Athens — GOOD. Water clear; 51-54 degrees; 0.58 feet below pool. Bass are slow on deep structure out to 25 feet on brush and breaks using jigs, Carolina rigged worms, and suspending jerkbaits. Crappie are slow using small jigs and minnows fished over deep brush is your best bet to catch keepers.

Caddo — FAIR. Water stained; 50 degrees; 1.63 feet above pool. The bite is finally improving after the holiday cold snap. To locate bass look for shad on your graph in the river or bayou systems. Bass are hitting the Alabama rigs, crankbaits or rattletraps in a shad pattern. On the main lake target grass matts and lily pad stem flats using crawfish or bream patterned rattletraps and chatterbaits. As always it is a blessing to fish a lake that God spoke into existence no matter how many fish are caught. Report provided by Vince Richards, Caddo Lake Fishing & Fellowship.

Cedar Creek — GOOD. Water normal stain; 50-55 degrees; 3.24 feet below pool. Crappie are slow on brush piles, docks and bridge pillars holding fish. Jigs are outperforming minnows. Easy limits of white bass and hybrids are excellent deadsticking off the main lake creek channels. Largemouth bass are good off docks with brush and brush piles in 10-14 feet of water using Carolina rigs and shaky heads. Report by Kyle Miers, Lake Country Outfitters.

Fork — FAIR. Water Stained; 55-57 degrees; 5.19 feet below pool. As the water temperature increases fish are on the move to warmer areas and pockets. Bass are good suspending jerkbaits over ditches and in creeks in 5-8 feet of water, or slow rolling spinnerbaits. Viper XP jigs in sour-grape and purple passion are good on big wood and lay downs in 6-8 feet of water. Red and orange squarebill crankbaits are working in the ditches and creeks in 3-6 feet of water. Report by Marc Mitchell, Lake Fork Pro. Continued warm trend might trigger a pre-spawn bite for bass in warmer coves. Fish slow moving patterns in treetops or brush in 15 feet of water, and sculpin type patterns fished very slowly in creek bends and deeper timber on humps and dropoffs. Some channel catfish are being caught in two feet with small beaded fly patterns. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service.

Hawkins — GOOD. 54-56 degrees. The current midwinter warming trends could cause early pre-spawn activity for bass. Suspending baits in flooded timber might draw a strike. Slow down your bait presentation concentrating on creek bends, deep pools, and ledges. Chain Pickerel should be on the move preparing for their winter spawn, try small baitfish imitations around grass, structure, and boathouses. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service.

Jacksonville — SLOW. Water lightly stained; 54 degrees; 0.75 feet below pool. Bass fishing is slow in 8-12 feet of water on brush using jigs, and umbrella rigs.

Lake O’ the Pines — FAIR. Water stained; 52 degrees; 1.07 feet above pool. Crappie are good drifting with minnows off the bottom 30-40 feet of water near the dam. Catfish are fair on baited holes in 20-30 feet of water. Sand bass starting to show up above the 259 Bridge. Report by Marty Thomas, Lake O’ the Pines Crappie Fishing.

Palestine — GOOD. Water lightly stained; 50 degrees; 0.94 feet below pool. Bass are good on shallow points with Carolina rigs and squarebill crankbaits. White bass are slow. Crappie are under the 155 Bridge on the cedar tops using green or chartreuse and black jigs tipped with minnows. Catfish are good on baited holes with nightcrawlers in the river, and trotlines and juglines baited with small perch and minnows. Report by Ricky Vandergriff, Ricky’s Guide Service.

Sam Rayburn — GOOD. Water stained; 50 degrees; 4.15 feet below pool. Lake levels are rising and bass are now inside and outside the grass lines biting on spinner baits, flukes and spoons. For bass in 20-25 feet of water target deep ledges and points with Carolina rigs. Crappie continue to be up the river, and some are shallow on main lake pockets for the prespawn. Catfish are in 25 feet of water in the river channels using minnows. White bass are continuing to move up the creeks and river biting jigs and minnows. Report by Lynn Atkinson, Reel Um N Guide Service.

Toledo Bend — GOOD. Water stained; 50 degrees; 2.43 feet below pool. The water level is 169.44 with two generators running 24 hours a day for the last seven days. Water temperature at the Dam is 50 degrees. The back feeder creeks are muddy and stained from rain this week. The main lake is stained to muddy from all the rainfall flowing in from the north filling the feeder creeks to the Pendleton bridge flowing south. The fish will be regrouping after these muddy waters start to clear. The bass have gone shallow searching out clear water to feed in 0-6 feet of water. Top producing baits are bladed swim jigs, spinnerbaits, rattling flat sided crankbaits, and buzz baits. Top colors will be black, black/blue, red/orange, and white/chartreuse. My top choice for muddy water is a vibrating blade in black, black/orange, black/red, and copper. Crappie are continuing to bite on minnows and jigs in darker colors. The chicken coop area is producing good numbers of crappie. Keep an extra set of clothes and gloves in a dry bag stowed away on your vessel just in case you get caught in the rain, heavy winds, dropping temperatures, etc. Hypothermia happens quickly. The morning fogs have been heavy this week with the temperature swings. Captain’s tip: If it is too foggy to launch, do not launch. If a fog bank comes over you while fishing with no visibility, turn on all your navigational lights, talk loudly, and turn the volume up on a radio to let other boaters know you are near and go slow or stay put until navigation is safe again. Captain’s Rule: It is wintertime, so play it safe and tell a loved one or friend the area you will be fishing, how many people are in your party and the expected return time. Good luck and keep casting forward! Report from Master Captain Steve “Scooby” Stubbe, Mudfish Adventures LLC, Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide, and Mudfish Custom Rod Shop

Tyler — SLOW. Water lightly stained; 53 degrees; 1.94 feet below pool. Fishing continues to be slow for all species. Catfish are slow on nightcrawlers and liver in 25-30 feet of water. Bass are slow on crankbaits in open water. Crappie are slow in 25-30 feet of water with live minnows. Bluegill are slow on red worms. Report by Paul Taylor, The Boulders at Lake Tyler.