Texas Fishing Report

Published 3:05 pm Thursday, August 13, 2020

The weekly fishing report as compiled for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for Aug. 12 and also available on the internet at https://tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/fish/recreational/fishreport.phtml:

Athens: GOOD. Water Clear; 86 degrees; 0.09 low. Largemouth bass are good on crankbaits, swimbaits, spinners and purple colored Texas-rigged plastic worms working the grass lines, brush piles and standing timber. Crappie are good with minnows and jigs in standing timber and boat docks. Catfish are good on prepared bait. Sunfish are good on cutworms.

Bob Sandlin: GOOD. Water slightly stained; 88 degrees; 0.28 low. Black bass are good on jigs, diving crankbaits, chatter baits, and Texas-rigged plastic worms in 14-25’ near creek channels, standing timber, and boat docks. Crappie are good on minnows in brush piles and standing timber. Catfish are good on live bait and cut bait in 12-25’.

Caddo: GOOD. Water lightly stained; 88 degrees; 0.38 high. Largemouth bass are good in shallow water near trees and grass-bed fishing plastic frogs, chatter baits, and skirted jigs. Texas-rigged plastic worms are productive in deeper water near timber and vegetation lines in 8-16’. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs near brush piles and timber in 14-25’. White bass are good on jigs and slabs in the main lake. Chain Pickerel are slow. Catfish are good on prepared bait and earthworms in 12-20’ fishing channels and timber edges.

Fork: GOOD. Water lightly stained; 87-91 degrees; 1.15 low. Largemouth bass are good on plum, and dark green plastic craws, diving crankbaits, bladed jigs and chatter baits near standing timber, points and drop-offs in 14-28’. Some early mornings offer topwater action with topwater plugs, poppers, and chatter baits. White and yellow bass are good in deeper water of main lake drop-offs, flats and humps. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows in 18-25’ in brush piles and standing timber. Catfish are good on cut bait and prepared bait in 12-24’.

Jacksonville: GOOD. Water clear; 89 degrees; 0.35 low. Largemouth bass are good with plastic worms, crankbaits, chatter baits, and spinners in deeper water near docks, rip-rac, and brush piles. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs in 14-25’ around submerged structure and brush piles. Catfish are fair on cut shad and live bait.

Lake O’ the Pines: GOOD. Water lightly stained; 88 degrees; 0.07 high. Largemouth bass are good on jigs, crankbaits, bladed spinners, and TX rigged worms in 15-25’. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows in the standing timber areas along the creek channel and brush piles in 12-20’’. Catfish are good on punch bait and cut bait in 12-25’.

Martin Creek: FAIR. Water lightly stained; 89 degrees; 0.62 low. Largemouth bass are good on jigs, bladed spinners, chatter baits, and long plastic worms in 12-18’. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows in 14-18’ in timber and brush piles. Catfish are good on cut bait and prepared bait in 12-25’.

Palestine: GOOD. Water clear; 89 degrees; 0.32 low. Largemouth bass are good working Texas-rigged brush hogs, shad like swimbaits, and deep running crankbaits. Crappie are good on minnows around bridges and timber in 15-25’. Hybrid stripers are good on live bait. White bass are excellent on slabs and swimbaits. Look for birds diving over feeding schools. Catfish are good on earthworms and prepared baits.

Ray Hubbard: GOOD. Water clear; 89 degrees; 1.10 low. Largemouth bass are good on diving crankbaits, chatter baits, jigs, and TX rigged plastic worms in timber, near rocky banks and ledges. White bass are good on small crankbaits and rooster tails early then fishing slabs and jigging spoons on main lake points, humps, and ridges in 18-30’. Crappie are good near bridges, brush piles and submerged timber in with minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on baited holes in 12-25’ on the north end of the lake.

Ray Roberts: GOOD; Water lightly stained; 88 degrees; 0.35 low. Largemouth bass are good on finesse worms, chatter baits, and bladed jigs in 16-26’ near timber, points, and channel ledges. White bass are fair in 20-40’ on slabs and jigging spoons near main lake flats, ledges, and drop-offs. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows around standing timber and brush piles. Catfish are good on live bait and prepared baits.

Sulphur Springs: GOOD. Water lightly stained; 90 degrees; 1.23 low. Largemouth bass are good on plastic worms, weighted jigs, and brush hogs along vegetation lines, drop-offs, and timber edges. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs in 15-25’. Catfish are good on cut shad and punch bait in 12-25’.

Tawakoni: EXCELLENT. Water lightly stained; 86-89 degrees; 0.82 low. Catfish are excellent on punch bait, earthworms, and cut bait. Largemouth Bass are good on spinnerbaits, dark blue or purple TX rigged plastic worms, and skirted jigs. White bass and hybrid stripers are excellent on live bait and slabs. Watch for diving birds to mark feeding schools or use sonar to locate fish feeding in schools of bait near drop-offs, flats, and humps in the main lake.

Texoma: GOOD. Water lightly stained; 85-88 degrees; 0.35 high. Striped bass and white bass are good on live bait and topwater baits when fish are near the surface. Diving birds are marking feeding schools on the surface throughout the lake. Use sonar to mark schools along the river channel and flats. Largemouth bass are good fishing skirted jigs, TX rigged plastic creatures and crankbaits in 14-24’ with some fish being caught in shallow water early in the morning. Top waters, chatter baits, and poppers are catching fish in the shallow areas Crappie are good on minnows and jigs by boathouses, marinas, and brush piles in 15-25’. Catfish are good on cut bait, prepared bait, and live bait.

Tyler: GOOD. Water clear; 87 degrees; 0.49 low. Black bass are fair on Carolina rigged worms, skirted football jigs, chatter baits and drop shots fishing docks, timber and vegetation edges. Crappie are good on minnows in brush piles, structure, and timber. Catfish are good on punch bait and live bait. White bass are fair in 25-40’ on jigging spoons and slabs.

Wright Patman: GOOD. Water lightly stained; 88 degrees; 1.15 high. Largemouth bass are fair on chatter baits, spinners, and Carolina rigged plastic worms along creek channels, rip rac, and vegetation edges. White bass are good on jigging spoons and slabs. Crappie are good on minnows near structure and brush piles. Catfish are very good on punch bait, live bait, and earthworms.

Sam Rayburn: GOOD. Water stained; 85 degrees; 1.77’ low. Largemouth bass are good, mostly early with weaker evenings. Your successful spots will be consistent like large points, man-made brush piles on light-colored crankbait worms, and jigs. White bass are fair with minnows. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs under structures and suspending over mid-depth structure. Catfish are good on live and stinkbait.

Toledo Bend: FAIR. Water slightly stained; 84-85 degrees; 2.10’ low. Black bass are good with topwater and shallow baits under 5 feet till 8:30 am, rigged plastic lizards in 15-20 feet, and Carolina rigged green worms between 15-25 feet. White bass are fair and staying consistently under 20 feet. Crappie are good, preferring shiners and jigs a little less. Channel and blue catfish are fair on stinkbait.