Prairies & Lakes Region Week of May 8, 2024

Arlington

SLOW. Water stained; 75 degrees; 1.43 feet above pool. The lake is flooded and there is floating debris. Currently ramps are open, but there is more rain in the forecast so be sure to check ramp status before heading out. Reports that all species are biting in shallow cover. Channel catfish can be caught with shad off the banks.

Athens

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 78 degrees; 0.73 feet above pool. Bass are fair working the outside edges of grass with jigs and shaky-head worms. Schooling bass are starting to fire up. Crappie are good on small jigs and minnows on brush piles out to 30 feet. Report by Jim Brack, Athens Guide Service.

Bastrop

GOOD. Water stained; 78 degrees. Water visibility is 2-4 feet of water. The water visibility is around 2-4 feet. Bass are good using shad or bluegill colored flukes and swimbaits. The bite has been fair on creature baits in natural colors like watermelon seed and green pumpkin. Report by Jason Hernandez, Bass Institute of Bastrop. Fishing patterns are holding steady. Some bass are near creek mouths and a little ways in, most are along grass lines on the main lake. Throw a shallow crankbait, swimbait or spinnerbait to get some of those bites but a stick worm or fluke will catch many as well. A frog bite and wake bait is just getting going and a topwater is just about to kick off as well. Report by Bryan Cotter, Texas Hawgs.

Belton

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 72 degrees; 10.18 feet above pool. Lake Belton has risen over 18 feet in the last 10 days and is still rising. The lake is flooded by 8 feet of water and both tributaries are very muddy, and debris is abundant, especially following wind shifts. As the waters rose, the courtesy docks were usable only for a short 2 days and are now inaccessible due to flooding. Whether the lake remains accessible is a day-to-day issue as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers keeps an eye on things. Whether the lake remains fishable will be determined by how muddy the lower end of the lake eventually becomes. White bass were being caught with a vertical tactic with the MAL Dense with a silver body. Fishing was best with wind and gray cloud cover. Fish were in 28-34 feet early in the morning until 9 a.m. Then we found them in 45-52 feet of water from 9-11:15 a.m. Finding clear water is the key right now. Laughing gulls are helpful. The threadfin shad spawn continues. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service. Lake Belton has risen 16 feet in the past week. There are strong currents from Cowhouse Creek and the Leon River. Anglers should use caution and look for floating debris when fishing. Blue catfish can be caught around points and river mouths using fresh shad in 10-20 feet of water. Flatheads have been caught up river with live bluegill or shad. Channel catfish are fair on punch bait around rock piles and shallow brush piles. Report by Brian Worley, B&S Catfishing.

Benbrook

GOOD. Water stained; 64 degrees; 5.96 feet above pool. Due to the recent flooding all boat ramps are temporarily closed, as well as many of the campgrounds.

Bridgeport

GOOD. Water stained; 70 degrees; 13.32 feet below pool. The low water ramps at Wise County Park and Runaway Bay are the best bet for launching. The main lake is stained but quite stirred up on both ends. Crappie continue to be hot, especially from the mid lake area south. Fish can be right on the shore or out to about 8 feet of water around cover with minnows and jigs. Sand bass and hybrids have been good. Fish are wandering, feeding hard on shad. Look close to shore early and back off into deeper water as the day warms up. Topwater baits and slabs have been putting them in the boat. Largemouth bass have been good on topwaters, flat billed crankbaits, finesse baits. Check main lake points near deeper water. Catfish action is picking up on! cut shad. Report by Keith Bunch, Lake Bridgeport Guide Service.

Cedar Creek

EXCELLENT. Slightly stained; 75 degrees; 0.51 feet above pool. Start fishing for hybrids and white bass early in the morning at daylight and hit the dam or the western shorelines of the lake and look for schooling fish close to seawalls and shorelines. After that fish any hump in depths of 22-28 feet throughout the lake to find fish stacked up in schools. Use spinner baits or drop a slab down to the bottom and work it fast up and down. The fish will hit it immediately. The crappie bite has been increasingly better. Look for them under bridge pylons or under docks where the depths are between 3-10 feet. Guides have been reporting exceptionally nice catches on sunny warmer days. Report by Brent Herbeck, Herbeck’s Lonestar Fishing Guide Service. Blue catfish are shallow on shad and some moving to humps in 6-18 feet on cut shad. Report by Jason Barber, Kings Creek Adventures.

Comanche Creek

1.04 feet above pool. Closed.

Cooper

GOOD. Water stained; 68 degrees: 1.00 feet below pool. The lake is on the rise with water being released at the spillway. Anglers are reporting good catches of sand bass and catfish.

Cypress Springs

GOOD: Water stained; 79 degrees; 1.30 feet above pool. After a temporary closure to boater traffic due to flooding, the lake is now open to boater traffic. Water levels continue to be high so navigate with caution. Bass are good on shallow points chasing the shad spawn with Texas rig worms, crankbaits, chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, or flipping into flooded bushes. Report by Mike Stroman, R & R Marine. Report by Mike Stroman, R & R Marine.

Eagle Mountain

GOOD. Water normal stain; 72 degrees; 0.82 feet below pool. The lake has risen 3 feet. White bass are good on main lake structures with slabs and cohos. Crappie are good shallow and mid depths on jigs. Blue catfish and channel catfish are good on punch bait and shad. Report provided by Chad Ferguson of North Texas Catfish Guide Service. Report provided by Chad Ferguson of North Texas Catfish Guide Service.

Fairfield

Closed to the public.

Fayette

FAIR. Water stained; 75 degrees. Bass are fair in shallow water along dam rocks with spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Catfish are fair but the bite is improving on stink bait.

Graham

GOOD. Water stained; 69 degrees; 4.59 feet below pool. Water is stained and the lake is rising. Most bass and crappie are done spawning, transitioning back out to brush. Bass are good on plastics and crankbaits. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. Catfish are very good with all the new water running with cut shad and chicken liver. Sand bass and hybrids are schooling on the main lake biting spoons and jigs.

Granbury

GOOD. Water clear; 74 degrees; 0.25 feet below pool. Granbury water temperatures are in the low 70s and continue to warm slowly. Granbury lake levels are normal and some stained water in the backs of creeks is possible due to recent rains. Floating debris may be encountered navigating the lake, so be careful out there. Granbury was releasing water this past week due to the heavy rains. Granbury sand bass fishing continues to be good to excellent on chartreuse and white slabs fished in 12-20 feet of water from Decordova Subdivision to in town by the Shores. Striped bass are slow to fair on live bait and trolled Alabama rigs on the lower ends from Blue Water Shores to Decordova subdivision. Crappie catches on small jigs and minnows are good on submerged structures and docks. Catfish including some big yellows and blues are fair to good on the upper ends on cut shad. Largemouth bass are fair to good on a variety of baits. Spinner baits, crankbaits and soft plastics are all producing bass to 6 pounds in the backs of sloughs and creeks. Many catches are good near main lake points. Some top water action is possible early and late. Report by Michael Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters. Striped bass are slow in 12-40 feet of water on points, edges flats and along the river channel from the dam tp past Ports O’Call. Sand bass are good jigging slabs while anchored or drifting, trolling Alabama rigs with 3 inch swimbaits or other soft plastics. Also good on live or cut threadfin shad while anchored or drifting. Fish can be found on shallow flats as well as the edge of flats in 10-17 feet of water throughout the reservoir. Especially the south end of the lake. Channel catfish and blues are good on live or cut bait along channel edges in the current in 17-40 feet of water. Floating debris throughout the reservoir, especially further up the lake toward the Farm-To-Market 51 bridge and Tin Top. Less amounts of debris present towards the dam. Water clarity is murky due to the rain, and influx of water being released from Possum Kingdom Lake. Report by Kraig Sexton, Sexton's Guide Service LLC, Fishing Charter, Marine Electronics & Whitney.

Grapevine

SLOW. Water clear; 62 degrees; 8.56 feet above pool. White bass are in shallow water with inline spinners in the first hour of daylight. A congregation of herons and egrets standing onshore can be a helpful hint of feeding fish. After that concentrate on 15-20 feet of water on the wind blown points. Late morning look at 30 feet depths with fish suspended at 25 feet. Launch from the high water ramp at Katie’s Wood Park. Report by Omar Cotter, Luck O’the Irish Fishing Guide Service.

Hawkins

SLOW. Water slightly stained. 70 degrees. Black bass will chase small streamers and top waters above and around grass. Bead heads will tempt bream and bass. Make long casts as the water is clear. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service.

Jacksonville

GOOD. Water stained; 78 degrees; 0.38 feet above pool. Bass are good on dropshots, shaky heads, and Carolina rigs on offshore structure. Topwater action is improving but not on fire yet.

Joe Pool

FAIR. Water stained; 65 degrees; 6.51 feet above pool. Crappie are being caught over brush piles and at the edge of the hydrilla on crappie jigs. Bass, a few big ones can still be caught shallow with some moving out a little towards summer spots. Small bass are being caught up shallow on your favorite soft plastics. White bass are schooling up all over the lake, just be at the right place at the right time. Report by Gilbert Miller, GTB Outdoors.

Lavon

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 55 degrees; 4.87 feet above pool. Crappie are roaming and we are not seeing a lot of structure yet. The shad spawn is in 7-10 feet of water so this can be a good area to look. A few can be caught pitching small jigs 1/16 ounce and letting it sink to the fish then slowly retrieve, or fishing structure in 5-15 feet. White bass are on fire throwing topwaters, paddle tails, swimbaits, or using 1 ounce slabs with the jig, tied 18 inches above it. If the fish are blowing up on the shore and you do not want to throw lures at them, you can just drop down a slab in 14-15 feet of water just outside of them and turn your Bobo thumper to draw them under the boat. Watch the surface of the water and when they start boiling and pushing bait to the surface, you can cast top waters at them up to four and 5 inches. Catfish are spawning on the rocks. Throwing out soured maze is working great then use chicken liver, shrimp or fresh shad or punch bait under a bobber 3-10 feet of water. Report by Carey Thorn, White Bass Fishing Texas.

Lewisville

FAIR. Water stained; 74 degrees; 3.69 feet above pool. Fishing can be tough due to the influx of water from recent weather and there is more rain in the forecast. White bass are fair to good on humps and points in 20-35 feet of water with slabs, jigs and live bait. Cast small swimbaits shallow to the birds on the bank. Keeper sized hybrid stripers are fair 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 good drifting flats near the river channel and ledges of wind blown points in 12-30 feet of water. The shallow water catfish bite has been good as well with shad spawning. Anchor in 1-5 feet of water near wind blown points, timber, sticks, and creek and river mouths. Crappie are fair using minnows or jigs in 4-25 feet of water on brush piles, rock piles, stumps, standing timber, and laydowns. Cover near drop-off ledges has been productive as well. Report by Wes Campbell, BendARod Fishing. Bass are in 4-10 feet of water with crankbaits, spinnerbaits or dragging a soft plastic. The best bite seems to be from 1-2 p.m.

Limestone

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 76 degrees; 0.15 feet above pool. Crappie made a big move to deeper water brush piles, standing timber and power lines in 13-17 feet of water this week. Crappie can be caught on minnows. White bass started feeding at night around docks with lights. White bass are biting beetle spins and super spoons. Largemouth bass frog bite has picked up. Largemouth bass are good on spawning beds in 1-4 feet of water in the creek channels using swim jigs, Texas rigs, spinnerbaits, and chatterbaits. Report by Colan Gonzales, CG’s Just Fishing Guide Service.

Navarro Mills

SLOW. Water slightly stained; 66 degrees; 11.43 feet above pool. Liberty Hill boat ramp is open, all other boat ramps are closed due to flooding. Very few anglers on the water.

Palestine

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 74 degrees; 1.08 feet above pool. Recent storms with lightning and strong winds limited the fishing last weekend. More inclement weather is in the forecast, but should be without the strong winds, except in the immediate vicinity of thunderstorms. White bass and hybrid striper have been excellent trolling over humps, points and roadbeds with Yankee rigs with a diver, redneck rigs or crankbait diver, and rattle traps Please be sure you can tell the whites and hybrids apart, use the stripes-to-the-tail method described in the Texas Parks and Wildlife Outdoor Annual. Catfish are in shoreline rocks now for the spawn. Channel catfish fishing remains excellent for the small ones using a bobber fishing about 5 feet out from the rocks. Report by Jim Beggerly, Jim’s Fishing.

Palo Pinto

GOOD. Water stained; 78 degrees; 6.57 feet below pool. The lake has risen a foot and continues to rise. Blue catfish are good with cut bait in freshwater. Crappie are slow. Carp are spawning. Drums are biting on minnows and worms.

Ray Hubbard

GOOD. Water stained; 74 degrees; 0.02 feet above pool. Fishing patterns are holding steady heading into a weekend with mild weather. White bass are good early in the morning on flats in 2-6 feet of water using small bospinners and 3 inch swimbaits 1/2 ounce jig head. Look for birds on the shorelines picking up shad. White bass relating to humps and long points in 17-26 feet of water using 3/4 ounce Bovee slab with a jig 12 inches above. Crappie are fair in 14-18 feet of water relating to brush. Catfish have moved mid depth on long points and ridges in 14-24 feet of water with cut shad. Report by John Varner, John Varner's Guide Service.

Ray Roberts

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 70 degrees; 2.27 feet above pool. White bass are on the bank in the morning using topwaters. Channel catfish should start picking up, with a few blue catfish in deeper water. Channel catfish are good on punch bait or cut. Crappie are good on structure 15-20 feet on minnows. Report by Justin Wilson, Wilson Outdoor Connection.

Richland Chambers

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 70 degrees; 1.59 feet above pool. White Bass are good on main lake points and humps in 25-35 feet of water with a slab and jig combination. Check out the Old U.S. Route 287 Roadbed. Hybrid stripers are good on the Texas State Highway 309 Flats and Pelican Island in 30 feet of water on live shad. Catfish are fair on windblown points with shad. Report by Royce Simmons, Gone Fishin' Guide Service.

Somerville

GOOD. Water stained; 73 degrees; 0.96 feet above pool. Anticipate more boater traffic while other area lakes are temporarily closed due to flooding. Catfish are fair and crappie and bluegill good on minnows, worms, and stink bait at Somerville Marina early morning. Black bass are slow hitting soft crankbaits and plastic baits in 5-8 feet of water. Crappie good on the brush piles in 10-20 feet of water and pilings biting minnows and small jigs. Catfish are very good in 2-8 feet of water. Larger catfish are good in deep water on jug lines baited with shad or cut bait. White bass are good trolling in the lake using Pet spoons and jigs, and when anchored with ghost minnows or shad. Hybrids are good from the shore at the dam and Welch Park areas using cut bait and 2 ounce jigs. Finding schools is the key. Report by Weldon Kirk, Fish Tales Guide Service.

Stillhouse

GOOD. Water stained; 72 degrees; 0.51 feet above pool. Incredibly, Stillhouse Hollow has risen over 14 feet in the last 10 days and hit the full pool mark on May 7th, the first time the lake has been full since August 2022. The courtesy docks are now once again usable. There is muddy water in the eastern half of the lake, with clearer water existing the closer you get to the dam. Largemouth bass fishing continues to be the main draw on this hydrilla-packed reservoir with most consistent anglers targeting fish on the deep outside edge of hydrilla beds. Catfish anglers willing to barge through the debris found between Cedar Gap Park and Union Grove Park have been scoring where the Lampasas River and Trimmier Creek merge, especially when current from runoff is obvious. Newly submerged vegetation in shallow water is a good fishing option. Dark, natural hues are a solid choice for soft plastic baits all year. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service.

Tawakoni

GREAT. Water lightly stained; 68 degrees; 1.87 feet above pool. Lake Tawakoni continues to warm despite high water levels and fishing also continues to be great. Hybrid striper & white bass are finishing up their spawning this week and we are seeing many fish without eggs anymore. Fish are being caught on humps and points in 15-25 feet on slabs and swimbaits. Eating sized blue catfish are really good on wind blown banks in 1-5 feet on fresh cut bait. Channel catfish are wide open under bobbers or straight down on punch bait in 1-5 feet or 18-22 feet. Crappie are good around docks and shallow brush. Jigs are working best. Largemouth bass are solid and biting good around lily pads, shallow docks, rip rap and concrete structure. The shad spawn is in full swing. Report by Captain Michael Littlejohn, Lake Tawakoni Guide Service.

Texoma

GOOD. Water normal stain; 67 degrees; 6.02 feet above pool. Striped bass fishing is excellent on live shad fishing deep water 50-70 feet suspending shad around 40-50 feet down. Bigger the bait, the bigger the fish. Topwaters are working great along flooded rocks where shad are spawning, keep an eye out for birds along the banks. The mudline will be throughout the lake but coves will hold clear water along with fish and bait. Crappie fishing is slow as most fish are shallow up in the trees and grass that is flooded after a few years of being dry. Slip corks with minnows in the trees, docks are producing a few on jigs with a crappie nibble tip. Smallmouth and largemouth bass are good on top waters and plastics along rocks where shad are spawning early. Tires near marinas will hold bass as well. Catfishing is good, seeing flatheads coming from stumpy areas on live shad and blue cats coming off the rocks down the bluffs in 40-50 feet of water. Channel catfish are showing up in coves 30 feet near creek mouths. Report by Jacob Orr, Guaranteed Guide Service Lake Texoma. The lake is muddy and 5-6 feet above normal due to runoff from the rivers. Watch for the egrets feeding on the shad spawn leading the way to hybrid stripers. Hybrid stripers are excellent with limits coming on topwaters along the bank early in the morning, then switch to brightly colored swimbaits on flats and points in 10-20 feet of water. The bigger fish have moved off the banks to deeper water. The spawn is coming to an end so fish will start to transition to the dam area. Report by John Blasingame, Adventure Texoma Outdoors.

Weatherford

FAIR. Water heavily stained; 75 degrees; 1.16 feet below pool. Fishing has slowed after a rise in water level for all species but should improve as the water stabilizes. Crappie are fair with smaller sized catches in deeper water brush piles with minnows or jigs. Bass are slow transitioning to summer pattern depths hitting crankbaits and chatterbaits. Catfish are fair in shallow water.

Whitney

FAIR. Water stained; 72 degrees; 8.56 feet above pool. Water levels are 8 feet high. Catfish are good in the mouth of creeks fishing with cut shad. Striped bass limits are being caught on live shad in 20-35 feet of water, with a few being caught in shallow water on topwater plugs. Crappie continue to be fair on small jigs and minnows fished near deeper structure. White bass are fair moving out of the creeks in shallow waters. Largemouth bass continue to be fair along structures and docks. Report by Captain Cory Vinson, Guaranteed Guide Service.

Worth

FAIR. Water normal stain; 72 degrees; 1.81 feet below pool. Fishing patterns are holding steady. White bass are good on main lake structures with slabs and cohos. Crappie are good shallow and mid depths on jigs. Blue catfish and channel catfish are good on punch bait and shad. Report provided by Chad Ferguson of North Texas Catfish Guide Service.

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