Prairies & Lakes Region Week of May 29, 2024

Arlington

SLOW. Water stained; 75 degrees; 0.25 feet above pool. Inclement weather has kept anglers off the water. The lake is flooded and there is floating debris.

Athens

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 80 degrees; 0.80 feet above pool. Fishing patterns remain consistent. Bass are fair, catching scattered fish on grass edges out to 12 feet with shaky head worms and jigs. Crappie have slowed down on brush with small jigs working best. Fish are easy to find but are finicky. Report by Jim Brack, Athens Guide Service.

Bastrop

GOOD. Water stained; 78 degrees. Lake Bastrop water temperatures are in the lower 80s depending on location. The water visibility is around 2-4 feet. Bass have been good on flukes and swimbaits in shad or bluegill colors. The bite has been fair on creature baits in natural colors like watermelon seed and green pumpkin. Report by Jason Hernandez, Bass Institute of Bastrop. Bass are biting early in the morning in the discharge on shaky heads and small Carolina rigged super fluke juniors. Later in the day bass are moving to grass lines on the main lake hitting using flukes, worms and creature baits. Schooling bass action on small swimbaits and tiny clear topwaters. Report by Bryan Cotter, Texas Hawgs.

Belton

SLOW. Water lightly stained; 77 degrees; 17.23 feet above pool. All public boat ramps are currently shut down due to flooding. This lake rose another 2 feet over the course of this past week due to additional heavy rains on Thursday, 23 May. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers typically only reopens boat ramps once the water recedes off the asphalt parking lot and turnaround areas back onto the concrete boat ramps. After the asphalt is free of flood water, USACE still waits several additional days to let the road base dry out. Although a post-flood release of water is now ongoing, it will likely be several more weeks before access is available to the public. As of Sunday, 26 May, the reservoir crested, and is now falling thanks to a release of about 5400 CFS. Walk-in access to bank fish and, or for kayak fishing is still permitted even in parks with gates locked as long as posted signage does not stipulate otherwise. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service. All boat ramps are closed due to high water levels. Report by Brian Worley, B&S Catfishing.

Benbrook

SLOW. Water stained; 74 degrees; 1.91 feet above pool. The lake level continues to be high and access is limited, so call before heading out. Benbrook Marina ramp is open.

Bridgeport

GOOD. Water stained; 78 degrees; 11.30 feet below pool. Water clarity is stained in the main lake, and muddy on each end. The RAB Marina, WCP, the dam and all low water ramps are open. Catfish have been outstanding on shad and prepared baits. Running creeks should really hold the fish. In the main lake, look shallow around rocks. Crappie continue to be good around shoreline cover, brush piles and the U.S. 380 bridge. Minnows and jigs are producing well. Hybrids and sand bass are wandering the main lake structures. Chartreuse slabs will catch fish when they are under the boat. Try a topwater bait for early morning bass. As it warms up try flat billed crank bait across main lake points. Report by Keith Bunch, Lake Bridgeport Guide Service.

Cedar Creek

EXCELLENT. Slightly stained; 76 degrees; 0.34 feet above pool. Hybrids and white bass start early in the morning at daylight and hit the dam or the western shorelines of the lake and look for schooling fish close to seawalls and shorelines. After that fish any hump in depths of 22-28 feet throughout the lake to find fish stacked up in schools. Use spinnerbaits like a mepps #4 spinner or drop a slab down to the bottom and work it fast up and down and the fish will hit it immediately. Also throwing out a slab and reeling it back with a slow retrieve is also working well. The evening bite from 5-8 p.m. has also been very good. Hit up seawalls close to points in depths of 7-12 feet and cast rattle traps, spoons or sassy shads to get the Hybrids to bite. The crappie bite has been getting increasingly better. Look for them under bridge pylons or under docks where the depths are between 3-10 feet. Quick limits are being reported. Guides have been reporting exceptionally nice catches on sunny warmer days. Report by Brent Herbeck, Herbeck’s Lonestar Fishing Guide Service. Water is a little high and stained. Catfish are spawning and scattered. You can catch them shallow or deep with cut shad. Report by Jason Barber, Kings Creek Adventures.

Comanche Creek

0.98 feet above pool. Closed.

Cooper

GOOD. Water stained; 75 degrees: 1.00 feet below pool. Water continues to be released at the spillway. Anglers are reporting good catches of sand bass and catfish.

Cypress Springs

GOOD: Water stained; 79 degrees; 0.66 feet above pool. Crappie are good on brush piles 15-20 feet of water on minnows or jigs. Catfish are good in 2-6 feet of water on worms or cut bait. Sand bass good on main lake points with jigging spoons. Report by Marty Thomas, Lake O the Pines Crappie Fishing. Shad are spawning so bass can be caught along the banks on topwaters. There is a good bite under docks and off points with jigging spoons and dropshots. Report by Mike Stroman, R & R Marine.

Eagle Mountain

GOOD. Water normal stain; 78 degrees; 0.20 feet above pool. White bass are good on main lake structures with slabs with teaser flies. Crappie are fair to good on brush piles and main lake structure on jigs with white color combos. Blue catfish and channel catfish are good on punch bait. Report provided by Chad Ferguson of North Texas Catfish Guide Service.

Fairfield

Closed to the public.

Fayette

FAIR. Water stained; 78 degrees. Bass are good near the dam and in 15-20 feet of water with swimbaits and Texas rigged worms. Crappie are good in deep water 15-25 feet of water. Catfish are fair on stink bait or cut bait.

Graham

GOOD. Water stained; 69 degrees; 1.82 feet below pool. The lake is still a little bit stained but the fishing is pretty good. Bass are up shallow bitting. Catfishing is good on cut shad. Crappie are on brush piles and biting on minnows. Sandbass and hybrids are schooling on shallow flats. The bite is better for everything early morning and late afternoon.

Granbury

GOOD. Water stained; 75 degrees; 0.08 feet below pool. Granbury is stained and is difficult to fish. Trolling rattle traps over points is probably your best chance to get active bass to chase on Granbury. Despite the muddy water, the pleasure boaters are out in abundance. Hopefully the lake will settle out in the next couple of weeks and the fishing will return. Report by Michael Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters.

Grapevine

GOOD. Water clear; 77 degrees; 12.50 feet above pool. White bass are good with catfish mixed in 6-30 feet of water with inline spinners, light weight jigheads with a swimbait, or shallow running crankbaits. Search drop-offs and contours for fish. Birds are leading the way to fish schooling on bait. If you see birds diving into the water, head that direction. Check ramp status before heading out. The water has stabilized and no water is being released. Report by Omar Cotter, Luck O’ the Irish Fishing Guide Service.

Hawkins

SLOW. Water slightly stained. 75 degrees. Black bass are challenging around grass and brush. Try dropping baits at the edge of grass and slow moving streamers. Bead heads will tempt bream and bass. Bream will be on beds and easy to spot, remember they can see you too. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service.

Jacksonville

GOOD. Water stained; 80 degrees; 0.21 feet above pool. Conditions on the lake were tough over the holiday weekend due to increased boater traffic. Bass can still be caught on topwaters in the morning, then on Carolina rigs later in the day on rocky points and ledges. Catching a few fish around boat docks with texas rig and dropshot.

Joe Pool

FAIR. Water slightly stained; 75 degrees; 2.97 feet above pool. Inclement weather has kept anglers off the water, but fishing patterns should remain similar. Bass can be found shallow in the flooded brush caught with your favorite soft plastic. Crappie are on the brush piles and in the grass edges on minnows or crappie jigs. Bream are shallow in the flooded brush. The water is clearing but is still muddy in some areas. Report by Gilbert Miller, GTB Outdoors.

Lavon

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 76 degrees; 4.07 feet above pool. White bass are out on the main lake humps 30-40 feet deep with a chartreuse or white slab 1-2 ounce slab with a jig tied 18 inches above for a two banger. Once you get on them, you should be able to limit within an hour. Early in the morning fish will run in 15 feet of water on shallow points and then regroup in the deep water humps. Not a lot of surface action, but be ready to throw a 3-4.5 inch paddle tail swimbait or 3-6 inch topwater when you find some brief action. Channel catfish are spawning. Fish about 2 feet away from submerged button willow bushes with a slip bobber. Your bobber should be 6 inches to a foot outside of the bushes. Pre-baiting with sour grain in a place where there are lots of bushes and riprap nearby in 1-4 feet of water helps you out tremendously. Crappie remain slow while the floodgates are open but can be found roaming or on structure in 7-18 feet. Report by Carey Thorn, White Bass Fishing Texas.

Lewisville

FAIR. Water stained; 76 degrees; 4.22 feet above pool. White bass are fair to good on humps and points in 20-35 feet of water with slabs, jigs, and live bait. Keeper sized hybrid stripers are fair to good as well. They will be in similar depths as 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. Blue catfish are good on cut shad. Drifting mainlake humps, points, and flats near the river channel have produced in 12-32 feet of water. Channel catfish are fair to good, close to rip rap and on baited holes on punch bait. Crappie are fair in 4-25 feet of water. Brush piles, rock piles, stumps, standing timber, and laydowns, have all produced fish. Cover close to drop off ledges has been productive. Minnows and jigs are catching those fish. Report by Wes Campbell, BendARod Fishing. Water continues to be on the rise and is dirty so fishing can be tough. Bass are in 4-10 feet of water with crankbaits, spinnerbaits or dragging a soft plastic. The best bite seems to begin at noon.

Limestone

GOOD. Water stained; 87 degrees; 0.08 feet above pool. The crappie are stacked up in 6012 feet this week on brush piles and standing timber. A lot of people have started noodling for catfish around boat ramps, bulkheads, and other places with washouts. White bass are being caught on the docks with lights at night on beetle spins. During the day white bass can be caught in 8-17 feet on points and flats with silver war eagle super spoons. Largemouth bass are still in 3 feet or less on Texas rigs, frogs, and jackhammer chatterbaits. Some largemouth bass have also moved back to the main lake brush, bulkheads, docks in 4-8 feet using Texas rig, and jackhammer chatterbaits for the deeper bass. Report by Colan Gonzales, CG’s Just Fishing Guide Service.

Navarro Mills

SLOW. Water slightly stained; 76 degrees; 10.55 feet above pool. Lake continues to be flooded, but the Liberty Hill boat ramp is open. Few anglers on the water due to high water level.

Palestine

PALESTINE: GOOD. Water slightly stained; 79 degrees; 1.16 feet above pool. Channel catfish, though small, are excellent near shoreline rocks, all other species remain good to excellent. Please note that Lake Palestine Resort took a direct hit from a tornado on May 23, and sustained major damage. The marina is currently offering very limited services. Please call ahead before going there. Report by Jim Beggerly, Jim’s Fishing.

Palo Pinto

GOOD. Water stained; 78 degrees; 3.92 feet below pool. Rain in the forecast should have the water on the rise over the next week. The catfish has been biting well on worms and cut bait in shallow water. Seems like the catfish are starting to spawn. You can see them swimming around in the weeds. Crappie are slow in 6 feet of water. Report by David Holt, Lake Palo Pinto RV Park and Resort.

Ray Hubbard

GOOD. Water stained; 80 degrees; 0.34 feet above pool. White bass are good early in the morning on flats with fat shad tail spinners and inline spinners. Blue herons will show you where the fish are at. Later in the morning look in deep water, 32-35 feet, around structures. Crappie are good and relating to brush 18-26 feet deep with some fish suspended mid depth minnows working best. Catfish have moved along long points, using a prepared bait or cut shad working best in 17-24 feet of water. Report by John Varner, John Varner's Guide Service.

Ray Roberts

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 75 degrees; 3.55 feet above pool. As of Sunday the lake and state parks are shut down due to the tornado damage. Fishing prior to that had been excellent. White bass were biting live bait and slabs 30-55 feet of water on the banks at daylight day to day. Should start seeing some schooling fish on top roaming around as the shad begin to hatch. Corp piles are starting to hold some crappie 20-30 feet hitting minnows or brighter jigs. Catfishing should be excellent in the creeks with all the prior and future rain forecasted. Report by Justin Wilson, Wilson Outdoor Connection.

Richland Chambers

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 78 degrees; 0.53 feet above pool. Overall, fishing is just fair with lots of freshwater and lots of fishing pressure while other area lakes are flooded. Water clarity is good on the main lake and slightly stained up the creeks. Spillway Gates are and have been open for several weeks. White bass are fair on slabs on main lake points and humps in 25-35 feet of water. Fish are scattered and do not remain in any one place for long. A bit of early morning topwater on the south shoreline has begun. Hybrid stripers are good on the 309 Flats and Windsock Point in 30 feet of water on live shad. Report by Royce Simmons, Gone Fishin' Guide Service.

Somerville

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 78 degrees; 1.67 feet above pool. Fishing pattern continue to be steady while water is being released at the floodgates at 980 cfs. Expect there to be a good bite for all species at the spillway. Catfish, and bluegill are fair while crappie are good on minnows, worms, and stink bait at Somerville Marina early morning. Black bass are fair hitting soft crankbaits and spinnerbaits in 6-10 feet of water. Crappie good on the brush piles in 10-20 feet of water and pilings biting minnows and small jigs. Catfish are very good in 2-8 feet of water. Larger catfish are good on jug lines baited with shad or cut bait. White bass are very good trolling in the lake using Pet spoons and jigs, and when anchored with ghost minnows or shad. Hybrids are very good, finding schools is the key, caught on cut shad and 2 ounce jigs. Hybrids are good, finding schools is the key, caught on cut shad and 2 ounce jigs. Hybrids are also being caught from the shore at the dam and Welch Park areas. Water is slightly off color near the dam and very muddy in the upper lake area. Report by Weldon Kirk, Fish Tales Guide Service.

Stillhouse

SLOW. Water stained; 78 degrees; 15.52 feet above pool. All public boat ramps are currently shut down due to flooding. This lake rose another 5 feet over the course of this past week due to additional heavy rains on Thursday, 23 May. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers typically only reopens boat ramps once the water recedes off the asphalt parking lot and turnaround areas back onto the concrete boat ramps. After the asphalt is free of flood water, USACE still waits several additional days to let the road base dry out. Although a post-flood release of water is now ongoing, it will likely be several more weeks before access is available to the public. As of Sunday, 26 May, the reservoir crested, and is now falling thanks to a release of about 1900 CFS. Walk-in access to bank fish and/or for kayak fishing is still permitted even in parks with gates locked as long as posted signage does not stipulate otherwise. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service.

Tawakoni

GREAT. Water lightly stained; 76 degrees; 0.96 feet above pool. Lake Tawakoni continues to fish great and is setting up on a solid summer pattern that should continue through most of the summer. The hybrid striper and white bass bite is very good. Big fish have been running humps and ledges in 15-25 feet. Live bait and swim baits are catching fish. The eating size blue catfish bite is winding down but the channel cat bite on prepared baits such as punch bait is cranking up. We are seeing limits of fish daily in 18-24 feet of water. The crappie bite is also good. Fish are solid in 8-14 feet on minnows and jigs near bridge pylons and brush piles. The largemouth bass bite is fair. The early morning frog bite has been good on newly emerged lily pads. Square bill crankbaits are also catching fish in 1-4 feet on the edges of rip wrap and dock pylons. Report by Captain Michael Littlejohn, Lake Tawakoni Guide Service.

Texoma

GOOD. Water stained; 75 degrees; 2.82 feet above pool. Striped bass fishing is good on live bait fishing ledges and humps in 25-40 feet of water. Also still seeing suspended fish in 70-90 feet of water. Topwaters are working early along rocky banks and the backs of coves on the east and southern ends of the lake. Crappie are good on jigs and live minnows on structure and docks in 15-20 feet of water. Slow lift and sometimes adding a crappie nibble fish are hitting suspended through the brush. Catfish are good on cut shad and prepared baits. Blues are plentiful on deep flats in 40-60 feet of water and along the rocks for channels in 15-30 feet of water. Bass are fair on top waters early on points and in the backs of coves at daylight. Water is stained everywhere but less on the southern end of the lake. Report by Jacob Orr, Guaranteed Guide Service Lake Texoma. Recent rains have the lake level on the rise with the clarity muddy. Target areas that are clearer. The topwater and slab bite should begin and be the way to go for the summer. Shad are spawning along the banks with some topwater bigger striper catches on topwaters. Stripers are schooling midlake in deeper water hitting swimbaits, or trolling. Report by John Blasingame, Adventure Texoma Outdoors.

Weatherford

FAIR. Water heavily stained; 78 degrees; 0.96 feet below pool. Catfish are good shallow off the rocks on cut bait and nightcrawlers with a cork. Crappie are fair on main lake brush piles on minnows and jigs. Bass are slow on deeper water drop-offs with crankbaits, and chatterbaits.

Whitney

FAIR. Water stained; 78 degrees; 5.72 feet above pool. Catfish are good using cut shad on windy shorelines. Striped bass bite is improving. Some limits being caught on live shad in 20-35 feet of water. Crappie continue to be fair on small jigs and minnows fished near deeper structure. White bass are fair moving out of the creeks in deeper water. Largemouth bass continue to be fair along structures and docks. Most boat ramps are closed as are state parks due to high water. Report by Captain Cory Vinson, Guaranteed Guide Service.

Worth

FAIR. Water normal stain; 78 degrees; 2.71 feet below pool. White bass are good in shallow water main lake points and fish are reported being caught on main lake structure on slabs. White bass are good on main lake structures on slabs with teaser flies. Crappie are fair to good on brush piles and main lake structure on jigs with white color combos. Blue catfish and channel catfish are good on punch bait. Report provided by Chad Ferguson of North Texas Catfish Guide Service.

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