Anticipate heavy traffic on the lake this weekend with the Memorial Day holiday. This week is National Safe Boating Week, for more information check out Texas Parks and Wildlife online and search for “Boating Safety Tips.” Happy Memorial Day!
Athens — GOOD. Water clear; 81-83 degrees; 0.37 feet above pool. Bass are good on grass edges throwing small swimbaits and moving baits, or on brush piles 20 feet deep with jigs, Carolina rigs, and dropshots. Some schooling action has started biting white flukes and small chrome crankbaits. Open the tackle box and pick your favorite lure. Crappie are good on brush piles with small jigs and minnows. Report by Jim Brack, Athens Guide Service.
Bob Sandlin — GOOD. Water stained; 79 degrees; 0.13 feet below pool. Fishing patterns should remain consistent until the summer weather pushes the fish into deeper water. Crappie are good on brush piles 15-20 feet deep using minnows or jigs. Catfish are good shallow on cheese bait or cut bait. Sand bass good on main lake points with slabs. Report by Marty Thomas, Lake O' the Pines Crappie Fishing. The shad spawn is on, so the bass are chasing shad along the banks biting chatterbaits or topwaters. Bass are good off the points in 10-15 feet of water with Texas rigged worms, deep diving crankbaits. Report by Mike Stroman, R & R Marine. Bass are excellent and schooling activity is starting so keep a popper at hand. Topwater bass bite is picking up with frogs and popper patterns. Bream are bedding on sandy banks with bead heads and wooly buggers. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service.
Caddo — SLOW. Water stained; 72 degrees; 1.44 feet above pool. Fishing is tough while the fish are in transition to the summer patterns. The current is still flowing down the river, but the lake is also falling so bite is slow. There are a variety of ways to catch them right now with some frog action in the lily pads, tree action using flukes and senkos, or working buzz baits in the grass. Shad pattern baits in current around the cuts and points in the current will be in play. Caddo Lake is setting up good for the summer, and it is still always a blessing to come fish Caddo and enjoy the majestic views that God spoke into existence. Report provided by Vince Richards, Caddo Lake Fishing & Fellowship.
Cedar Creek — GOOD. Water normal stain; 72-75 degrees; 0.11 feet above pool. Crappie continue to be excellent on brush piles and boat docks are producing great numbers. Focus on brush in 12-16 feet on the main lake. Minnows are starting to work but the jig bite is most consistent. White bass and hybrids are excellent schooling in the early mornings all over the lake. Best mornings are cloudy with a touch of wind. Main lake points and humps are producing fish using silver slabs. Keep an eye out for the birds! Largemouth are good early morning top water baits producing fish as well as chatterbaits and spinnerbaits. As the sun rises, focus on deeper docks close to main lake points. Brush piles are also holding a few bass, Carolina rigs, shakey heads are best. Report by Kyle Miers, Lake Country Outfitters.
Fork — GOOD. Water Stained; 79 degrees; 0.73 feet below pool. Bass are good in 2-4 feet of water with topwaters, chatterbaits, and spinnerbaits. Caffeine Shad and bull worms rigged weedless in the weeds or grass is also good. Offshore fish are starting to show up more on their summer hang outs and points and humps and creek channel bends in 12-15 feet on most days but a few deeper. Carolina rigs and Texas rigs or Designated Hitters are good choices. Report by Marc Mitchell, Lake Fork Pro. Black bass are good on topwater frog patterns and poppers around grass lines. Bream are starting to build beds, use small beaded woolies are a good bet. Carp are finishing their spawn and should be ready for small flies. Crappie are scattered in 4-20 feet with beaded woolies. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service. Lake Fork crappie fishing is heating up even more than the weather this week. White crappie are finally finishing up their spawn and moving onto trees and brush in 13-25 feet. Black crappie continue to load up on lay downs and certain summer time trees they like to frequent. Both species are holding on bridges as well and each day seems to be a little different on those. Bridges are always worth checking out on hot sunny days. With water levels getting back to normal they seem to be as happy and hungry as ever. Small hand tied jigs are still dominating on my boat and especially when you swim that jig over the top instead of just sitting over them. Green, orange and chartreuse have been the best colors this week. Minnows are working excellent. If you love a little more of a challenge soft plastics will also put some nice crappie in the boat. Report by Jacky Wiggins, Jacky Wiggins Guide Service.
Hawkins — GOOD. Water slightly stained. 79 degrees. Black bass are good above flooded hydrilla biting small topwater and subsurface patterns are a good choice. Bream are bedding beaded woolies with red. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service.
Jacksonville — GOOD. Water lightly stained; 74 degrees; 0.05 feet above pool. Bass are good on deeper brush and points using swimbaits, soft plastics, and Carolina rigs.
Lake O' the Pines — GOOD. Water stained; 75 degrees; 1.33 feet below pool. Fishing patterns should remain consistent until the summer weather pushes the fish into deeper water. Crappie are good on brush piles 15-20 feet deep with minnows or jigs. Catfish are good shallow on cheese bait. Sand bass are fair in creek channels using slabs or deep diving crankbaits. Report by Marty Thomas, Lake O' the Pines Crappie Fishing. The shad spawn is on, so the bass are chasing shad along the banks biting chatterbaits or topwaters. Bass are good off the points in 10-15 feet of water with Texas rigged worms, deep diving crankbaits. Report by Mike Stroman, R & R Marine.
Palestine — GOOD. Water stained; 73 degrees; 0.29 feet above pool. Largemouth bass are good shallow out to six feet of water early in the morning using wacky rigs, shimmy shakers and small squarebill crankbaits. As the sun rises, throw deep diving crankbaits or Carolina rigs off points in 10-20 feet of water for larger fish. Crappie are good under the 155 Bridge in 19 feet of water with jigs and some minnows. White bass and hybrids are good on point edges in 15 feet of water using medium to deep diving crankbaits or rattletraps. Catfish are good under the boat docks using liver, chicken hearts or punch bait, and in the river channel on baited holes in 17-21 feet of water. Report by Ricky Vandergriff, Ricky’s Guide Service.
Tyler — GOOD. Water stained; 70 degrees; 0.18 feet above pool. Bass are good out to 16 feet of water using crankbaits, spinnerbaits and worms. Crappie are good in 16 feet of water on brush piles preferring minnows over jigs. Catfish are good in shallow water with nightcrawlers and chicken liver. Bluegill are good on red worms. Report by Paul Taylor, The Boulders at Lake Tyler.