Pineywoods Region Week of February 25, 2026

B.A. Steinhagen

FAIR. Water stained; 50 degrees; 0.35 below pool. Very few anglers on the water. Target bass in shaded areas or submerged vegetation with a slow approach.

Bob Sandlin

SLOW. Water stained; 50 degrees; 1.32 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.

Caddo

SLOW. Water stained; 62 degrees; water level at 169.02 feet. Several nice size bass were caught during this last New Moon. Over the last week one bass weighed in at 12 pound bass, two bass over 10 pounds and four bass over 9 pounds. Best baits have been Texas or Wacky style senkos, flukes, swim jigs, bladed jigs or swimbaits. Keep colors simple with a watermelon red when it is sunny and the water is clear, then black and blue if cloudy and or water is stained. The frog bite should begin as early as mid March once the temperature is a little warmer. Crappie are good. It is a fun time to fish this majestic and divine lake we call Caddo. Report by Vince Richards, Caddo Lake Fishing & Fellowship.

Conroe

GREAT. Water stained; 61.4 degrees; 0.99 feet under pool. Fishing is heating up across Lake Conroe as spring patterns take hold. Catfish are stacking on baited holes in 10-40 feet of water, with Catfish Bubblegum, liver, worms, and punch bait over cubes producing steady catches, while drifting natural baits is yielding quality fish. Bass action is improving quickly, with buck bass fanning beds and larger females moving in behind them; with shad pushing shallow, rattle traps and perch-colored baits are getting strong reaction strikes in skinny water. Report by Brad Doyle with Bradley’s Guide Service. Crappie are moving shallow on the north end with warming water, while on the south end they remain on structure in 13-24 feet but are beginning to transition; minnows and jigs are working lake-wide. Hybrid stripers are being caught in 8-28 feet on slabs, spoons, and large minnows or shad, though many are juveniles–check identification using Texas Parks and Wildlife Department guidance or the Outdoor Annual app. Always wear your life jacket. Report by Mike Cason, Fishical Therapy.

Fork

SLOW. normal stain; 57 degrees; 2.94 feet below pool. Water temperature is ranging 51-59 degrees. The morning bass bite is slow and improves when the temperature warms midday. Bladed jigs, lipless crankbaits and squarebill crankbaits are best in flats with cover close by 3-5 feet. Fish are on the move to the backs of the pockets. Big wood on the edge of the channels are holding some of the bigger fish. Best baits Texas rigs with creature baits or Viper XP jigs in 5-7 feet. Report by Marc Mitchell, Mitchell's Guide Service. There were some shallow crappie before this last cold blast pushed them back to deeper water. Water temperatures were hitting 60 degrees in shallow areas, but the water temperature on most of the lake was knocked back down to the mid to low 50s. Winds have also caused some change in where the fish suspend in 10-18 feet. On a very cold windy and cloudy day those fish were very close if not right on the bottom. Then with light winds and sunshine some fish moved up to 2-4 feet under the surface. The lake is super healthy and loaded with crappie and bait. We are seeing some big fish also being caught that are full of eggs, fat and shad. You should be able to find fish in 2-22 feet in all kinds of areas and patterns. Shallow fish on corks in 1-5 feet. Prespawn fish on timber and brush in 10-22 feet. Lots of black crappie still on bridges before they make a major move shallow. You can catch big fish one at a time or load the boat with eater sized fish fast. No matter the pattern it’s a good time to fish if Mother Nature plays nice that day. Most crappie baits will work this time of year if you are fishing where they are. Report by Jacky Wiggins, Jacky Wiggins Guide Service.

Houston County

FAIR. Water stained; 59 degrees; 0.13 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; 50 degrees; 0.80 feet above pool. Crappie are good with fish hanging out in flats and at the mouths of coves. As the water temperatures rise fish will start moving shallower to spawn. Report by River Bottom Boys Guide Service. Black crappie fishing is good as fish move into creek channels north of the 155 bridge to stage for the upcoming spawn. Males are being caught as shallow as 4–5 feet and are beginning to show strong spawn coloration. White crappie are holding on timber and transitioning toward shallower areas as they prepare to spawn. Both species are biting aggressively on minnows and jigs. Bass are transitioning to 3-6 feet of water on bladed jigs, rattletraps and Texas rigged senkos. Report by ETX Outdoors.

Livingston

GOOD. Light stain; 60 degrees; 0.03 feet above pool. On Lake Livingston, water levels remain slightly below normal with light stain in most areas, and recent mild weather has stabilized conditions after earlier fronts. Water temperatures are trending through the upper 50s to low 60s, keeping fish in late-winter to early-spring transition patterns. White bass are beginning to stage in creeks and river channels with improving action on jigs and minnows, while catfish are providing steady catches on baited holes and ledges in 10-25 feet using shad, liver, and punch bait. Black bass activity is fair, with fish holding on points, timber, and creek mouths; slow-rolled spinnerbaits, soft plastics, and crankbaits are producing the best results. Overall, fishing should continue to improve with stable warming trends.

Martin Creek

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 65 degrees; 1.80 feet below pool. Bass are excellent with bladed jigs and wacky worms in the hydrilla. Crappie are excellent with minnows in brush piles from 12-20 feet. The larger fish found in the warmer water. Catfish are good at the discharge area with cut bait and punch bait. Reported by Hambone Fishing.

Murvaul

GOOD. Stained; 62 degrees; 0.02 below pool. Largemouth bass are fair on bladed jigs and shallow diving crankbaits in shallow water. Work swim jigs close to the banks and around docks. Crappie are good on docks and shallow stumps with chartreuse and black jigs. Catfish are fair on live minnows or cut bait. Report by Cal Cameron, Cal's ETX Guide Service.

Nacogdoches

GOOD. Water stained; 59 degrees; 1.17 feet below pool. The water temperature rose significantly bringing some bass to spawning beds a few weeks earlier than normal. Cast a Texas rigged craw to catch these fish. Largemouth bass are excellent in shallow water with a bladed jig, or large swimbaits. Crappie are fair on small 1/16 ounce white and chartreuse jigs. Catfish are fair on live minnows. Report by Cal Cameron, Cal's ETX Guide Service.

Naconiche

FAIR. Water stained; 57.5 degrees; full pool. The lake is at full pool and the bite has improved as expected. Quality fish are being found in and around timber near creek channels, making this a great time for power-fishing presentations such as squarebills, jerkbaits, glide baits, topwaters, and deep divers. The best action is early and late in the day, though midday bites can still produce through the remainder of the fall and winter period. Larger females are continuing to bulk up ahead of the spawn. Crappie populations remain good, while catfish action is slow. Report by Cal Cameron, Cal's ETX Guide Service.

Pinkston

FAIR. Water slightly stained; 58 degrees. The water temperature rose significantly bringing some bass to spawning beds a few weeks earlier than normal. Cast a Texas rigged craw to catch these fish. Largemouth bass are excellent in shallow water with a bladed jig, or large swimbaits. Crappie are fair on clear crappie jigs. Catfish are slow on live minnows or cut bait. Report by Cal Cameron, Cal's ETX Guide Service.

Raven

FAIR. Water stained; 54 degrees. Conditions are steadily improving as water temperatures rise, and fishing pressure remains light. Largemouth bass activity should increase with more sunny, water days as they transition into pre-spawn patterns, moving from deeper water into the shallows to feed in preparation for spawning. Crappie are also becoming more active as temperatures approach the mid-50s, following a similar pre-spawn feeding pattern. Expect crappie to push toward shallower areas of the lake by late February into early March, possibly sooner depending on weather trends and water temperature. Report by Aric Brooks, Huntsville State Park.

Sam Rayburn

SLOW. Water muddy; 46 degrees; 9.01 feet below pool. Water temperatures in the pockets are 58-62 degrees, and the lake has risen slightly but remains about 9 feet low. A recent cool front is expected to slow the bite for a few days, but fish should soon begin moving up to scout bedding areas. Focus on points and pockets where bass are staging and preparing to transition shallow. Report by Captain Lynn Atkinson, Reel Um N Guide Service.

Toledo Bend

FAIR. 46 degrees; 4.06 feet below pool. Fishing has slowed significantly due to high winds and cold temperatures, with water temperatures dropping back into the mid-50s. A few fish are moving shallow, but presentations must be worked very slowly to get bites. The most consistent action is coming from mid-depth ranges of 8-14 feet using football jigs, Texas-rigged plastics, and crankbaits. Access to main-lake areas has been limited by wind, but conditions are expected to improve and fishing should return to more normal patterns by the weekend. Report by Stephen Johnston, Johnston Fishing.

Tyler

GOOD. Water normal stain; 57 degrees; 0.63 feet below pool. The water temperature should warm up quickly with the warmer forecast. Crappie are good in shallow water with minnows or jigs. Catfish are slow throughout the lake. Bream are good in shallow water on red worms. Bass are good in shallow water with rattletraps. There are signs of early spawning. Report by The Boulders at Lake Tyler.

Welsh

GOOD. Water stained. 55 degrees. Crappie are good with fish holding on shallow structure near spawning grounds. The best bite is casting a ⅛ ounce hand tied jig. Report by River Bottom Boys Guide Service.

Wright Patman

GOOD. Water normal stain; 56 degrees; 3.56 feet above pool. Crappie are good as fish start to pull off of main channels and move into staging areas to spawn. Look for these fish to be getting shallower as the temperatures warm up. The best bite is plastic jigs over minnows. Report by River Bottom Boys Guide Service.

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