Prairies & Lakes Region Week of February 4, 2026

Dunlap

SLOW. Water stained; 50 degrees. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfish fair on bait. Bass are slow, with a few reports of single fish catches. Report by Lee Johnson and Kenneth Linder, local anglers.

Aquilla

GOOD. Water normal stain; 46 degrees; 0.94 feet below pool. Crappie are good on brush piles in 20-30 feet of water with minnows or jigs. Bass are fair on spinnerbaits in 15-20 feet of water. Catfish are good in the timber with prepared baits. Sand bass are fair in 20-30 feet of water on jigging spoons off main lake humps. Report by Captain Cory Vinson, Guaranteed Guide Service.

Arlington

SLOW. Water slightly stained; 43 degrees; 1.65 feet below pool. Water temperatures dipped to the low 40s which is the coldest we can expect for the winter season. Almost all game fish are in very deep water or relating next to the deepest water in the reservoirs. This time of year all game fish tend to suspend all day chasing weak threadfin shad across the main basin and creek channels. Best action will be in the hot water discharge. Report by Cade Rudiger, local angler.

Athens

FAIR. Water normal stain; 54 degrees; 0.42 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; 50 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; 0.78 feet above pool. The warming trend and solar input on cloudless days has stabilized the water temperature around 50 degrees. This paired with the day length has drawn white bass and shad to the main Leon River and Cowhouse Creek channels. These fish are suspended and are able to be caught via a deadstick tactic with jighead and 3 inch or smaller soft plastic tied to hang horizontally. The use of a thumper will draw fish, and Garmin LiveScope will clearly show both fish and your presentation. When fish move in from the left or right of the screen, adjust your depth to be right in front of them as they pass beneath, then, ever so slowly raise the bait and watch for a follow. Misses are common, but stick with it and you will connect. There are also plenty of bottom-oriented white bass on deep topography. These fish are very responsive to snap-jigging with the white, 5/8 ounce Bladed Hazy Eye Slab with stinger hook. The trick is adding an intentional pause after the jigging stroke, and making sure the jigging stroke ends with the slab about 6 inches off bottom. Numbers of keeper largemouth bass are falling to this deep, snap-jigging approach as well. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service. Catfish are excellent. The steady cold fronts have increased activity for larger trophy sized bluecatfish. Eater size catfish have slowed, but can still be caught using small fresh cut bait. Deep river channels and sand flats have been productive in 35-55 feet of water. Report by Brian Worley, B&S Catfishing.

Benbrook

FAIR. Water normal stain; 50 degrees; 2.45 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

SLOW. Normal stain; 43 degrees; 2.70 below pool. Water temperatures are 40-43 degrees. The bass bite has been slow due to weather. A few bass can be caught in 6-8 feet of water with Texas rigs or shaky heads around tree lines or calmer banks catching sun. A few bite with slow reeled spinnerbaits around creeks or old ponds in 4-7 feet. Report by Marc Mitchell, Mitchell's Guide Service. After freezing weather it typically takes 1-4 weeks for the bite pick up. Crappie enter a hibernation state when the water drops into the 40s, so expect the bite to be slow. Crappie will be deep, then suspend higher in the water column on bright and sunny days. The best bite will be on minnows, or tiny ice jigs. Report by River Bottom Boys Guide Service.

Bridgeport

FAIR. Water clear; 50 degrees; 4.81 feet below pool. Expect the bite to improve as fish push shallower as the water temperature starts to rise. Crappie are fair on docks 15-30 feet deep. Roaming crappie are suspended in the top third of the water column in 30-40 feet. Minnows and jigs are working. Largemouth bass are decent using jigs, Alabama rigs, and swimbaits on main lake points, creek channels, or on banks in the late afternoons with crankbaits and chatterbaits on main lake rock and docks. White bass and hybrids are fair on main lake humps and points, deadsticking slabs and flukes. Catfish bite is good on cut shad and chicken liver 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; 46 degrees; 3.85 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. Vary jig and plastic colors based on cloud cover and sunlight, rotating between bright and shad patterns for the best success. 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 limits by moving from spot to spot, catching several fish before relocating. Guides report conditions improving, with larger crappie showing up more frequently. Report by Brent Herbeck, Herbeck’s Lonestar Fishing Guide Service. Catfish are fair drifting deep flats in 20-40 feet of water. Look for deep water with bait and fish action then drift cut gizzard shad, carp, or drum. Report by Jason Barber, Kings Creek Adventures.

Comanche Creek

GOOD. 68 degrees; 0.49 feet above pool. Comanche Creek continues to boast on numbers of largemouth bass and limits of eater sized channel catfish. Tilapia are abundant on this power plant lake. Report by Michael Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters.

Cooper

FAIR. Water stained; 50 degrees; 4.80 feet below pool. After freezing weather it typically takes 1-4 weeks for the bite pick up. Crappie enter a hibernation state when the water drops into the 40s, so expect the bite to be slow. Crappie will be deep, then suspend higher in the water column on bright and sunny days. The best bite will be on minnows, or tiny ice jigs.

Cypress Springs

SLOW. Water normal stain; 50 degrees; 0.66 feet below pool. After freezing weather it typically takes 1-4 weeks for the bite pick up. Crappie enter a hibernation state when the water drops into the 40s, so expect the bite to be slow. Crappie will be deep, then suspend higher in the water column on bright and sunny days. The best bite will be on minnows, or tiny ice jigs. Report by River Bottom Boys Guide Service.

Eagle Mountain

SLOW. Water stained; 47 degrees; 2.36 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; 65 degrees; full pool. Numbers of small buck bass running the banks. 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 bite. 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; 0.57 feet below pool. Water temperatures fell to the to the low 40s after the last cold snap down. Water clarity is good and lake levels are close to pool level. Inclement weather has limited angler action, but the spring like forecast will bring anglers back out. Best action continues to be crappie on jigs worked near deeper structure. Some are being caught in the river above Granbury. Sand bass reports have been slow. Best sand bass action is in deeper water on 3 inch grubs fished above bait clouds. Many of the sand bass are staged in the main lake and will move upstream to spawn in the next few weeks. Striped bass have been hit and miss. Best striped bass action is on the lower ends in 25-40 feet of water. Look for birds hovering. Largemouth bass continue to be good in numbers with an occasional bigger fish. Look for largemouth near major creek entrances and near deeper docks. Best largemouth presentation is slowly working soft plastics. Cold water blue and yellow catfish bite is improving on cut shad fished on flats adjacent to the river channel on the upper ends. By Report by Michael Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters.

Grapevine

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 47 degrees; 0.40 feet below pool. The weekend forecast is ideal conditions for fishing. White bass are good suspended 20-40 feet down over 50 feet. Deadstick small slabs with jigs tied 2 feet above. 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. Bass are good on chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, and rattle traps out to 8 feet of water. Some fish are piled up in 30 feet of water hitting finesse presentations, or suspended imitation minnow baits. Water clarity is a normal stain with some stain on the north end.

Joe Pool

SLOW. Water normal stain; 48 degrees; 0.19 feet below pool. Water temperatures dipped to the low 40s which is the coldest we can expect for the winter season. Almost all game fish are in very deep water or relating next to the deepest water in the reservoirs. This time of year all game fish tend to suspend all day chasing weak threadfin shad across the main basin and creek channels. Report by Cade Rudiger, local angler.

Lavon

FAIR. Water stained; 45 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; 49 degrees; 0.57 feet below pool. After the freezing weather, anticipate all species to push to deeper water. Expect the white bass and hybrids to concentrate in the deep river channels in 40-60 feet of water. Report by Wes Campbell, BendARod Fishing.

Limestone

GOOD. Water clear; 45 degrees; 2.07 feet below pool. Fishing will improve heading into the weekend as the water temperature warms. Catfish thrive in the cold temperature and will be feeding. Crappie are on brush, roaming, and on the power line pylons biting minnows. White bass, catfish and crappie are roaming fish in 18-24 feet of water. Largemouth bass have started feeding on crawfish, so red and crawfish pattern baits will be a key to catching bass. Largemouth bass are in 6 feet of water or less on docks, bulkheads and rocks with red chatterbaits, red rattletraps, and Texas rigs. This pattern will be consistent until February when the water starts to warm. Numbers of catfish and white bass are in 18-24 feet of water. Catfish are biting in the creeks and on timber with birds. The best catfish bite will be at the marina for bank anglers. Report by Colan Gonzales, Lake Limestone Guide Service.

Navarro Mills

SLOW. 50 degrees; 0.27 full pool. This cold front should improve the blue catfish bite. Blue catfish have been midlake in 10-15 feet of water biting shad. Expect the crappie bite to shut off as fish scatter in deeper water. Crappie will be lethargic, but action should pick up in February. Report by Navarro Mills Marina.

Palestine

SLOW. water stained; 48 degrees; 0.11 feet below pool. These major temperature shifts usually ignite the big fish to chase bait balls in open water and feed heavily. If there is a shad kill, the catfish, white bass and hybrids will gorge themselves. Expect numbers of big fish to be caught off bait concentrations this week. Catfish will bite cut shad. White bass and hybrids will bite swimbaits.

Palo Pinto

SLOW. normal stain; 48 degrees; 0.75 feet below pool. Blue catfish are good in shallow water early morning or late evening with shad. Hybrids, sand bass and bass are slow. There is an abundance of baitfish and perch in the creeks. Report by Palo Pinto RV.

Ray Hubbard

SLOW. Water normal stain; 48 degrees; 1.64 feet below pool. Expect slower fishing while the water temperatures are below 48 degrees, but the bite should improve in the afternoon. White bass are scattered on deep flats in 32-38 feet. 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. Crappie are fair as fish move from brush to deeper water along flats and levees. Big blue catfish are good drifting large baits in 38-42 feet of water. Report by John Varner, John Varner's Guide Service.

Ray Roberts

SLOW. Water slightly stained; 38 degrees; 1.07 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; 47 degrees; 2.08 feet below pool. Hybrids are bunched up in 33-43 feet of water in and around creek channels biting deadstick flukes. White bass are in similar areas and on deep points. They are not as aggressive as the hybrids. Catfish are great on cut bait. This is a great time to Livescope for black bass. Use an Alabama rig or jerkbait around standing timber. The shallow bite for black bass will be tough due the low temperatures. Target shallow rocks if you fish shallow. Good fishing. Report by Terry Hawkins Guide Service.

Somerville

SLOW. Water stained; 49 degrees; 3.02 feet below pool. Warming trend should improve the bite and warm the water some. As the water stabilizes the bite will pick up with the same patterns. At the marina the crappie bite is fair, 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 fair 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 slow 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; 54 degrees; 1.61 feet above pool. he warming trend and solar input on cloudless days has stabilized the water temperature around 50 degrees. This paired with the day length has drawn white bass and shad to the Lampasas River channel. These fish are suspended and are able to be caught via a deadstick tactic with jighead and 3 inch or smaller soft plastic tied to hang horizontally. The use of a thumper will draw fish, and Garmin LiveScope will clearly show both fish and your presentation. When fish move in from the left or right of the screen, adjust your depth to be right in front of them as they pass beneath, then, ever so slowly raise the bait and watch for a follow. Misses are common, but stick with it and you will connect. There are also plenty of bottom-oriented white bass on deep topography. These fish are very responsive to snap-jigging with the white, 5/8 ounce Bladed Hazy Eye Slab with stinger hook. The trick is adding an intentional pause after the jigging stroke, and making sure the jigging stroke ends with the slab about 6 inches off bottom. Numbers of keeper largemouth bass are falling to this deep, snap-jigging approach as well. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service.

Tawakoni

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 46 degrees; 1.95 feet below pool. Lake Tawakoni is still fishing well despite falling water temperatures after the winter weather. Water temps are 46 degrees on the main lake and much colder in the shallow areas. 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; 0.80 feet above pool. As a result of the arctic blast water temperatures have cooled 8-10 degrees across the lake pulling the shallow water fish deeper. These fish are now hanging on structures, and ledges in 20-30 feet of water. With the warmer sunny days back we should start to see those fish return to the shallower structure. Deadsticking 50-70 feet of water is producing good fish on 1-1.5 ounce jigheads and 5 inch flukes. Do not be afraid to move around looking for more active fish in the deeper water and keep an eye out for active groups of birds working schooling fish below. Catfish are staying in the 45-65 feet of water with medium to large pieces of cut gizzard shad being the bait of choice. Be patient as with the colder water temps they will be moving slower and a little more spread out in the deep water. Crappie are staying around deeper structures in 20-30 feet of water, with the colder water temps patience is key as they will be moving and feeding a little slower. Be patient once you find them on structure, and have different jigs and bodies to try till you find the one they can’t resist. Lures are king right now. 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; 47 degrees; 5.93 feet below pool. Crappie are good at the crappie house with minnows and jigs. Bass are slow in deep water with soft plastics. Catfish are slow in deep water with liver or stink bait. The visibility is 12 inches.

Whitney

FAIR. Water normal stain; 48 degrees; 1.53 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; 1.74 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.

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