Texas Fishing Reports - Get The Latest Updates on Where The Fish Are Biting!

Fishing Reports Courtesy of Texas Parks and Wildlife. 

Prairies & Lakes Region Week of November 29, 2023

Arlington

SLOW. Water lightly stained; 55-65 degrees; 1.03 feet below pool. Bass are shallow working moving baits in timber, docks and rocks, or jigs, Texas rigs and crankbaits in hard cover. You will need to cover a lot of water. Crappie are good on brush piles in 10-15 near the dam jigs and live minnows. White bass are slow. Catfish are good on prepared baits. Report by Chris Rivery, local angler.

Athens

GOOD. Water normal stain; 50 degrees; 1.45 feet below pool. Warming trend in the forecast could help improve the bite. Bass are slow and their jaws locked tight so catching 4-5 fish will make for a good day. Fishing a jig or worm slowly in cover may tempt a few bites. Crappie are good using small jigs on brush out to 25 feet. Report by Jim Brack, Athens Guide Service.

Bastrop

GOOD. Water stained; 73 degrees. Bass are good with catches over 4 pounds but on average the size up 1-3 pounds. Target shorelines early and late in the day, then grass or deity transitions through the day. On sunny days use dark natural colored 4 or 5 inch worms, and cloudy days use colored flakes in the worm to help the bite. Report by David Townsend, Austin Fishing Guide. Bass are good throwing Texas rigged 4 and 5 inch straight worms and trick worms along the reed edges, grass edges and ledges. Finding rocks and throwing crankbaits and jigs around them is catching some as well. A small straight tail swimbait on a tiny ball head jig is catching some good ones on main lake humps. Report by Bryan Cotter, Texas Hawgs.

Belton

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 63 degrees; 15.39 feet below pool. Fishing will continue to rise and fall with the weather. Average fishing takes place during the lulls between fronts, then fires up just before, during, and immediately after when the winds shift west, then northerly, and continue to build in velocity. Poor fishing is to be expected with calm winds and bright skies. Birds, mainly gulls, have been helpful in finding the general areas where bait and gamefish are located, then well-tuned side-imaging helps to seal the deal. As will be the case until the water hits 58 degrees or so. A good go to bait is a white ⅝ ounce Bladed Hazy Eye Slab fished with a smoking tactic. Most of the bait and game fish are in 25-37 feet of water. Quality largemouth bass have begun showing up as bycatch as my clients target white bass. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service. With cooling waters anglers should search for blue catfish in deeper river channels and around steep ledges. 30-45 feet of water. Larger cut baits have been effective for trophy size fish. Eater fish under 10 pounds are still active and slow drifting with small cut shad along sand flats will produce catches. Channel catfish are fair but can still be caught on warmer days using punch bait in 15-25 feet of water. Report by Brian Worley, B&S Catfishing.

Benbrook

SLOW. Water stained; 59-61 degrees; 6.24 feet below pool. Largemouth bass are fair on chatterbaits and Texas rig straight worms. Crappie are fair on flats with schools feeding on shad. Water clarity is 2-2 1/2 feet. Report by Camron Wilkerson, Camron’s Quality Crappie Guiding.

Bridgeport

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 60-63 degrees; 15.19 feet below pool. Best ramps are at the dam, Runaway Bay Marina or low water ramp off U.S. Route 380. Sand bass and hybrids have been good deadsticking small artificial baits. These fish are moving, so do not be afraid to bounce around to find them. Catfish are good on cut bait in the three fingers area. As it gets colder, they this bite will only improve. Crappie are good in deeper water around docks using minnows and jigs. Report by Keith Bunch, Lake Bridgeport Guide Service.

Cedar Creek

GOOD. Water normal stain; 60-62 degrees; 1.33 feet below pool. The lake should be dropping below the 60 degree mark in the days to come with the 7 day forecast showing highs of 55 and lows of 30 everyday. White bass and hybrid striper bite is on fire! The fall and winter months always bring larger sized white bass and very good opportunities for trophy sized hybrid striped bass action. Large white bass up to 15-16 inches are being caught consistently using the Dennis Christian Saw Tooth retrieve with shad colored or shiny spoons, Bo Spinners from Mark Bovee and 5.5 inch umbrellas rigs. Excellent catches are of hybrid striped bass being caught up to 24 inches with the average being 18-20 inches. These along with the white bass are being caught in 12-16 feet of water off of wind blown lake points on several spots throughout the southern and northern part of the lake. Reports that the crappie bite can be exceptionally productive yielding fantastic catches then be very tough due to the changing weather conditions and cooler water temperatures. Report by Brent Herbeck, Herbeck’s Lonestar Fishing Guide Service.

Comanche Creek

GREAT. Water stained. 75 degrees; 0.36 feet above pool. Limits of eater sized channel catfish are possible on prepared or cut bait. Largemouth bass are good to excellent on soft plastics worked near channel ledges and submerged tanks. Tilapia continue to be caught using cast nets on many areas of the lake. Report by Michael Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters. Channel catfish are excellent throughout the reservoir along creek channels and bottom of ledges in 30-45 feet of water using cut or punch bait. Report provided by Kraig Sexton, Sexton's Guide Service LLC, Fishing Charter, Marine Electronics & Whitney.

Cooper

EXCELLENT. Water lightly stained; 60 degrees: 1.00 feet below pool. Catfish are excellent drifting cut shad and stink bait.

Cypress Springs

GOOD: Water stained; 58 degrees; 0.81 feet below pool. Fishing patterns are holding steady. Crappie are fair on tire reefs in 20-25 feet of water using minnows or jigs. Catfish are good on tire reefs 20-25 feet deep with cheese bait. Sand bass are good on main lake points in 20 feet of water with slabs. Report by Marty Thomas, Lake O the Pines Crappie Fishing. Bass are good out to 12 feet and on deeper docks using flukes, chatterbaits, lipless crankbaits, and spinnerbaits. Kentucky spotted bass continue to be great on the points. Report by Mike Stroman, R & R Marine.

Eagle Mountain

GOOD. Water stained; 56 degrees; 7.12 feet below pool. As Thanksgiving Day approaches fishing is more like Groundhogs Day with the patterns holding steady until the colder weather breaks the trend. White bass are fair on main lake structure on slabs and in mid depths on chartreuse and white cocahoes. Crappie are fair to good on brush piles shallow and in mid depths and main lake structure on jigs. Blue catfish and channel catfish are good on cut bait and punch bait on structure. Report provided by Chad Ferguson of North Texas Catfish Guide Service.

Fairfield

Closed to the public.

Fayette

SLOW. Water stained; 77 degrees. Bass are good working rocks and old pond dams with trigger 4 and 5 inch worms, lizards, and shaky heads with trick worms. Finding rocks and throwing crankbaits and jigs around them is catching some as well. A small straight tail swimbait on a tiny ball head jig is catching some good ones on main lake humps. Report by Bryan Cotter, Texas Hawgs.

Graham

FAIR. Water stained; 60 degrees; 5.90 feet below pool. Catfish are fair on baited holes with cut bait and cheese bait. Bass should be moving shallow chasing bait on topwaters and flukes. Sand bass are schooling biting slabs.

Granbury

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 60 degrees; 0.38 feet below pool. Granbury water temperature is close to 60 degrees and continues to fall slowly. The lake is full and water clarity is good, especially on the lower ends. Sand bass are good on white/chartreuse slabs fished in 12-20 feet of water near channel breaks. Look for the birds to point you to active fish. Crappie are good to excellent on structure on jigs and small minnows. Best crappie action is reported near submerged timber by Mallard Pointe and the Peninsula. Striped bass are fair to good on trolled Alabama rigs and live bait fished on the lower ends in 15-25 feet of water. Large blue and yellow catfish to 30 pounds plus continue to be caught on the upper ends on shallow flats using cut shad. Largemouth bass are fair to good near creek entrances and near 10- 15 feet on soft plastics and crankbaits. Report by Michael Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters. Striped bass fishing is tough because the pattern is inconsistent, but the bite can be good. The fish are meaty and healthy. Landing catches with shad, swimbaits, or deep diving crankbaits from mid lake to the dam. Report provided by Kraig Sexton, Sexton's Guide Service LLC, Fishing Charter, Marine Electronics & Whitney. The water was slowly clearing and the temperature was as low as 50 degrees near the bank. Largemouth are biting blue shad or silver colored swimbaits. Drum are hitting minnows. Both are sizable catches. Catfish have slowed but are still good on cut bait and minnows. A few small stripers can be caught from the bank on minnows but they are sporadic. Report by Terry Hodges, local angler.

Grapevine

GOOD. Water stained; 60 degrees; 1.25 feet below pool. The white bass bite is not as aggressive as it has been, so pay close attention to the tug. There is an abundance of bait and white bass are being caught with shad in the belly. White bass are not schooling, but can be caught trolling a white slabs with a stinger hook. Drift cut bait for catfish. Crappie should be deep or rocky outcroppings biting minnows. Reports of largemouth bass catches using Texas rigs in 8-12 feet of water, and smallmouth bass catches with finesse baits on main lake points. Report by Omar Cotter, Luck O’the Irish Fishing Guide Service.

Hawkins

SLOW. Water slightly stained. 50 degrees. Chain pickerel will be feeding around brush and grass. Black bass will feed in the shallows during warm periods of the day. Try small baitfish imitations with barbless hooks. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service.

Jacksonville

SLOW. Water slightly stained; 60 degrees; 1.87 feet below pool. Bass are slow and the bite is tough with fish scattered everywhere fishing a dropshot or jigs.

Joe Pool

FAIR. Water normal stain; 65 degrees; 0.07 feet above pool. Crappie are moving to the timber at the mouths of creeks and cuts. Bass are slowly moving shallow and can be caught on squarebills crankbaits, chatterbaits, and Texas rig senkos. If you can find them deep, use a dropshot. Report by Gilbert Miller, GTB Outdoors.

Lavon

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 62 degrees; 3.27 feet below pool. White bass are in 20-30 feet of water around main lake points and humps using 1 ounce slabs. Crappie are in 25-30 feet of water on condos and deep water brush piles, but can be found in 15-20 feet deep on timber and brush. Jigs, hand ties and minnows are working great. A few big black bass can be found hanging out in the treetops 15-20 feet. Do not overlook rock piles, any kind of concrete and brush piles in 15-20 feet using swimbaits, Alabama rigs, Carolina rigs, and spoons. Catfish are in 27-29 feet of water using fresh cut Shad Santee rigged on a 30 pound line with a 50 pound shock leader. Find a nice boxfish and kickers in those depths out in front of the Power House. Bait fish can be found in 1-4 feet of water in the back of small coves, and along shallow flats. Report by Carey Thorn, White Bass Fishing Texas.

Lewisville

FAIR. Water lightly stained; 58-62 degrees; 2.39 feet below pool. White bass are fair on the bottom near humps, points, and drop-off ledges in 14-36 feet of water. Slabs, jigs, and live bait are working. Keeper sized hybrid stripers are slow. They will be in similar depths as the white bass. If you are keeping fish, please be aware that there are a lot of undersized hybrid stripers in the lake that look very similar to a white bass. Catfish are fair to good drifting in 18-36 feet of water near wind blown points, humps, and flats near creek channels with cut shad or chicken breasts. Crappie are fair to good in 8-32 feet of water on brush piles, standing timber near creek channels, rock piles, stumps, laydowns, and bridge columns using minnows and jigs. Report by Wes Campbell, BendaRod Fishing. Bass are still in the late fall to early winter patterns. Shad patterned crankbaits will produce around rock in 20-6 feet of water. Dragging a football jig around rock piles in 4-12 feet of water will get some bites also. To target bigger fish try throwing an Alabama rig around the bridge columns. Report by Brandon Dillard, Dillard's Double Digit Guide Service.

Limestone

EXCELLENT. Water clear; 61 degrees; 4.04 feet below pool. Crappie are suspended on brush and standing timber in 6-12 feet of water suspended biting minnows. Largemouth bass are in 2-6 feet of water on rocks, bulkheads, docks and concrete using chatterbaits, lipless crankbaits, and finesse jigs. Catfish are in 10-20 using cut bait. White bass are in 7-15 feet of water using silver jigging spoons. Report by Colan Gonzales, DFW Fishing Guide Booking.com. Crappie are in 20 feet of water chasing fish in open water, with the occasional fish on timber using 2.5 inch ATX Lure Company baby shad with a �¼ ounce Dan’s jigheads. Report by Zach Minnix, Jig’N’Jerk Guide Service.

Navarro Mills

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 57-60 degrees; 1.68 feet below pool. White bass are slow on live bait in the main lake. Crappie are fair on dead minnows near drop offs in 13-16 feet. Catfish are excellent on cut bait and Danny King's punch bait near timber in 5-8 feet of water. Largemouth bass are slow on football jigs in 18-20 feet of water. Report by Clay Major, Major Guide Service.

Palestine

GOOD. Water normal stain; 57-64 degrees; 2.26 feet below pool. Crappie fishing is excellent on minnows and jigs in standing timber and on the State Highway 155 bridge pillars in 20-35 feet of water. Largemouth bass are slow in 3-8 feet of water early morning on moving swimbaits. Then later in the day on points or structure in 8-15 feet of water. Sand bass and hybrids are fair early daylight hours on SH 155 bridge and main lake humps. They are transitioning to deeper water and moving a lot right now. Catfish are good in 15-25 feet of water with stink bait or cut bait. Baiting areas helps. Report by Sam Parker, Freshwater Fishing Adventures.

Palo Pinto

FAIR. Water lightly stained; 60 degrees; 9.27 feet below pool. Nice size blue catfish caught in Palo Pinto creek using perch. Expect the catfish bite to improve as the cooler weather sets in. Hybrid stripers can be caught mixed in with the blues.

Ray Hubbard

GOOD. Water normal stain; 57-59 degrees; 1.91 feet below pool. White bass are showing up on long points in 18-24 feet of water later in the mornings as well as grouping in deep flats 35-38 feet of water using a slab jig combo. Crappie are on deep brush piles and trees roaming in deep water. Keep jigs or minnows in 21-34 feet in trees and right off bottom on flats. Catfish are moving deeper on flats in 28-38 feet of water and grouping up in deep water, drifting cut bait. Smaller channel catfish and blue catfish are good around the trees with prepared punch bait and baited holes by the timber. Report by John Varner, John Varner's Guide Service.

Ray Roberts

GOOD. Water normal stain; 55 degrees; 1.65 feet below pool. Sand bass are good with many limits caught off the bottom in 40 feet of water with slabs with a hair jig as trailer. Blue catfish are mixed in. Catfish are good in 40 feet of water with cut chicken, cut shad and even on the slabs when targeting sandies. Bass are fair with shallow water crankbaits near rocks, or a dropshot on deeper points. Crappie are slow with a few keepers in 30-40 feet of water on the deepest parts of the brush piles with minnows. Report by Jim Walling, Ucatchem Guide Service.

Richland Chambers

FAIR. Water clear; 61 degrees; 2.40 feet below pool. White bass are fair with several reports of fish being caught with slabs off humps in 25 feet of water on the main lake. While it is not time to start deadsticking, little movement is required on the slab. Eater size blue and channel catfish are excellent and continue to be the best bet to consistently catch fish. Danny King's Punch Bait on a treble hook or shad fished in the timber off the Richland Creek Channel in 15 feet of water will load the ice chest. This pattern will continue through fall and into winter. Report by Royce Simmons, Gone Fishin' Guide Service.

Somerville

FAIR. Water clear; 63 degrees; 6.04 feet below pool. Fishing in the Somerville Marina early in the morning is fair for catfish and bluegill, and slow for crappie using minnows and worms. Black bass are slow hitting dark or shad imitation crankbaits, and spinnerbaits on drop offs and rocky points in 8-14 feet of water. Crappie are fair on the main lake brush piles and pilings using minnows and dark colored jigs with chartreuse. Catfish are good in the early morning in 6-12 feet of water using punch bait. Larger catfish are fair drifting in deep water or on jug lines baited with shad or cut bait. White bass are slow using Pet spoons trolling on points or using shad and ghost minnows 6-10 feet of water on humps. Hybrids are slow using cut bait and 2 ounce jigs. Report by Weldon Kirk, Fish Tales Guide Service.

Stillhouse

GOOD. Water stained; 62 degrees; 17.12 feet below pool. Fishing will continue to rise and fall with the weather. Average fishing takes place during the lulls between fronts, then fires up just before, during, and immediately after when the winds shift west, then northerly, and continue to build in velocity. Poor fishing is to be expected with calm winds and bright skies. Birds, mainly gulls, have been helpful in finding the general areas where bait and gamefish are located, then well-tuned side-imaging helps to seal the deal. As will be the case until the water hits 58 degrees or so. A good go to bait is a white ⅝ ounce Bladed Hazy Eye Slab fished with a smoking tactic. The recent rise in water level has put about 3 plus feet of freshwater over top of the shallower beds of hydrilla making subsurface fishing with unweighted or lightly weighted Senko-type soft plastics attractive. As always, additional largemouth can be found on the outside edge of the hydrilla, especially where aberrations in the terrain exist. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service.

Tawakoni

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 59 degrees; 0.63 feet below pool. Lake Tawakoni continues to fish good and is settling into a winter pattern. The striper and white bass fishing has been good. Large schools of threadfin shad are moving out into Open water and the white bass and some hybrid striper have followed them. Targeting these open water fish can be difficult. When you find large schools you can catch them on slabs suspended in 22 feet of water. The trophy blue catfish bite has turned on. We are seeing fish up to 50 pounds landed on fresh cut gizzard shad in 20 feet. The eating size catfish bite continues to be great. This pattern should hold until water temperatures get down to 48 degrees. These fish are best targeted on prepared bait such as punch bait and dip bait. Best depths have been 20-30 feet of water. The Crappie bite has picked up. Jigs are now out fishing minnows and fish can be found anywhere from 12-30 feet of water near bridge pilings and deeper brush and standing timber. The largemouth bite has been good. Shallow water continues to produce fish up to 7 pounds. Slower presentations on square bill crankbaits and flukes have worked best on riprap, rock and dock pilings. Report by Captain Michael Littlejohn, Lake Tawakoni Guide Service.

Texoma

GOOD. Water normal stained; 65 degrees; 2.55 feet below pool. Striped bass fishing is good with gulls working active fish around main lake river ledges in 60-70 feet of water. Drift live shad or flukes suspended 30-40 feet down. Largemouth and smallmouth bass are fair on live shad along the bluffs, and the main lake points off the banks. Swimbaits are landing catches off the boulders and on the clay banks. Catfish are good, drifting large cut shad chunks along deep flats off the river channels in 50-60 feet of water. Bigger fish will start to move shallower with colder water temperatures. Crappie are slow on jigs and minnows fishing brush in 10-15 feet of water and around docks. Report by Jacob Orr, Lake Texoma Guaranteed Guide Service. Striped bass are good with daily limits under the birds. Fish midlake schools with slabs, swimbaits and live bait. There is some deadstick action. Report by John Blasingame, Adventure Texoma Outdoors.

Weatherford

SLOW. Water stained; 60 degrees; 7.38 feet below pool. Fishing patterns are holding steady. Catfish are fair with a nice size catch in a boat slip, or off the dam rocks with cut shad. Bass are slow on spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and worms moving into the creeks. Crappie are fair on the main lake brush with hand tied jigs.

Whitney

GOOD. Water stained; 70 degrees; 1.24 feet below pool. Crappie are loaded up on the timber in The Brazos using 2.5 inch ATX Lure Company baby shad with a �¼ ounce Dan’s jigheads. Report by Zach Minnix, Jig’N’Jerk Guide Service. Striped bass are good but fishing can be tough while fish swim in smaller schools. Fish are scattered just south of the island to the state park and north of Katy Bridge. Can be caught on minnows, shad, or trolling crankbaits, swimbaits and umbrella-rigs in 10-45 feet of water along flats and ledges. Report provided by Kraig Sexton, Sexton's Guide Service LLC, Fishing Charter, Marine Electronics & Whitney.

Worth

FAIR. Water normally stained; 56 degrees; 2.65 feet below pool. White bass are fair on main lake structure on slabs and in mid depths on chartreuse and white cocahoes. Crappie are fair to good on brush piles shallow and in mid depths and main lake structure on jigs. Blue catfish and channel catfish are good on cut bait and punch bait on structure. Report provided by Chad Ferguson of North Texas Catfish Guide Service.

For fishing reports for the rest of the great state of Texas go to Texas Parks and Wildlife