Prairies & Lakes Region Week of November 30, 2022

Arlington

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 64 degrees; 0.62 feet above. Crappie are on brush piles 15-20 feet of water biting on jigs and minnows. Bass are biting on chatterbaits, and crankbaits.

Athens

SLOW. Water clear; 58-61 degrees; 1.04 feet below. Fishing patterns are holding steady. Bass are good on brush piles out to 25 feet on jigs and dropshot worms. Bass are still feeding shallow as well. Target weed lines in 10-12 feet with shaky-head worms and jigs. Crappie are good on deep brush with minnows and small jigs. Report by Jim Brack, Athens Guide Service.

Bastrop

GREAT. Water clear; 67 degrees. Bass are good throwing topwaters, squarebill or shallow crankbaits and wakebaits around the grass lines in 5-10 feet of water early in the morning. Soft plastics like worms, craws and flukes in the grass work well later on. Work soft plastics slowly in and around the discharge throughout the day to pick up fish. Report by Bryan Cotter, Texas Hawgs.

Belton

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 60 degrees; 12.93 feet low. The 15 day water temperature decline was halted at the top of the week after a few days wherein the air temperature was warmer than the water temperature. This stable warming trend allowed the white bass fishing to bounce back a bit, putting half-day trip fish counts back around the 100 fish mark. The wet, cold conditions on November 25-26, brought down a great number of gulls which are now helping pave the way to finding fish for at least an hour or so each morning. With the water temperature now right around 60 degrees, the white Bladed Hazy Eye Slab with stinger hook has now begun to outperform the MAL Lure as the go-to lure for white bass and hybrid stripers. Working this lure vertically with a moderate cadence from the bottom upwards through the lower third of the water column has been the most effective approach this week. Thanks to the Thanksgiving weekend rains, Lake Belton added a much needed half foot of water and is still rising very slowly. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service. Catfish are good pulling planer boards with fresh cut shad, freshwater drum or buffalo in mid lake flats near the river channel in 20-40 feet of water. Report by Jason “Spud” Barton, Cattin’ Around Adventures.

Benbrook

SLOW. Water lightly stained; 63 degrees; 6.32 feet low. Crappie are on brush piles biting on jigs and minnows. Bass are biting on chatterbaits and dropshots.

Bridgeport

GOOD. Water clear; 61 degrees; 8.67 feet low. Look for largemouth bass to be near huge schools of migrating shad. Try shad type crankbaits around main and secondary points in the north end. Take a good look up in the Three Fingers area as the baitfish will really pack in there, especially on warmer days. Sand bass are also following bait on the north end with slabs. The fish are staying in one place more frequently as the water cools down. Start looking for air support as more gulls make their way to the lake. Crappie remain good on minnows near the bridge and docks. They will also be tailing baitfish. Catfish remain fair on cut bait, look for the Blue Cats to become more active as the water temps drop into the fifties. Report by Keith Bunch, Lake Bridgeport Guide Service.

Cedar Creek

EXCELLENT. Water normal stain; 54-58 degrees; 3.35 feet low. Crappie are fair using minnows or jigs on select docks that have 6-8 feet of water, and brush piles in 5-20 feet of water and bridge pilings. Largemouth bass are good on brush piles 5-10 feet of water with Carolina rigs, or fishing bridge pilings with a shaky head. White bass and hybrid bass are under birds in 30-40 feet of water deadsticking. Report by Kyle Miers, Lake Country Outfitters.

Cooper

FAIR. Water lightly stained; 65 degrees. Catfish are good on cut bait. White bass fair on jigging spoons on humps. Crappie are fair on main lake brush piles and standing timber with jigs and minnows. Bass are fair along grass ledges and standing timber with crankbaits.

Cypress Springs

Water stained; 65 degrees; 1.38 feet low. Catfish are biting on cut bait. Bass are biting on chatterbaits and dropshots near the edge of structure. Crappie are in brush piles biting on minnows and jigs.

Eagle Mountain

GOOD. Water normal stain, 54 degrees; 4.52 feet low. White bass are fair to good on main lake structure on CC Spoons deadsticking. Crappie are fair to good in boat slips on jigs and minnows. Blue catfish and channel catfish are good on punch bait and shad in mid depths and deeper water. Report provided by Chad Ferguson of North Texas Catfish Guide Service.

Fairfield

GOOD. Slightly stained. 68 degrees. Largemouth bass are on the grass edge and points in 4-18 feet of water biting lipless crankbaits, Carolina rigs, jerkbaits and wacky worms. Bluegill are in 4-10 feet of water on the grass edge biting earthworms. Report by Colan Gonzales, DFW Fishing Guide Booking.com. Fairfield

Fayette

FAIR. Water lightly stained; 1.50 feet below. 67 degrees. Fishing is holding steady with little change. Bass are good with a shallow morning topwater bite, then continue to target main lake points and dam rocks with various shad color crankbaits and plastics later in the day. Catfish are good with punch bait and chicken livers in 12-20 feet of water, on tight lines over chum. Bluegill and perch are slow on worms and crickets around structures. Report by Weldon Kirk, Fish Tales Guide Service.

Graham

SLOW. Water lightly stained; 65 degrees; 4.10 feet low. Fishing patterns are similar. Crappie are biting on jigs and minnows at the crappie house. Catfish will be feeding on sand flats as the day warms. Report by Chuck Spindle, Blue Collar Fishing.

Granbury

SLOW. Water lightly stained; 60 degrees; 2.32 feet low. Catfish are shallow biting on big cut shad. Shad is scattered and hard to find. Report by Jeffery Sojourner, Sojourner Fishing LLC. Striped bass and white bass continue to be good drifting flats with shad or trolling white and chartreuse umbrella-rigs in 10-25 feet of water mid lake to Striper Alley. Report provided by Kraig Sexton, Sexton's Guide Service LLC, Fishing Charter, Marine Electronics & Accessories Installation. Bass are good on jerkbaits and spinnerbaits fished slowly on rocky banks where trees are present. Report by James Moore, North Texas Bass Fishing and Cmoore Striper Guide.

Grapevine

GOOD. Water normal; 58 degrees; 1.17 feet above. Fish days with sunshine and a slight breeze out of the south. This time of the year the bite starts up later in the morning when the sun starts to shine through the water. White bass are good with many smaller sized fish in 20-24 feet of water. Fish slowly using a spoon with an assist hook, paying close attention as the bite has been soft and hard. Use a thumper to attract fish. Crappie are mixed in with the white bass. Seeing fewer catfish mixed in. Some gulls, but the action is not as helpful as they have been in the past. Bass are on drop-offs in 15-20 feet of water using Alabama rigs. Report by Omar Cotter, Luck O’the Irish Fishing Guide Service.

Hawkins

GOOD. 63 degrees. Streamers fished around lilly pads and above submerged vegetation are drawing strikes from bass and chain pickerel. Chain pickerel will become more active as water cools, try small fish patterns around lilies and boat houses. Look for crappie suspending in mid lake. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service.

Jacksonville

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 67 degrees; 1.94 feet below. Bass are good on soft plastics, flukes, and crankbaits on brush from the bank to 12 feet.

Joe Pool

SLOW. Water normal stain; 58 degrees; 0.31 feet above. Bass are good near Cedar Hill State Park and around Lynn Creek Marina. Biting Texas-rigged soft plastic worm in 10-15 feet of water in old creek beds. On days with a breeze, target 5 feet or less with a white or shad-colored squarebill crankbait, or a white/chartreuse vibrating jig. Bait fish will soon be loading up in pockets and coves. Report by Ben Robertson, Ben’s Bass Excursions.

Lavon

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 65 degrees; 3.40 feet low. Catfish are good at all depths from 5-30 feet of water with cut bait, shad, carp, and sunfish. Big fish 20 or more pounds are common catches everyday. Monsters seem to be in 25-30 feet of water. Black bass are in 5-20 feet of water on structures with Alabama rigs, swimbaits, and large spoons.Gliding Alabama rigs over brush piles and rock piles is deadly right now in 10-15 feet. Early morning white and chartreuse spinnerbaits and squarebill crankbaits on rocky structures. As the sun rises, 10-15 feet on crankbaits work as well. Crappie are great on 1/16 or ⅛ ounce jigs of any color, the trick is to get it in their face. Target fish in 20-30 feet of water on condos and piles. Thump Buddies in white/chartreuse or black/chartreuse seems to be the average colors the fish are being caught on. Bluegills are in 20-30 feet on brush piles biting earthworm pieces with very small hooks. White bass are in 15-25 feet of water on slopes and ledges with white or chartreuse one ounce slabs. Sometimes they are holding to the main lake humps. Very scattered and not on a pattern. Report by Carey Thorn, White Bass Fishing Texas.

Lewisville

FAIR. Water lightly stained; 58 degrees; 3.35 feet low. White bass are fair to good on points, humps, and ledges in 15-28 feet of water. Slabs, small swimbaits, and live bait are working. Hybrid stripers are slow, but can be picked off every once in a while mixed in with 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 fair to good drifting cut shad or chicken breasts in 14-30 feet of water. Check near wind blown points, humps, and flats near creek channels. With the recent rain, there will be catfish at the mouths of the feeder creeks as well. Crappie are fair to good in 4-25 feet of water with minnows and jigs. Brush piles and standing timber have produced best, but rock piles, stumps, laydowns, and bridge columns have all produced fish. Report by Wes Campbell, BendaRod Fishing.

Limestone

FAIR. Water clear; 56 degrees; 5.39 feet low. The bite is improving as the water stabilizes. Crappie are on brush and standing timber in 10-16 feet of water biting minnows. Largemouth bass are in 2-6 feet of water on lipless crankbaits, chatterbaits, flat sided crankbaits near docks, rocks and stumps. White bass are good on humps and points 7-17 feet of water using silver jigging spoons. Catfish are on flats and points in 7-20 feet of water, and in the creek channels on cut bait. Report by Colan Gonzales, DFW Fishing Guide Booking.com.

Navarro Mills

SLOW. Stained; 62 degrees; 2.84 feet low. Catfish are good with fishing off the bottom with cut or live perch or carp on trotlines and juglines, or rod and reel. Crappie are slow on brush piles.

Palestine

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 55 degrees; 2.10 feet low. Catfish continue to be good in the river baited holes using nightcrawlers, cut shad and punch bait. Bass are fair with a few catches early in the morning shallow with Carolina rigs, then throwing Carolina rigs off points into deeper water for better quality and numbers of bass. Crappie are fair in the natural timber near the river on jigs. White bass and hybrids are slow, slow, slow with very bites on rattletraps. You can find some in the river. Report by Ricky Vandergriff, Ricky’s Guide Service.

Palo Pinto

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 53 degrees; 5.72 feet low. Fishing patterns are holding steady as we head into December. Bass are suspended off drop-offs and ledges fishing slowly with jerk baits and spinner baits. Report by James Moore, North Texas Bass Fishing and Cmoore Striper Guide.

Ray Hubbard

FAIR. Water lightly stained; 54-56 degrees; 0.57 feet low. White bass are good fishing with slabs and jigs in deeper areas around 35-39 feet suspended 5-8 feet off bottom. Crappie are good on brush tops off of points in 28-34 feet of water with minnows for the best bite, but jigs are producing as well. Catfish are good on long flats in 28-32 feet of water using cut bait. Report by John Varner, John Varner's Guide Service.

Ray Roberts

GOOD; Water is clear; 56 degrees; 1.64 feet below. Fish are chasing schools of shad in deep main lake water. White bass are fair fishing covering a lot of water in 35-45 feet of water jigging with slabs with a bucktail trailer. Bass are slow to non-existent, search deep water structure with deep diving crankbaits jigs 20-35 feet of water. Run electronics looking for baitfish Blue and some channel catfish are fair mixed in with whites using cut shad. Several catches of blue catfish while slabbing for white bass. Crappie are slow, under bridges 25-30 scattered from shallow and deep in brush piles biting in minnows. Report by Jim Walling, Ucatchem Guide Service.

Richland Chambers

GOOD. Water clear; 57 degrees; 4.58 feet low. Overall, fishing is good if you focus on the catfish and white bass. Few reports of crappie or largemouth have been available as few fishermen have braved the recent cold weather, wind and much needed rain. White bass are good on slabs near Pelican Island and the 287 Roadbed in 15-25 feet of water. Watch for gulls as they will show the way for good action! Eater size channel and blue catfish are excellent on Danny Kings Punch Bait on a #4 Treble Hook. Best location is the timber along the Richland Creek Channel in 15-20 feet of water. Fish can be located where the Cormorants roost. Report by Royce Simmons, Gone Fishin' Guide Service.

Somerville

FAIR. Stained; 56 degrees; 5.43 feet below. Catfish, crappie, and bluegill are fair on minnows and worms at Somerville Marina early morning and late evening. Black bass are fair, hitting slow moving craw jigs and shad color crankbaits in 6-10 feet of water on drop-offs and around rocky points. Crappie are fair on main lake brush piles best bite is on minnows. Catfish are good early morning in 6-12 feet of water. Larger catfish are biting jug lines baited with shad. Hybrids are good scattered in deeper water hitting jigs bounced into schools. White bass are slow trolling Pet spoons or using shad and pencil minnows in 6-10 feet. Report by Weldon Kirk, Fish Tales Guide Service.

Stillhouse

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 60 degrees; 10.61 feet low. White bass fishing at Stillhouse has moderated and will likely stay "just okay" between now and late December, then pick up once again in January and February when the water drops below 58 degrees, high number of gulls arrive, fish begin to consolidate into large schools, and the fish begin to relate to near-channel topography. The white bass bait of choice is now the Bladed Hazy Eye Slab with stinger hook. Days with winds from a southerly component and pre-frontal weather days are excellent. Calm, clear, cold post-frontal conditions are to be avoided. Some light, helpful bird activity materialized this past week thanks to a big push of migrating gulls which came in with the rain and cold on November 25-26. The upper third of the lake nearest the Lampasas River is now very muddy thanks to flood waters from Trimmier Creek and, to a lesser extent, the Lampasas River. Largemouth bass continue to relate to the more lush, green, deep hydrilla in the lower half of the reservoir. Dark jigs with dark trailers allowed to fall vertically along the outside edge of deep hydrilla is accounting for solid largemouth bass results. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service.

Tawakoni

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 56 degrees; 1.73 feet low. Warmer temperatures this week have confused the fish some and there has been some surface action feeding by the striper and white bass. This is not expected to hold as there is a major cold front rolling through. Expect a solid winter pattern to continue to set in on Tawakoni. White bass and hybrid striper bite is solid bringing in limits on flukes, slabs and swimbaits. The crappie bite is solid with fish setting up in a solid winter pattern on bridge pilings and brush piles in 26-35 feet. Jigs and minnows both working well. Trophy blue catfish are turning on with catches in the mid 40 pound class this week. Best bait is cut gizzard Shad. The eater catfish bite over baited holes is winding down. We are still catching fish in 30-45 feet of water on prepared baits. The largemouth bite is good with stick baits and flukes still fishing best on rip rap and shallow docks. Report by Captain Michael Littlejohn, Lake Tawakoni Guide Service.

Texoma

EXCELLENT. Water stained; 65 degrees; 1.52 feet below. Bird action is slowing, so utilize fish finders to locate fish. Striped bass are good using slabs, and some catches deadsticking. Report by John Blasingame, Adventure Texoma Outdoors. Striped bass are fair on live shad drifting flats in 20-35 feet of water. Also hitting slabs and swim baits under gulls in deeper water for the best bite at random times throughout the day. On Texoma the fish typically work the shad into the wind, so position your boat upwind of the birds and use your trolling motor. Catfish are fair on cut shad and prepared baits in 60-70 feet of water. Bigger fish are staging along flats in 20-30 feet of water but the trophy fish have been harder to catch. Crappie are excellent on jigs and dead minnows in 18-20 feet of water becoming very active on the brush piles but still catching a lot of smaller fish. Barely moving the jig with a slight pick-up to trigger the bite. Glow/chartreuse working in the clear water. Largemouth and smallmouth are fair on live shad along the gravel banks in 5-10 feet of water and swim baits off the bluffs in 10-15 feet of water. Carolina rig a craw on sunny days and work it slow off the banks out to 15-20 feet of water. Report by Jacob Orr Lake Texoma Guaranteed Guide Service.

Weatherford

FAIR. Water lightly stained; 50 degrees; 6.87 feet low. Look for birds to lead the way to the baitfish, and where there is bait there will be fish. Crappie are fair to good on the deeper main lake on brush piles with live minnows. Catfish are fair off rocks near the dam with cut bait and stink bait. White bass are slow on slabs. Bass are slow and chasing bait so cover lots of water with swimbaits, and crankbaits.

Whitney

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 63 degrees; 7.13 feet low. Striped bass are good in 12-20 feet of water around the Island and State Park area biting on swimbaits and slabs. Report by James Moore, North Texas Bass Fishing and Cmoore Striper Guide Services. Striped bass continue to hold on to the same pattern and are good throughout the reservoir in 12-40 feet of water trolling umbrella-rigs with white or chartreuse grub tails or swimbaits attached, and the artificial lure bite has picked up as well. Topwater lures work as well if you can find them schooling, but the stripers do not stay up long and are moving fast. Report provided by Kraig Sexton, Sexton's Guide Service LLC, Fishing Charter, Marine Electronics & Whitney.

Worth

GOOD. Water normally stained; 62 degrees; 2.22 feet low. White bass are fair to good on main lake structure on CC Spoons deadsticking. Crappie are good on brush piles and structure in mid depths on minnows. Blue catfish and channel catfish are good in mid depths and deeper water on cut bait, shad and punch bait. Report provided by Chad Ferguson of North Texas Catfish Guide Service.

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