Pineywoods Region Week of January 21, 2026

B.A. Steinhagen

FAIR. Water stained; 54 degrees; 0.30 below pool. Very few anglers on the water. Target bass in shaded areas or submerged vegetation with a slow approach.

Bob Sandlin

EXCELLENT. Water stained; 56 degrees; 1.47 feet below pool. Crappie are excellent with jigs or minnows. Target river channels and secondary channels with timber in 30-50 feet of water. Report by River Bottom Boys Guide Service.

Caddo

SLOW.Water stained; 48 degrees; water level at 168.87 feet. The bite will become slow after several 19 degree winter mornings. Once the water temperatures fall below 44 degrees the bite will be tough on the lake, so target the river for the best success with bouncing a jigging spoon off the bottom for catfish, bass, white bass, yellow bass and drum. Before the cold front, rattletraps, jerkbaits, Alabama rigs, chatterbaits will all work and a fluke will work in the salvinia when the bass are jumping in it. A frog may even land a bite. White bass are being caught on rooster tails, Alabama rigs and chrome rattle traps. It is always good on this majestic and divine lake we call Caddo, even when the weather is brutal with low temperatures and snow. Report by Vince Richards, Caddo Lake Fishing & Fellowship.

Conroe

GREAT. Water stained; 58.3 degrees; 1.13 feet under pool. Catfish action has been excellent, with plenty of good eaters and several trophy-class fish being caught by working baited holes from 10-50 feet deep or drifting the channels with natural baits. Bass fishing has been good along the edges and offshore, where fish are chasing shad schools. Report by Brad Doyle with Bradley’s Guide Service. Crappie have been productive in 15-24 feet of water and near structure, with minnows, plastics, and hair jigs producing, though many bites have been very light. Hybrid striped bass are showing good numbers in 18-37 feet of slabs, spoons, large minnows, and shad, with many keepers mixed in with juvenile hybrids and white bass. Be sure to check the tooth patch or use the Texas Parks & Wildlife Outdoor Annual App for the proper identification. If water temperatures continue to drop, dead-sticking should become more effective. Always wear your life jacket. Report by Mike Cason, Fishical Therapy.

Fork

GOOD. normal stain; 51 degrees; 3.16 feet below pool. The morning bass bite is still slow, but picks up midday to evening. Boat houses with brush are fair with Texas rigs or Viper XP Jigs in 4-12 feet. Square bills and lipless crankbaits on around and flats with a ditch or channel running through it in 4-7 feet. Viper XP Jigs or Texas rigs also fair on big wood next to these channels 4-8 feet. Report by Marc Mitchell, Mitchell's Guide Service. Black bass are moving up and down as the weather permits. Warm days can be very productive in shallows in the backs of creeks and coves. Try streamers in red and white fished 1 to 6 feet deep. Crappie are being caught in as shallow as 1 feet of water in the backs of creeks with a small clear clouser. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service. Lake Fork crappie fishing is in a full winter pattern and fishing is great. Lots of fish stacked up on deep main lake timber in 35-60 feet. You can still find some crappie on brush piles in 18-25 feet. There are some crappie on bridges and tire reefs. Crappie are also on some main lake points and ledges in 18-32 feet relating to the bottom or small stumps. Lots of patterns are working for catching loads of crappie this winter. The bite has also been strong this winter. Minnows, hand tied jigs and soft plastics are all producing very well. You can drop straight down to fish on calm wind days or pitch to fish if the winds and waves have picked up. Report by Jacky Wiggins, Jacky Wiggins Guide Service.

Houston County

FAIR. Water stained; 53 degrees; 0.12 feet above pool. As the weather cools, bass should transition to shallow water to feed on bait fish. Cast reaction baits to land a catch.

Lake O' the Pines

GOOD. Water normal stain; 53 degrees; 0.15 feet above pool. Lake O’ the Pines is holding near full pool for the winter season, with the conservation pool around 228.5 feet above mean sea level, which is typical for this time of year. Unseasonably warm temperatures paired with gusty winds have left crappie scattered and not holding to a predictable pattern. Fish have been located in depths from 13-30 feet, often around brush piles, standing timber, and roaming mid-water. Many of the fish cleaned this week were stuffed with shad, which contributed to a tougher bite. A dead-stick presentation with a smaller profile jig produced the most consistent results, and 1.5 inch soft plastics were especially effective in these conditions. As colder temperatures return in the coming week, expect crappie to tighten back up on timber and structure along the creek channels. We are still a few weeks away from a full shift to deeper water by the dam. Bass anglers found a good bite in 4-6 feet of water along the creek channels this week. Carolina rigs, Alabama rigs, chatterbaits, and rattle traps all worked well to trigger bites in this depth range. Report by ETX Outdoors.

Livingston

GOOD. Light stain; 64 degrees; 0.28 feet above pool. Lake Livingston is experiencing cool, stable conditions, with water temperatures in the lower to mid-50s and the lake running below normal pool. Recent weather has been seasonably cool, which has slowed overall activity but helped group fish more predictably. Catfish continue to provide the best action, with channel and blue catfish being caught on prepared baits and cut bait in deeper holes and along river and creek channels. Black bass fishing has been slower, with fish holding tight to structure and timber in deeper water and responding best to slower presentations. White bass and hybrid stripers are scattered but can be found schooling at times, while crappie remain near structure in deeper water, feeding lightly as winter patterns settle in.

Martin Creek

FAIR. Water slightly stained; 60 degrees; 2.08 feet below pool. This time of year the boat launch is very busy and parking fills fast. Use extreme caution while running. Most of the timber is just below the surface. Bass are good on most of the lake fishing the hydrilla. Senkos, Texas rigged, wacky worms, chatterbaits and lipless crankbaits are good. Bass are spawning in the warmer waters but most are spawning in the 5-10 feet. Crappie are good on brush piles and standing timber in 22-30 feet. Minnows and larger crappie jigs will catch some nice slabs. Catfish are excellent at the warm water discharge using live and cut bait fishing on the bottom. Reported by Hambone fishing. Reported by Hambone fishing.

Murvaul

GOOD. Stained; 50 degrees; 0.75 below pool. Largemouth bass are slow on square bill crankbaits or Carolina rigs. Crappie are good on white or chartreuse jigs. Catfish are good on live minnows or cut bait. Report by Cal Cameron, Cal's ETX Guide Service.

Nacogdoches

GOOD. Water stained; 51 degrees; 2.06 feet below pool. Largemouth bass are excellent on deep Carolina rigs and deep crankbaits in 15-18 feet of water. Crappie are fair in the trees with white or chartreuse jigs. Catfish are fair on cut bait or live minnows. Report by Cal Cameron, Cal's ETX Guide Service.

Naconiche

FAIR. Water stained; 53 degrees; full pool. The lake is at full pool and has started to clear, with some good fish beginning to stack up. This is a great time to run power-fishing presentations such as square-bills, jerkbaits, glide baits, topwaters, and deep-divers. Early morning and late afternoon bites have been best, though mid-day action can still produce through the rest of the fall and winter. Crappie populations are strong, while catfish have been slow. Report by Eric Wolfe, NacoTack Fishing Services. Largemouth bass are slow on Alabama rigs or suspending jerkbaits. Crappie are fair with white crappie jigs. Catfish are fair with cut bait or live minnows. Report by Cal Cameron, Cal's ETX Guide Service.

Pinkston

FAIR. Water normal stain; 53 degrees. The water visibility is six feet. Largemouth bass are good on small or large swimbaits. Crappie are slow on clear jugs. Catfish are fair on live minnows or cut bait. Report by Cal Cameron, Cal's ETX Guide Service.

Raven

FAIR. Water stained; 55 degrees. There hasn’t been much to report lately due to very light fishing pressure in the area. A few anglers are still seen on the fishing piers from time to time, but there have been no confirmed reports of fish being caught, although water conditions are clear at this time. Report by Aric Brooks, Huntsville State Park.

Sam Rayburn

SLOW. Water muddy; 54 degrees; 9.32 feet below pool. Conditions remain about the same, with water temperatures holding in the lower 50s and the lake level sitting roughly 9.32 feet low. Fishing activity has been steady but slow overall under these colder, low-water conditions. Report by Captain Lynn Atkinson, Reel Um N Guide Service.

Toledo Bend

FAIR. 56 degrees; 4.13 feet below pool. This weekend is shaping up to be unsafe at the lake, with all tournaments canceled for Saturday and Sunday due to extreme weather conditions, including forecasting calling up to ½ to 1 inch of ice around the lake area. Ramps are expected to begin freezing Friday night, and anyone attempting to launch Saturday risks not being able to get their truck or boat back up the ramp, with limited emergency response available if trouble occurs, so everyone is strongly encouraged to stay off the water and avoid putting first responders at risk. Conditions should improve by Tuesday, with a return to more normal activity expected next week. Fishing has been tough this week as water temperatures have dropped back into the low 50s and are expected to fall into the 40s, making the shallow bite very difficult, while a deeper pattern should improve next week in 22-28 feet of water using spoons, drop shots, and swimbaits. Please be safe and use good judgement this weekend. Report by Stephen Johnston, Johnston Fishing.

Tyler

SLOW. Water normal stain; 55 degrees; 1.16 feet below pool. Crappie are slow with fish scattered on brush piles and roaming in 20-30 feet of water with minnows. Catfish are slow caught in 20 feet of water with minnows. Bass are slow and scattered. Report by The Boulders at Lake Tyler.

Welsh

GOOD. Water stained. 55 degrees. Crappie are good with fish loaded up on brush piles in 12-25 feet of water. The best bite is on hand tied jigs. Report by River Bottom Boys Guide Service.

Wright Patman

FAIR. Water normal stain; 53 degrees; 2.85 feet above pool. Crappie are good on laydowns in 10-18 feet of water up river. Fishing is good on structure in the channels on the main lake. The closer to the dam you get the better. Report by River Bottom Boys Guide Service.

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