only some of the baitfish are impacted. Lake Granbury crappie bite is good to excellent on many areas of the lake. Best reports are from near Hunter Park, but some good reports in the back of creeks. Striped bass are slow to fair on jigs and live shad fished from the dam to near Decordova subdivision. Sand bass reports have been slow to fair with some catches upstream and some near Ports-O-Call. Largemouth bass up to 8 pounds are fair to good working soft plastics near creek entrances and in the back of creeks on those warmer afternoons. Catfish action has been good on cut bait fished on the upper ends. Some blue catfish up to 20 pounds have been reported. Report by Michael Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters.

Grapevine

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 56 degrees; 0.54 feet below pool. White bass are good in 22-24 feet of water on humps with white jigging spoons off the bottom. Numbers of fish can be caught but not all keeper sizes. Fish are typically in deep water staging to move into the creeks. Report by Omar Cotter, Luck O'the Irish Fishing Guide Service.

Hawkins

FAIR. Water slightly stained; 56 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 stained; 60 degrees; 0.08 feet above pool. Bass are good in shallow water on bladed jigs or rattletraps. Suspended fish can be caught on Alabama rigs and imitation minnow baits.

Joe Pool

GOOD. Water normal stain; 53 degrees; 0.27 feet below pool. Prespawn bass are feeding heavily. Colder days seem to have bass relating to deep water while warmer days have fish moving shallower for the impending spawn. Crappie and white bass are being caught up the creeks. Catfish are good around big balls of shad. Report by Cade Rudiger, local angler. Bass fishing is picking up, water temperatures are starting to rise back up to what they should be this time of the year. Fish are moving up to mid range depths 5-10 feet, you can tell they have been deep with their white color. It will not be long until the big girls start to move up. Fish can be caught on Texas rigged soft plastics, shaky heads, and small swimbaits on main lake flats bordered by old creek channels or steep drops. Stay safe and wear your life jacket! Report by Gilbert L. Miller, GTB Outdoors LLC.

Lavon

FAIR. Water stained; 50 degrees; 1.21 feet below pool. The recent cold front stalled the pattern from changing. White bass are fair to good as some fish migrate to the creek systems, and some are scattered across the main lake. Look for surface activity where fish are pushing baitfish, often indicated by diving birds. Target main lake humps and points in 15-25 feet. Effective tactics for surfacing fish include rattle traps or swimbaits. Then switch to slabs or vertical jigging when fish are holding in one area. Patterns shift every couple of days, some days on points and other days fish are holding 200 yards or more off the dam. Crappie are fair with many roaming north from the dam area, and scattered in shallow water away from the dam. Others are suspended 10-20 feet in the water column, often solitary. A scope helps locate these open-water fish. Some good groups are holding in brush piles at 15-20 feet. Focus on structure and suspended fish for best results with minnows or jigs. Catfish are good with monster-sized fish in 2-10 feet, while a school holds deep at 30-35 feet with some scattered in between. Cut shad has been very effective for both shallow and deep fish. Target ledges, flats, or structure across these depths. Tilapia are fair and improving. Fish are starting to show along shorelines, holding in 3-8 feet, best in 3-5 feet. Use light tackle: 4-pound line with a bobber, small split shot, and a small panfish hook baited with a piece of worm. Alternatives like one granola piece, sweet corn, or small dough balls also produce bites. Largemouth bass are fair with fewer suspended fish reported recently. Catch a few in 15 feet around rock piles and concrete structures. A 12 foot diver crankbait has been productive on most days. Focus on deeper cover as fish relate to structure. Report by Carey Thorn, White Bass Fishing Texas.

Lewisville

FAIR. Water normal stain; 53 degrees; 0.07 feet below pool. White bass are slow to fair in 40-60 feet of water. Hybrid stripers are slow 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 20-40 feet of water. The shallow water bite in 2-8 feet in the upper ends of the lake is good. Crappie are slow to fair in 15-38 feet of water with minnows and jigs. Check brush piles, submerged timber, laydowns, bridge columns, and rock piles near a drop off ledge, and in creeks. Report by Wes Campbell, BendARod Fishing.

Limestone

GOOD. Water clear; 57 degrees; 2.36 feet below pool. Fishing patterns remain consistent. Anticipate lots of bed fishing in the creeks over the next few months. Bank fishing continues to be excellent for crappie, largemouth bass and white bass. Catfish are in the creeks, but not all the way back. Crappie are starting to load up on the Lake Limestone Marina and campground pier. Largemouth bass will move to 5 feet or less to spawning beds on Texas rigs, spinnerbaits, and chatterbaits. White bass are in the Navasota River for the annual spawning run. Cast minnows, beetle spins, and rooster tails. Some white bass will stay in the lake and spawn on main lake 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

GOOD. 62 degrees; 0.30 full pool. Catfish continue to be excellent with cut carp off bank points. Crappie are fair to good in the staging zone just outside shallow water or on brush piles with blue jigs or minnows. The best bite is the afternoon and evening. White bass are fair trolling. Report by Navarro Mills Marina.

Palestine

GOOD. water stained; 60 degrees; 0.03 feet below pool. Crappie and bass are good with fish spawning along the banks. Crappie are good on minnows or jigs. Bass are biting rattletraps and spoons.

Palo Pinto

GOOD. normal stain; 60 degrees; 0.71 feet below pool. Smaller crappie can be caught in the shallows, with larger catches still in deeper water. As the water continues to warm, crappie will move to the banks to spawn. Sand bass and hybrids are improving to good around the Spillway. Blue catfish are good in shallow water with fresh cut, bait and whole shad. Hybrids are fair with minnows and jigs. Report by Palo Pinto RV.

Ray Hubbard

GOOD. Water normal stain; 55 degrees; 1.11 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 target those areas with the 2-3 jigs tied above a 1 ounce slab. Thumping the boat produces the best chances. The fish are in the lower half of the water column. Afternoons will be best as the water starts warming back up. Multiple reports of white bass being caught in the feeder creeks as the spawn has started. 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. Reports of blue catfish in shallow water on the north end of the lake. Report by John Varner, John Varner's Guide Service.

Ray Roberts

GOOD. Water stained; 55 degrees; 0.06 feet below pool. Warmer weather in the forecast so the pattern is consistent. Some crappie are starting to spawn. Crappie are good in 12-15 feet of water near spawning flats with jigs or minnows. Catfish are slow drifting in 18-25 feet of water near main lake points and humps. Some fish have moved shallow after the rain. Bass are staging to spawn in 5-12 feet of water. Cast typical pre-spawn baits like swim jigs, squarebill crankbaits, or bladed jigs. Sand bass are beneath the birds with live bait or deadsticking slabs. Blue catfish and crappie are mixed in. Report by Daniel Koberna, Lt. Dan's Crappie Co.

Richland Chambers

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 56 degrees; 1.86 feet below pool. Black Bass will continue to make their way to the spawning coves as long as the warming trend continues. The coves on the north side of the lake are a good place to start. Target boat docks in these coves working your way to the backs of the coves. Cover water with a bladed jig, squarebill crankbait, and a spinnerbait. Hybrids are starting to school up in big numbers. The birds have been working early and late in the afternoon. You can run an Alabama rig through the school and hold on, many times getting two hybrids at a time. Deadstick a fluke when there is no schooling action. Fish have been on points going out to 38 feet of water. The big white bass have been in similar areas. Downsize your fluke on a half ounce jig head with a bucktail 18 inches above the jig. The catfish guides are constantly catching numbers of quality size fish using cut bait. The prime time is approaching soon. Good Fishing. Report by Terry Hawkins Guide Service. Report by Terry Hawkins Guide Service.

Somerville

SLOW. Water stained; 62 degrees; 3.05 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 good on crickets and worms. Crappie are good with fish scattered on the main lake brush in 8-16 feet of water with chartreuse and white or shad color jigs and minnows. Fish have eggs in them, not quite spawning yet. Catfish are good in 3-10 feet of water on drop-offs using chum, jug lines, cut shad or punch bait. Black bass are staging for the spring spawn. Fish can be caught on jigs and slow moving crankbaits in 6-14 feet of water. White bass are fair along drop-offs with minnows or shad from the shore, or anchored on humps with shad and ghost minnows. Hybrids are slow in deeper water using cut shad. Below the dam all species are slow, with no water being discharged. Report by Weldon Kirk, Fish Tales Guide Service.

Stillhouse

FAIR. Water stained; 60 degrees; 1.90 feet below pool. It is a "tale of two fisheries" right now for Stillhouse white bass. There are fish steadily making their way up the Lampasas River to spawn, and there are fish still residing in the main lake. Both have their pros and cons. The river fishery is best on the weekdays and during poor weather when fishing pressure is minimized, otherwise, expect plenty of company in tight quarters. Trolling crankbaits which imitate medium-sized threadfin shad, like the Bomber 5A, or the Storm Smash Shad will put fish in the boat slowly but steadily. If you closely watch side-imaging, you will likely spot migrating schools which can be cast to to put bonus fish in the boat. Horsehead-style jigs with an underpin in white and chartreuse less than 2 inch long do well. Back on the main lake the deep, lethargic fish which have been present but difficult to goad into biting are now much more aggressive. Look in 35 feet or less along the old Lampasas River channel during bright conditions, and as shallow as 12-14 feet at first light, last light, and under cloud cover. The mini white bass Alabama rig with white paddle tails less than 3inches long or MAL Originals get the job done when retrieved with a sawtooth retrieve. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service.

Tawakoni

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 60 degrees; 1.34 feet below pool. The hybrid striper and white bass bite is good. We were seeing big schools of fish on different parts of the lake that are feeding on huge schools of threadfin shad. Swimbaits and slabs are working best in 10-30 feet. The eating size catfish bite has been very reliable. Small pieces of cut bait have been working best in shallow water. Trophy sized catfish have been feeding well. We are seeing consistent catches of 40 pounds and up on most trips. Fresh cut bait in 3-25 feet is the ticket. Crappie have been decent on the 2 mile bridge in 15-20 feet on jigs. The largemouth bite has been better than average over the last two weeks. Good numbers of larger fish have been caught in shallow water on soft plastics. Key points here are coves and small flats near deep water. Report by Captain Michael Littlejohn, Lake Tawakoni Guide Service.

Texoma

FAIR. Water stained; 50 degrees; 0.16 feet above pool. The striper bite is inconsistent due to the fluctuating weather, but the forecast is looking like spring from here on. Look to find the striper in 10-20 feet on points and structure casting swimbaits. There are a lot of fish in the open water 40-65 feet, deadsticking flukes over the active fish. We should start seeing a transition into a bait bite within the next week or two. Catfish remain scattered in the open water 45-65 feet, drifting medium to large cut baits such as gizzard shad or drum has been the ticket! Look for fish laying on the bottom using electronics. Crappie have been holding on structure and ledges in 20-25 feet of water, but be looking for them to be on the move to shallower water as the warm weather continues this week. Report by Jacob Orr, Lake Texoma, Guaranteed Guide Service. Stripers are good but the bite can be hit-or-miss. The primary action is on structure in 10-30 feet of water with swimbaits, or Alabama rigs. Bigger fish can be caught in the middle under the birds deadsticking flukes or using swimbaits. The bite is tough while high winds persist. Report by John Blasingame, Adventure Texoma Outdoors.

Weatherford

SLOW. Water slightly stained; 58 degrees; 5.94 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; 55 degrees; 1.53 feet below pool. Fishing patterns remain consistent. Catfish are good using cut bait in 15 feet of water on windy shallow banks. Striped bass are good on live bait and swimbaits in 25-35 feet of water. Crappie are in 15 feet of water moving up the creeks and rivers. White bass are good up the Brazos River and Nolan River on ghost minnows and small jigs. Largemouth bass are fair using crankbaits on windy bank lines. Report by Captain Cory Vinson, Guaranteed Guide Service.

Worth

SLOW. Water normal; 60 degrees; 1.60 feet below pool. Bass are good using spinnerbaits up against the cattails. Crappie are good in shallow timber using jigs. White bass are slow, but some are being caught trolling crankbaits along bank lines. Catfish are good using cut bait in shallower water. Report by Michael James, local angler.

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