East Texas Fishing Report
Published 8:33 pm Thursday, October 31, 2024
Tyler — SLOW. Water normal stain; 77 degrees; 1.49 feet below pool. Forecasted weather change should improve the bite. Crappie are slow with some decent size fish suspended in 16-20 feet of water with minnows. Catfish are fair in 10-16 feet of water stink bait, liver and nightcrawlers. Bream are fair on red worms off the barge and throughout the lake. Bass are fair on topwater baits, crankbaits and spinnerbaits scattered throughout the lake. Report by The Boulders at Lake Tyler. Crappie are good scattered on docks in 6-8 feet of water, or on the southern end of the lake chasing shad on minnows. Report by Caleb Hensley, 903 Fishing.
Palestine — FAIR. Water slightly stained; 69 degrees; 1.70 feet below pool. As the lake approaches its annual normal low in late October and early November, around 2 feet low, consider these factors. First off, please remember that there are no reliable lakes lanes in Lake Palestine marked on the lake with buoys or on maps for any lake level. Second, please note that even though the areas of standing stumps are diminishing, each 3 inches of depth loss brings your lower unit closer to more solid tree trunk tops. The boat launches, as shown on the page “Public Access Facilities”. The sites A-1 through A-3 are getting shallower, and Chandler may not give access to the lake at all. Sites B-1 through B-3, Kickapoo and Flat Creek publics are very small and parking areas quickly fill, but Flat Creek Marina, while continuing to improve services, still is very shallow. The C sites, Campers Cove, Palestine Pines, and Kiloland no longer exist at all, Lake Palestine Marina is very tight and close to rocks, and what is shown as “Lake Palestine Campground” is really the Lake Palestine Resort. Of the D sites, Cherokee Landing no longer exists and Chimney is not usable for most trailered boats. Of the major marinas, all are usable, though Lake Palestine Resort is single lane and Flat Creek Marina is shallow and requires some caution. Report by Jim Beggerly, Jim’s Fishing Lake Palestine.
Bob Sandlin — GOOD. Water slightly stained; 80 degrees; 1.19 feet below pool. Channel catfish are excellent in 10-14 feet of water with stink bait or chicken liver. Crappie are excellent in 10-20 feet on brush piles with jigs or minnows. Report by Joey Crews, Lake Bob Sandlin Chubby Chaser Guide Service. Windy banks and main lake points should produce strikes from bass. Try topwater baits early and late in the day. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service. Spotted and black bass are fair but can consistently be caught with 3-4 inch shad swimbaits on secondary points with grass or timber. Spinnerbaits or swim jigs have been great around docks. Report by Blake Doughtie, Lake Country Lunkers Lures and Guide Service.
Caddo — GOOD. Water stained; 80 degrees; 0.31 feet below pool. The water temperature has slightly increased and the bite on the main lake has turned on in the grass and lily pads with a fluke or top water. The river bite will turn back on when the water cools below 72 degrees. When this happens cast Alabama rigs or crankbaits in the river. We need some rain to help with current and help set up the fish better after this dry and hot this fall. Lake is very low so be careful running around but it is always a beautiful time to come see this majestic lake that God spoke into existence. Report provided by Vince Richards, Caddo Lake Fishing & Fellowship.
Fork — GOOD. Water Stained; 81 degrees; 2.41 feet below pool. Bass are good on topwaters early in the morning around grass. Square bills crankbaits are fair in mid range depths around 4-6 feet on points and flats. Carolina rigs are good in 7-10 feet of water on ridges with small baits. Report by Marc Mitchell, Lake Fork Guide Service. Streamers are tempting active feeding bass in 1-3 feet on main lake points. Dock fishing is providing a variety of fish with small beaded fish imitations. Catfish are shallow around boat houses and brush. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service. The crappie fishing on Lake Fork is just phenomenal right now going into the early winter months. We have fish in depths from 14-58 feet. You can find crappie almost everywhere on the lake but if you find the right area they are loaded up. We are seeing some black crappie grouped up in numbers. The huge white crappie has been showing off the past month also. We are catching fish on timber mostly and pole timber and Bois D Arc trees are both good. Some fish will be holding to bridges as they migrate as well. Minnows continue to be the best bait, but jigs will work too. The catfish bite on Lake Fork is nothing short of incredible. There are so many catfish in the 20-25 feet range around timber you can almost fish anywhere. If you drop some cattle cubes or sour grain in an area you will be catching fish within 30 minutes on any prepared catfish bait you drop down. Report by Jacky Wiggins, Jacky Wiggins Guide Service.
Lake O’ the Pines — GOOD. Water slightly stained; 80 degrees; 0.45 feet above pool. Spotted and black bass are fair but can consistently be caught with 3-4 inch shad swimbaits on secondary points with grass or timber. Spinnerbaits or swim jigs have been great around docks. Report by Blake Doughtie, Lake Country Lunkers Lures and Guide Service. Report by Blake Doughtie, Lake Country Lunkers Lures and Guide Service. Crappie are great on timber in 10-25 feet of water.
Martin Creek — GOOD. Water normal stain; 80 degrees; 2.35 feet below pool. Bass have been good early morning and late afternoon fishing points and the edge of hydrilla with crazy shad topwater baits and Texas rigged redbug worms. Crappie are good but getting harder to find on brush piles and laydowns in 18-30 feet. Better fish are on the bottom with no thermocline present. Catfish are good at the high line area on the south end with live and cut bait. Report by Hambone Guide service.
Athens — GOOD. Water normal stained; 76 degrees; 1.13 feet below pool. Bass are good and can be caught on the outside of grass lines with Texas rig worms and weightless flukes. Crappie are slow on small jigs over deep brush 25 feet. Report by Reagan Nelson, Lake Athens Bass Guide.
Hawkins — GOOD. Water slightly stained. 80 degrees. Streamers fished above grass and near lilies should draw bass. Try topwaters lures early and late in the day. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service.
Jacksonville — SLOW. Water normal stain; 79 degrees; 0.53 feet below pool. The bass bite is pretty tough, but fish are moving shallower. Soft plastics are working in brush piles 7-10 feet, as well as swimbaits, underspins, Alabama rigs. Schoolers can be caught on swimbaits, wacky worms, and lipless cranksbaits. Bank bite is picking up on soft plastics.