East Texas Fishing Report

Published 6:28 pm Thursday, February 16, 2023

Athens — SLOW. Water stained; 50-53 degrees; 0.66 feet above pool. Fishing patterns are similar but should improve as the weather warms. Bass are slow with a few catches on deep points dragging Carolina rigs. Crappie are slow with no reports of limits. Plenty of fish on deep brush, but hard to get to bite. Report by Jim Brack, Athens Guide Service.

Caddo — SLOW. Water stained; 45-52 degrees; 2.18 feet above pool. Bass bite is still slow to come around on Caddo but the good news is the water temperature has increased into the low 50s. The fish we are catching are pre spawn females full of eggs so they are getting ready for the full moon in March. A spinnerbait, rattletrap or jerk bait have been working over the grass flats around the old pad stems and around the trees. As always even if the bite is tough it is always a blessing to come to see a lake that God spoke into existence and is so majestic. Report provided by Vince Richards, Caddo Lake Fishing & Fellowship.

Cedar Creek — GOOD. Water normal stain; 53-56 degrees; 0.79 feet below pool. Crappie are fair near boat docks with brush in 6-10 feet of water, and brush piles in 10-13 feet of water. Largemouth bass are good around docks and rocks using lipless crankbaits, chatterbaits, and squarebill crankbaits. White and hybrid bass are excellent deadsticking around shad in 38-50 feet of water. Report by Kyle Miers, Lake Country Outfitters.

Fork — FAIR. Water Stained; 56-59 degrees; 2.51 feet below pool. The lake level has risen about 3 feet and has the bass scattered shallow and deep. Points on the main lake and secondary points are best with Carolina rigs and small baits like baby brush hogs or four inch Yum Dingers. June bug is the best color, or red shad. Best depth is 12-15 feet. What few bass are shallow are in 3-5 feet on windy banks slowly working chatterbaits and spinnerbaits in bright colors are best. Report by Marc Mitchell, Lake Fork Pro. Bass early spawners are beginning to move to staging areas and a few may be on beds. Crawfish and bream patterns might draw a vicious strike, so make sure your equipment is up for the job. Crappie are moving to the mouths of coves towards their spring spawning areas but are still tight lipped. The water is still cold, but a few warm days will set it all off. Get ready! Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service. The crappie bite on Lake Fork has been up and down with the crazy weather. Fish are on trees as deep as 48-58 feet and we also have fish that have moved up into water as shallow as 18-25 feet. Black crappie should begin to move shallower than 18 feet in the next few weeks if the warms. White and black crappie are both on the deep trees, but the shallower areas are holding mostly black crappie. Shallow white crappie are roaming in open water. Water temperatures did rebound a bit with the warmer days and sunshine this week. The good thing is the Lake Fork jig bite has fired up catching fish on soft plastics and hand tied jigs. Minnows will still work especially on finicky crappie. Report by Jacky Wiggins, Jacky Wiggins’ Guide Service.

Hawkins — GOOD. 54-57 degrees. Chain pickerel are in the spawn. Small flashy fish patterns in shallow water around reeds and lilies is a good bet. De-barb your hooks to protect the delicate membrane around their mouths. Look for bass cruising and staging fish near bedding areas, small crawfish and bream patterns fished in open pockets near grass and structure might draw a hard strike. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service.

Jacksonville — SLOW. Water lightly stained; 54 degrees; 0.06 feet below pool. Bass are good using jigs on brush piles in 12-16 feet of water, or on boat docks with brush. Swimbaits, square bill crankbaits and shaky heads did well also.

Lake O’ the Pines — FAIR. Water stained; 52 degrees; 2.05 feet above pool. Crappie are fair drifting near the dam with minnows or jigs. Catfish are good on baited holes in 20 feet of water. Sand bass are excellent north of the 259 Bridge with white jigs. Black bass showing up in shallow water. Report by Marty Thomas, Lake O’ the Pines Crappie Fishing.

Palestine — FAIR. Water lightly stained; 48-51 degrees; 0.92 feet above pool. The bite will improve as the weather improves, especially when the water reaches 60 degrees. Bass are slow Carolina rigging or brush hog on secondary points. Crappie are good under the 155 bridge in 24 feet of water, and few catches in the river channels in 22 feet of water on minnows. White bass are starting to show up in the Selene Creek area. Catfish are excellent on baited holes or the middle of the lake with noodles and bigger fish coming on trotlines and juglines with cut bait, live minnows or perch. Report by Ricky Vandergriff, Ricky’s Guide Service.

Sam Rayburn — GOOD. Water stained; 55-58 degrees; 0.22 feet below pool. Lots of freshwater and deep grass after the recent weather. Bass are in shallow brush and grass lines on warmer days biting jerkbaits and soft plastics. Some bass are on deep points biting Carolina rigs, Alabama rigs and jigs. The rattletrap bite has slowed. Crappie are stacked up near the 147 Bridge waiting for the water to warm. Catfish are in the creek and river channel bends in 25-28 feet of water biting stink bait, cut bait and minnows. White bass are running up the rivers biting small rattletraps and roadrunners. Report by Lynn Atkinson, Reel Um N Guide Service.

Toledo Bend — GOOD. Water stained; 50-56 degrees; 0.39 feet below pool. HISTORIC. The water level is 171.6 feet with both generators running 24 hours a day. Just a note, 172 feet is a full pool for Toledo Bend. Water temperature at the Dam is 50 degrees. North of the three-mile Pendleton Bridge temperatures have been running 50-56 degrees. There has been a lot of rain and runoff entering the lake. The back feeder creeks are muddy and flowing. The main lake is stained and clearing. Five big bass were caught last week weighing in over double digits each, 10 pounds plus; 10.56, 12.63, 13.38, 11.0 and 10.81. Amazingly, five more big bass over 10 pounds were caught this week; 10.11, 11.58, 10.00, 12.00 and a new lake black bass record certified at 15.67 pounds was caught by Bill Cook of Houston. To say the lake is on fire is an understatement. Winning baits for a ten pounder came under the heading of 12-30 feet of water, pre-spawn fish using football jigs, Alabama rigs, Carolina rig, deep diving crankbaits and deep diving stick baits. The bass are starting to move into their staging areas at the mouth of creeks, ditches, and drains. Crappie bite has been slow, and they are on the move too with fluctuating water temperatures. White bass are still running North up in the feeder creeks. Catfish are being caught in shallow water current in the feeder creeks on punch baits, shrimp, and homemade weenie concoctions. Be extra careful running the main lake due to floating logs and debris. Remember, it is always better to play it safe by telling 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 — FAIR. Water stained; 50 degrees; 0.21 feet above pool. Fishing is picking up as the days warm. Bass are fair on crankbaits in 10 feet of water. Crappie are fair in 15 feet of water on jigs and minnows. Catfish are slow with the bite picking up with normal catfish baits. Bluegill are fair on red worms. Report by Paul Taylor, The Boulders at Lake Tyler.