Prairies & Lakes Region Week of May 1, 2024

Arlington

SLOW. Water stained; 70 degrees; 1.41 feet above pool. Public access boat ramps and fishing piers are open after closing due to flooding last weekend. The lake is muddy with floating debris after the rainfall. Target bass with moving baits on cover.

Athens

GOOD. Water normal stain; 74 degrees; 0.62 feet above pool. Bass are slow with shaky heads, Carolina rigs and jigs on the first breaks in 8-12 feet grass lines. Fish the windy side of the lake. Crappie are fair on brush piles in 25 feet of water with 3/32 ounce jigs in shad or chartreuse colors. Report by Jim Brack, Athens Guide Service.

Bastrop

GOOD. Water stained; 75 degrees. Water visibility is 2-4 feet of water. Lots of pollen in the water. Bass have been good on flukes and swimbaits. Slower presentations seem to get more bites at the moment. Green pumpkin creature baits have been good as well. Water visibility is around 2-4 feet of water depending on location. Report by Jason Hernandez, Bass Institute of Bastrop. Some bass are near creek mouths and a little ways in, most are along grass lines on the main lake. Throw a shallow crankbait, swimbait or spinnerbait to get some of those bites but a stick worm or fluke will catch many as well. A frog bite and wake bait is just getting going and a topwater is just about to kick off as well. Report by Bryan Cotter, Texas Hawgs.

Belton

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 69 degrees; 6.62 feet below pool. Thanks to continued, abundant rains, the lake has risen 2.71 feet in the last 10 days and is now just 6.62 feet low with a wet extended forecast ahead. The hybrid striped bass population seems to be recovering, although it is still not where it was prior to 2020. Live shad fished on tightlines in 35-40 feet of water have produced consistently this past week. Medium sized shad of 2-3 inches have out produced larger and smaller baits these past two weeks. White bass fishing continues to improve with more and larger fish continuing to show up on topographies closer and closer to the main basin. Fish the white, 5/8 ounce Bladed Hazy Eye Slab vertically from a fixed position until the fish quit responding, then check side-imaging for fish to the side of your boat. Cast MAL Heavy Lures with chartreuse tails and work them with a sawtooth pattern after they sink to bottom, seven cranks in, then let the lure sink back to bottom, seven cranks in, and so on until back to the boat. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service. Catfishing is as good as it gets! With warm weather and rising water temperatures catfish can be caught in 5-25 feet of water. Fresh gizzard shad has been producing nice trophy fish and smaller cut baits have been excellent for fish under 10 pounds. Channel catfish have started to move around brush and have been fair on punch baits. Flathead Catfish have been caught in shallow water around brush piles with live bait. Report by Brian Worley, B&S Catfishing.

Benbrook

GOOD. Water stained; 64 degrees; 3.22 feet above pool. Fishing patterns are holding steady, but may change due to the influx of water. Bass are spawning shallow. Bass are hitting Texas rigs, jigs, spinnerbaits and wacky rigs. Crappie are biting minnows and jigs on brush piles or standing timber. Catfish are good. Report by Camron Wilkerson, Camron’s Quality Crappie Guiding.

Bridgeport

GOOD. Water stained; 68 degrees; 14.07 feet below pool. The low water ramps at Wise County Park and Runaway Bay are the best bet to launch. Sand bass and hybrids continue to be active. Some of these fish are in close chasing bait. Swimbaits and rattle traps have been effective. Keep an eye on your fish as young hybrids are running with the sand bass. Crappie have been spawning close to shore, especially in the southern end. Try a Minnow under a cork around shoreline cover, 2-8 feet deep. Largemouth bass are mostly in a post spawn pattern. Try glide baits, spinnerbaits and top water baits around deeper shoreline cover. Catfish are excellent in the river and creeks with water flow. Cut bait and punch bait have been best. Report by Keith Bunch, Lake Bridgeport Guide Service.

Cedar Creek

EXCELLENT. Slightly stained; 75 degrees; 0.43 feet above pool. The hybrid striped bass and white bass have made a full recovery from the spawn and are now back in the main lake in droves and are on a feeding frenzy! Look for heavy bird activity throughout the lake on flats and near the Dam on edges of drop offs especially on cloudy and overcast days. The hybrids and white bass have started schooling in water from 4-14 feet at the dam and any wind blown shallow point or seawall. Late evening schooling action is also happening in shallow coves and points throughout the lake. Reports of great catches using silver or white slabs and spinners and retrieving off the bottom at a very slow retrieve to catch these fish in depths of 8-16 feet of water. The crappie have also migrated back into the main lake. Look for them under bridge pylons or under docks where the depths are between 3-10 feet. Guides have been reporting exceptionally nice catches on sunny warmer days. Report by Brent Herbeck, Herbeck’s Lonestar Fishing Guide Service. Catfish are excellent the first couple hours of the day on retaining walls where the shad are spawning using fresh cut or whole shad on a bobber or with a light weight. The bite slows as the day progresses because the catfish are feeding heavily at first light. Later in the day target catfish on the first drop-offs in 5-15 feet of water. Report by Jason Barber, Kings Creek Adventures.

Comanche Creek

0.33 feet above pool. Closed.

Cooper

GOOD. Water stained; 68 degrees: 1.00 feet below pool. Catfish are good on cut shad.

Cypress Springs

GOOD: Water stained; 79 degrees; 2.52 feet above pool. Due to high water levels the lake closed last weekend. At the time of this report the lake is open, but there is more rain in the forecast so call before heading out. Report by Marty Thomas, Lake O the Pines Crappie Fishing. Water levels are high with more rain in the forecast. Flip into flooded bushes for bass. Bass are scattered on the first break line with crankbaits. Early in the morning shad are spawning and bass are chasing shallow. Report by Mike Stroman, R & R Marine.

Eagle Mountain

GOOD. Water normal stain; 72 degrees; 3.07 feet below pool. Fishing patterns are holding steady. White bass are good on main lake structures with slabs and cohos. Crappie are good shallow and mid depths on jigs. Blue catfish and channel catfish are good on punch bait and shad. Report provided by Chad Ferguson of North Texas Catfish Guide Service. Report provided by Chad Ferguson of North Texas Catfish Guide Service.

Fairfield

Closed to the public.

Fayette

GOOD. Water stained; 70 degrees. Bass are good in the reeds, timber and back of coves in 4-8 feet of water with flukes, Texas rigged worms, creature baits, and shallow crankbaits. Carolina rigs and deep crankbaits will land bites in the road beds, or with finesse baits and flukes near the dam. Report by Bryan Cotter, Texas Hawgs.

Graham

GOOD. Water stained; 69 degrees; 5.80 feet below pool. Fishing patterns are holding steady. Crappie are shallow in the creeks spawning. Bass are spawning in shallow water. Sand bass and hybrids are schooling out on main lake points.

Granbury

GOOD. Water clear; 73 degrees; 0.22 feet below pool. Granbury water temperatures are in the low 70s and continue to warm slowly. Granbury lake levels are normal and some stained water in the backs of creeks is possible due to recent rains. Floating debris may be encountered navigating the lake, so be careful out there. Granbury was releasing water this past week due to the heavy rains. Granbury sand bass fishing continues to be good to excellent on chartreuse and white slabs fished in 12-20 feet of water from Decordova Subdivision to in town by the Shores. Striped bass are slow to fair on live bait and trolled Alabama rigs on the lower ends from Blue Water Shores to Decordova subdivision. Crappie catches on small jigs and minnows are good on submerged structures and docks. Catfish including some big yellows and blues are fair to good on the upper ends on cut shad. Largemouth bass are fair to good on a variety of baits. Spinner baits, crankbaits and soft plastics are all producing bass to 6 pounds in the backs of sloughs and creeks. Many catches are good near main lake points. Some top water action is possible early and late. Report by Michael Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters. Striped bass are slow in 15-30 feet of water on live or cut shad, and umbrella rigs. Blue catfish are good. Sand bass can be caught with live bait or slabs bounced off the bottom on shallow flats and ledges on the south end. Baitfish can be caught near the Farm-To-Market 51 bridge, back of canals, or in the blue or purple lights at night. Report by Kraig Sexton, Sexton's Guide Service LLC, Fishing Charter, Marine Electronics & Whitney.

Grapevine

SLOW. Water clear; 62 degrees; 3.57 feet above pool. Recent rains have muddied up the water and water is being released slowing the bite. Conditions are slow for all species until the water settles. Report by Omar Cotter, Luck O’ the Irish Fishing Guide Service.

Hawkins

SLOW. Water slightly stained. 60 degrees. Black Bass will chase small streamers and top waters above and around grass. Bead heads will tempt bream and bass. Make long casts as the water is clear. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service.

Jacksonville

GOOD. Water stained; 70 degrees; 0.47 feet above pool. Water clarity continues to be muddy. Bass are biting crankbaits, Carolina rigs, Texas rigged soft plastics, and frogs. The topwater bite is improving in the mornings.

Joe Pool

FAIR. Water stained; 65 degrees; 2.36 feet above pool. Crappie are being caught over brush piles and at the edge of the hydrilla on crappie jigs. Bass, a few big ones can still be caught shallow with some moving out a little towards summer spots. Small bass are being caught up shallow on your favorite soft plastics. White bass are schooling up all over the lake, just be at the right place at the right time. Report by Gilbert Miller, GTB Outdoors.

Lavon

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 55 degrees; 1.98 feet above pool. Rainy weekend forecast, but the fishing patterns are holding steady. Crappie are in 3-15 feet of water in the middle of the spawn. Prespawn fish are roaming on brush in 5-15 feet biting jigs and minnows. Fish minnows under a bobber 1-3 feet above rocks and boulders, or vertical jig by getting in the water with waders hit all the structure in knee-deep water, such as button willows, reeds, twigs, and timber. Fish any structure you can possibly see, don’t assume there is nothing on a piece of structure until you fish it. If you’re fishing, a cove with button willows, and you catch a fish at the base of the button, willow, tie a piece of cotton yarn to that tree on a little twig that you can see. So next time you come into the cove, you can hit all the threaded trees because a male Crappie will replace the one you caught in the previous day. So catching limits will be a lot faster so you are not fishing structure that never has a fish on it. Sandies are spawning on the North end, in the creeks. Use a 4 pound mono with spinnerbaits, 1/80-⅝ ounce jigs depending on current, minnows under a bobber, or minnows Carolina rigged with small split shot. When using lures you can bump it up to 6 pound mono in 2-20 feet. Thread thins are spawning early morning and late evening along the banks, which will draw the white bass very shallow. Throw paddle tail, swimbaits 3-4 inches up against the shorelines. Look for the birds on the bank and cast. After the spawn is over, drop back out to 15-20 feet and turn your thumper on and make a bunch of noise and they should show up. White 1 ounce RSR lures slabs working great. Hit the bottom and lift up really fast. Let it flutter back down. Tying a jig 18 inches above the slab will sometimes produce two fish per drop. Catfish are in 2-15 feet of water on cut bait and baited holes. Santee rig big chunks of cut shad or sunfish on rocks. Some pre-spawn black bass males are in 3-15 feet of water hitting 3-6 foot divers, Texas rig worms, and creature baits. Some bass are on brush piles biting swimbaits and smaller Alabama rigs. Report by Carey Thorn, White Bass Fishing Texas.

Lewisville

FAIR. Water stained; 70 degrees; 2.19 feet above pool. Fishing can be tough due to the influx of water from recent weather and there is more rain in the forecast. White bass are fair to good on humps and points in 20-35 feet of water. Cast small swimbaits shallow to the birds on the bank. Smaller sandies are abundant using slabs, jigs, and live baits. Keeper sized hybrid stripers are fair. 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. Catfish are good drifting flats near the river channel and ledges of wind blown points in 12-30 feet of water. The shallow water catfish bite has been good as well with shad spawning. Anchor in 1-5 feet of water near wind blown points, timber, sticks, and creek and river mouths. Crappie are fair using minnows or jigs in 4-25 feet of water on brush piles, rock piles, stumps, standing timber, and laydowns. Cover near drop-off ledges has been productive as well. Report by Wes Campbell, BendARod Fishing.

Limestone

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 72 degrees; 0.50 feet above pool. Shad spawn continues attracting the predator fish. Crappie, largemouth bass and catfish are still on beds. Largemouth bass are good on spawning beds in 1-4 feet of water in the creek channels using swim jigs, Texas rigs, spinnerbaits, and chatterbaits. There is now a frogs and swim jig bite. Expect the topwater bite to begin soon. Crappie are good fishing minnows in brush, standing timber, and creek channels in 1-10 feet of water. White bass are in 1-10 feet of water biting topwaters and beetle spins. Bank anglers continue to have success at the Texas State Highway 164 bridge. Catfish moved into spawning areas this week hitting cut bait. Report by Colan Gonzales, CG’s Just Fishing Guide Service.

Navarro Mills

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 66 degrees; 4.31 feet above pool. White bass are fair on minnows and jigs in shallow water. Crappie are good on spawning beds in out to 2 feet of water with black and chartreuse jigs. Blue catfish are good on cut bait near wind blown shores. Channel catfish are good on punch bait. Largemouth bass are fair on Carolina rigged worms and lizards near spawning beds. Report by Clay Major, Major Guide Service.

Palestine

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 74 degrees; 0.94 feet above pool. Recent storms with lightning and strong winds limited the fishing last weekend. More inclement weather is in the forecast, but should be without the strong winds, except in the immediate vicinity of thunderstorms. White bass and hybrid striper have been excellent trolling over humps, points and roadbeds with Yankee rigs with a diver, redneck rigs or crankbait diver, and rattle traps Please be sure you can tell the whites and hybrids apart, use the stripes-to-the-tail method described in the Texas Parks and Wildlife Outdoor Annual. Catfish are in shoreline rocks now for the spawn. Channel catfish fishing remains excellent for the small ones using a bobber fishing about 5 feet out from the rocks. Report by Jim Beggerly, Jim’s Fishing.

Palo Pinto

GOOD. Water stained; 78 degrees; 8.56 feet below pool. Crappie are slow now that the females have laid eggs. Catfish are slow. A lot of hybrids and sand bass are good with the carp.

Ray Hubbard

GOOD. Water stained; 67 degrees; 0.60 feet above pool. White bass are good early morning on flats in 2-6 feet of water using small spinnerbaits and 3 inch swimbaits with a 1/2 ounce jig head. Birds have been working later in the morning and late afternoon. White bass relating to humps and long points in 17-26 feet of water using 3/4 ounce Bovee slab with a jig 12 inches above. Crappie are fair in 14-18 feet of water relating to brush. Catfish have moved mid depth on long points and ridges in 14-24 feet of water with cut shad. Report by John Varner, John Varner's Guide Service.

Ray Roberts

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 60 degrees; 1.41 feet above pool. White bass are on the banks chasing shad early biting swimbaits or topwaters. Look for birds on the bank. Then fish in 25-35 feet of water later in the day with slabs. Catfish are in the main lake in 15-25 feet of water using cut bait. Lots of catfish being caught in the creeks as well after the rain. Crappie are good in 10-20 feet of water on minnows or blue and white jigs. Report by Justin Wilson, Wilson Outdoor Connection.

Richland Chambers

GOOD. Water normal stain; 70 degrees; 0.77 feet above pool. White bass are good on main lake points and humps in 20-25 feet of water with a slab and jig combination. Check out Pelican Island and the Old U.S. Route 287 Roadbed. Hybrid stripers are good on the 309 Flats in 30 feet of water with live bait. Crappie spawn is nearing an end, but reports still coming in on catches from shallow water on minnows. Catfish are fair on Shad on windblown points. Report by Royce Simmons, Gone Fishin' Guide Service.

Somerville

GOOD. Water stained; 73 degrees; 1.27 feet above pool. Catfish and crappie are fair and bluegill good on minnows, worms, and stink bait at Somerville Marina early morning. Black Bass are fair hitting soft crankbaits and plastic baits in 5-8 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 in deep water 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 from the shore at the dam and Welch Park areas using cut bait and 2 ounce jigs. Finding schools is the key. Flood gates open at 1280 cfs. Releasing over 2 inches per day. While water is being released Various species are good at the spillway. Report by Weldon Kirk, Fish Tales Guide Service.

Stillhouse

GOOD. Water stained; 70 degrees; 13.42 feet below pool. Thanks to continued, abundant rains, the lake has risen 1.17 feet in the last 10 days and is now 13.42 feet low with a wet extended forecast ahead. White bass have begun to show up on topographies closer and closer to the main basin. Fish the white, 5/8 ounce Bladed Hazy Eye Slab vertically from a fixed position until the fish quit responding, then check side-imaging for fish to the side of your boat. Cast MAL Heavy Lures with chartreuse tails and work them with a sawtooth pattern after they sink to bottom, seven cranks in, then let the lure sink back to bottom, seven cranks in, and so on until back to the boat. Largemouth bass fishing continues to be excellent with reports of frog fishing in the flooded shoreline terrestrial vegetation, and reports of weightless worm fishing over top of the newly flooded hydrilla. The outside edge of hydrilla beds in the lower two-thirds of the lake continue to produce as they do in spring, summer, and fall. Dark, natural hues have always produced well on this lake. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service.

Tawakoni

GREAT. Water lightly stained; 68 degrees; 1.95 feet above pool. Lake Tawakoni continues to warm despite high water levels and fishing also continues to be great. Hybrid striper & white bass are finishing up their spawning this week and we are seeing many fish without eggs anymore. Fish are being caught on humps and points in 15-25 feet on slabs and swimbaits. Eating sized blue catfish are really good on wind blown banks in 1-5 feet on fresh cut bait. Channel catfish are wide open under bobbers or straight down on punch bait in 1-5 feet or 18-22 feet. Crappie are good around docks and shallow brush. Jigs are working best. Largemouth bass are solid and biting good around lily pads, shallow docks, rip rap and concrete structure. The shad spawn is in full swing. Report by Captain Michael Littlejohn, Lake Tawakoni Guide Service.

Texoma

GOOD. Water normal stain; 67 degrees; 0.33 feet below pool. Striped bass fishing is great on top waters early along rocky shorelines and sandy flats around coves. Watch for birds on the banks and fish the direction the birds are moving up and down the rocks. Live bait is still very effective fishing ledges and humps near the river channels in 35-45 feet of water. The shad spawn is on and catching will only get better. Crappie fishing is good near boat docks and on structure also using electronics to locate roaming fish in 12-15 feet of water. Glo and milk are colors of choice with a crappie nibble tip. Seeing females in the creeks 2-5 feet of water as well. Catfishing is getting better on cut shad and prepared baits anchored on ledges in 40-50 feet of water a few reels off the bottom near rocky banks. Slip cork with a cut shad down the bluffs are producing channel cats preparing to spawn as well. Bass fishing is good using top waters early, spooks or closed face glide baits and fish crawl baits later. Fish are roaming near the beds and hitting white chatter baits as well. Live shad down the bluffs are producing numbers with the occasional big fish off the rocks in 5-8 feet of water. Report by Jacob Orr, Guaranteed Guide Service Lake Texoma. Hybrid stripers are excellent with limits coming on topwaters along the bank early in the morning watching for Egrets. Then switch to swimbaits on flats and points in 10-20 feet of water. Shad are spawning along the banks. Report by John Blasingame, Adventure Texoma Outdoors.

Weatherford

FAIR. Water heavily stained; 72 degrees; 3.77 feet below pool. Crappie are fair in deeper water brush piles with minnows or jigs. Primarily smaller sized crappie with a few keepers. Bass are slow transitioning to summer pattern depths hitting crankbaits and chatterbaits. Catfish are fair on the main lake with cut bait.

Whitney

FAIR. Water stained; 70 degrees; 1.76 feet above pool. Catfish are good using cut shad in the mouth of creeks. Striped bass bite is improving with some fish being caught trolling live bait and down rigging jigs. Crappie continue to be fair on small jigs and minnows fished near deeper structure. White bass are fair moving out of the creeks in shallow waters. Largemouth bass continue to be fair along structures and docks. Report by Captain Cory Vinson, Guaranteed Guide Service. Striped bass are slow with many smaller sized fish being caught on swimbaits, umbrella-rigs or live bait. Report by Kraig Sexton, Sexton's Guide Service LLC, Fishing Charter, Marine Electronics & Whitney.

Worth

FAIR. Water normal stain; 72 degrees; 2.20 feet below pool. Fishing patterns are holding steady. White bass are good on main lake structures with slabs and cohos. Crappie are good shallow and mid depths on jigs. Blue catfish and channel catfish are good on punch bait and shad. Report provided by Chad Ferguson of North Texas Catfish Guide Service.

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