Prairies & Lakes Region Week of April 24, 2024

Arlington

SLOW. Water stained; 70 degrees; 1.41 feet above pool. Water clarity is murky due to the recent rains. Bass are good throwing moving baits and topwaters in the morning, then moving off the bank and dragging creature baits and finesse baits around cover, rocks, docks, and vegetation.

Athens

GOOD. Water normal stain; 73 degrees; 0.70 feet above pool. Fishing patterns are holding steady. Bass are good in all stages of the spawn. Target spawning bass on beds with your favorite bed lure. To catch pre-spawn and post-spawn bass on brush piles, cast Carolina rigs and crankbaits, or on windblown points with white jerkbaits. Crappie are fair shallow moving back to brush piles in 25 feet of water with small jigs and minnows. Report by Jim Brack, Athens Guide Service.

Bastrop

GOOD. Water stained; 72 degrees. Water visibility is 2-4 feet of water. Bass are great on weightless flukes and swimbaits in perch colors. Creature and senko style plastics have been fair. Report by Jason Hernandez, Bass Institute of Bastrop. 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; 68 degrees; 9.07 feet below pool. Threadfin shad are spawning throughout the lake now most every morning except on those impacted by cold, north winds. The white bass spawn has all but ended now, and lots of fish are beginning to filter back to deeper water in 30-40 feet in the Leon Arm, the Cowhouse Arm, and in the main basin. A good go-to lure continues to be the white, ⅝ ounce Bladed Hazy Eye Slab fished with a smoking tactic by reeling it steadily up off bottom. Use of LiveScope is a huge plus while doing this. Hybrid striped bass can be caught fishing live shad, anticipate this bite to continue to improve through late May. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service. Catfishing is excellent. After the recent rains and steady water currents coming in from the Leon River anglers should target the mouths of these creeks with fresh shad. Anchoring or drifting at slow speeds with smaller baits is best. Flatheads have been caught heading up rivers around structures. Channel catfish have become more active and can be caught in shallow waters using punch bait. Report by Brian Worley, B&S Catfishing.

Benbrook

GOOD. Water stained; 64 degrees; 0.34 feet above pool. Fishing patterns are holding steady. Bass are spawning shallow. Bass are hitting Texas rigs, jigs, spinnerbaits and wacky rigs. Crappie are biting minnows and jigs on brush piles or standing timber. Catfish are good. Report by Camron Wilkerson, Camron’s Quality Crappie Guiding.

Bridgeport

GOOD. Water stained; 68 degrees; 14.66 feet below pool. Fishing patterns are holding steady. The Wise County Park and U.S. Route 380 low water ramps remain the best bet for launching. Water is slightly stained with temps in the low to mid 60s. Crappie have been hit-or-miss. There are reports of fish being caught around the marinas on the north and south ends, minnows and jigs are the best bet. Sand bass and hybrids are nearing the end of their spawn. They are slowly returning to the main lake and feeding heavily. Gulls and shorebirds may point the way to the fish. Slabs and swimbaits have been productive. Largemouth bass are also close to finishing their spawn. Some fish are still on beds with some post spawn fish starting to show up as well. Lizards, jigs, flat billed cranks and spinnerbaits have been putting fish in the boat. Blue catfish have been active around main lake humps and shallow cover. Cut Shad is the bait of choice. Report by Keith Bunch, Lake Bridgeport Guide Service.

Cedar Creek

EXCELLENT. Slightly stained; 70 degrees; 0.40 feet above pool. Hybrid striped bass and white bass have made a full recovery from the spawn and are now back in the main lake in droves and are on a feeding frenzy. Look for heavy bird activity throughout the lake on flats and near the dam on edges of drop offs especially on cloudy and overcast days. The Hybrids and Whitebass have started schooling in water from 6-14 feet at the dam and any wind blown shallow point or seawall. Late evening schooling action is also happening in shallow coves and points throughout the lake. Reports of great catches using silver or white slabs and spinnerbaits and retrieving off the bottom at a very slow retrieve to catch these fish in depths of 8-16 feet of water. The crappie have also migrated back into the main lake. 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.

Comanche Creek

0.33 feet above pool. Closed.

Cooper

GOOD. Water stained; 60 degrees: 1.00 feet below pool. Catfish are good on cut shad.

Cypress Springs

GOOD: Water stained; 79 degrees; 1.86 feet above pool. Crappie are good on brush piles 15-20 feet of water. Catfish are good in 2-6 feet of water on cut bait or worms. Sand bass are good trolling main lake points. Report by Marty Thomas, Lake O the Pines Crappie Fishing. Bass are scattered on the first break line with crankbaits. Early in the morning shad are spawning and bass are chasing shallow. Report by Mike Stroman, R & R Marine.

Eagle Mountain

GOOD. Water normal stain; 64 degrees; 4.31 feet below pool. 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

GOOD. Water stained; 70 degrees. Bass are good in the reeds, timber and back of coves in 4-8 feet of water with flukes, Texas rigged worms, creature baits, and shallow crankbaits. Carolina rigs and deep crankbaits will land bites in the road beds, or with finesse baits and flukes near the dam. Report by Bryan Cotter, Texas Hawgs.

Graham

GOOD. Water stained; 69 degrees; 6.02 feet below pool. Fishing patterns are holding steady. Crappie are shallow in the creeks spawning. Bass are spawning in shallow water. Sand bass and hybrids are schooling out on main lake points.

Granbury

GOOD. Water clear; 70 degrees; 0.02 feet below pool. Some creeks are stained after the recent rains. There is some floating debris, so be careful out there. Best fishing reports are for the sand bass on slabs fished from Blue Water Shores to the area in town by the swim beach. Striped bass are slow to fair on live bait fished from Decordova estates to the dam. Largemouth bass are fair to good to 7 pounds on the beds in most area creeks and sloughs. Blue and yellow catfish are good on cut bait fished from in town to Hunter Park. Crappie are good on minnows and small jigs fished under a cork in the backs of the creeks near docks and rip rap. Report by Michael Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters. Striped bass are slow using umbrella-rigs, swimbaits or fresh shad. Fish are scattered from Decordova to the way up to Farm-To-Market 51 bridge. Report by Kraig Sexton, Sexton's Guide Service LLC, Fishing Charter, Marine Electronics & Whitney. Largemouth bass are hitting large minnows, or silver and white slabs. Catfish are good on cutbait and minnows as well as goldfish. Crappie are slow and sandbags are fair on live minnows. Report by Terry Hodges, local angler.

Grapevine

SLOW. Water clear; 62 degrees; 1.22 feet above pool. Recent rains have muddied up the water and water is being released slowing the bite. Conditions are slow for all species until the water settles. Report by Omar Cotter, Luck O’the Irish Fishing Guide Service.

Hawkins

SLOW. Water slightly stained. 60 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; 70 degrees; 0.26 feet above pool. Bass are good on soft plastics from the bank out to 12-14 feet on brush and humps. There is some frog and topwater action, but this will improve in weeks to come.

Joe Pool

FAIR. Water stained; 65 degrees; 1.43 feet above pool. White bass are schooling and can be caught around the state park and Lynn Creek Park. Bass are great shallow in the grass with jerkbaits, Texas rigged soft plastics. Crappie are biting minnows and jigs. Report by Gilbert Miller, GTB Outdoors.

Lavon

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 55 degrees; 1.38 feet above pool. Fishing patterns are holding steady. Crappie are in 3-15 feet of water in the middle of the spawn. Prespawn fish are roaming on brush in 5-15 feet biting jigs and minnows. Fish minnows under a bobber 1-3 feet above rocks and boulders, or vertical jig by getting in the water with waders hit all the structure in knee-deep water, such as button willows, reeds, twigs, and timber. Fish any structure you can possibly see, don’t assume there is nothing on a piece of structure until you fish it. If you’re fishing, a cove with button willows, and you catch a fish at the base of the button, willow, tie a piece of cotton yarn to that tree on a little twig that you can see. So next time you come into the cove, you can hit all the threaded trees because a male Crappie will replace the one you caught in the previous day. So catching limits will be a lot faster so you are not fishing structure that never has a fish on it. Sandies are spawning on the North end, in the creeks. Use a 4 pound mono with spinnerbaits, 1/80-⅝ ounce jigs depending on current, minnows under a bobber, or minnows Carolina rigged with small split shot. When using lures you can bump it up to 6 pound mono in 2-20 feet. Thread thins are spawning early morning and late evening along the banks, which will draw the white bass very shallow. Throw paddle tail, swimbaits 3-4 inches up against the shorelines. Look for the birds on the bank and cast. After the spawn is over, drop back out to 15-20 feet and turn your thumper on and make a bunch of noise and they should show up. White 1 ounce RSR lures slabs working great. Hit the bottom and lift up really fast. Let it flutter back down. Tying a jig 18 inches above the slab will sometimes produce two fish per drop. Catfish are in 2-15 feet of water on cut bait and baited holes. Santee rig big chunks of cut shad or sunfish on rocks. Some pre-spawn black bass males are in 3-15 feet of water hitting 3-6 foot divers, Texas rig worms, and creature baits. Some bass are on brush piles biting swimbaits and smaller Alabama rigs. Report by Carey Thorn, White Bass Fishing Texas.

Lewisville

FAIR. Water stained; 69 degrees; 1.43 feet above pool. Big influx of rain which may slow the bite. White bass are fair to good on ledges of humps and points in 15-35 feet of water. Smaller sized fish are abundant. Some sandies are up the creeks as well biting slabs, jigs, and live bait. 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 the water temperature warming. Fishing on anchor in 1-5 feet of water near wind blown points, timber, sticks, and creek and river mouths has been good. Crappie are slow to fair in the main lake and creeks in 4-25 feet of water on bridge columns, brush piles, rock piles, stumps, and laydowns with minnows and jigs. Standing timber near creek mouths and shallow coves has produced as well. Report by Wes Campbell, BendARod Fishing.

Limestone

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 71 degrees; 0.17 feet above pool. White bass are good early in 10 feet of water then in 17 feet of water in the afternoon with chartreuse or silver slabs. Shad continue to spawn. Expect male largemouth bass to enter protection mode as the fry are hatching. 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. Expect the topwater bite to begin soon. Crappie are good fishing minnows in brush, standing timber, and creek channels in 1-10 feet of water. White bass are in 1-10 feet of water biting topwaters and beetle spins. Bank anglers continue to have success at the Texas State Highway 164 bridge. Catfish moved into spawning areas this week hitting cut bait. Report by Colan Gonzales, CG’s Just Fishing Guide Service.

Navarro Mills

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 66 degrees; 1.47 feet above pool. White bass are fair on minnows and jigs in shallow water. Crappie are good on spawning beds in out to 2 feet of water with black and chartreuse jigs. Blue catfish are good on cut bait near wind blown shores. Channel catfish are good on punch bait. Largemouth bass are fair on Carolina rigged worms and lizards near spawning beds. Report by Clay Major, Major Guide Service.

Palestine

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 72 degrees; 1.10 feet above pool. More rain in the forecast for the weekend. Bass are good, with the fish beginning post-spawn spread out. A good bait to try is shallow running squarebill crankbaits, smaller ones that go no more than 2-3 feet down. Water in creek areas may still be rain stained, so try the darker colors there, shad and light perch colors in the clearer places. Hybrid stripers have also been good, often mixed with white bass, though little surface feeding has been observed. Crappie are fair, as they spread back out, fishing the open, deeper water has been hampered by wind and storms. Blue catfish remain good in 3-22 feet, often coming into the creek shallows for shad. Report by Jim Beggerly, Jim’s Fishing.

Palo Pinto

GOOD. Water stained; 78 degrees; 8.69 feet below pool. Crappie are great using minnows and jigs in 12 in of water on brush piles and under docks. Male crappie are starting to lay on beds. Hybrids and drum are good. Blue catfish are slow. Shad are spawning.

Ray Hubbard

GOOD. Water stained; 69 degrees; 0.08 feet above pool. White bass are good starting early morning on flats in 2-6 feet of water. Birds have been working later in the morning and late afternoon using small spinnerbaits and 3 inch swimbaits 1/2 ounce jig heads. White bass are related to humps and long points in 17-26 feet of water using 3/4 ounce slab with a jig 12 inches above. Crappie are fair and relating to brush 12-14 feet deep. Catfish have moved mid depth on long points and ridges in 14-24 feet of water cut shad working best. Report by John Varner, John Varner's Guide Service.

Ray Roberts

FAIR. Water slightly stained; 60 degrees; 1.35 feet above pool. White bass are on the banks chasing shad early, swimbaits or topwaters. Look for birds on the bank. 25-35 feet later in the day on slabs. Catfish are in 15-25 feet of water on cut bait in the main lake. Lots of catfish being caught in the creeks as well after the rain. Crappie on minnows or blue and white jigs in 10-20 feet of water. Report by Justin Wilson, Wilson Outdoor Connection.

Richland Chambers

FAIR. Water normal stain; 68 degrees; 0.20 feet above pool. White bass are good on main lake points and humps in 20-25 feet of water. Best baits are a slab and jig combination for the bottom hugging fish, and if you get some top water, just about any small and shiny bait will catch fish. Hybrid stripers are good on the 309 Flats with live bait. Crappie are fair on windblown points with shad. Report by Royce Simmons, Gone Fishin' Guide Service.

Somerville

GOOD. Water stained; 71 degrees; 2.27 feet above pool. Catfish and crappie are fair, and bluegill are good on minnows, worms, and stink bait at Somerville Marina early morning. Black bass are fair in 5-8 feet of water hitting soft plastics and jerkbaits. Crappie are good on the main lake brush piles in 10-15 feet of water and pilings biting minnows and very small jigs. Catfish are good in 2-8 feet of water. Larger catfish are being caught on jug lines baited with shad or cut bait. White bass are good in the lake trolling with Pet spoons and jigs, or anchored with ghost minnows or shad. Hybrids are good on cut bait or 2 ounce jigs. Fishing schools is key. Hybrids continue to be caught from shore at the dam and Welch Park areas. Various species are good at the spillways with water being released. Flood gates open at 680 CFS. Report by Weldon Kirk, Fish Tales Guide Service.

Stillhouse

GOOD. Water stained; 65 degrees; 14.39 feet below pool. Largemouth bass fishing is excellent right now with numerous 7 and 8 pound bass being taken each week for the past several weeks in small, local tournaments. Dark, natural hues of soft plastics worked on the outside edge of the hydrilla, especially where that hydrilla growth coincides with topographic anomalies, is productive. White bass tend to be hard to come by as they make their way back down lake, typically congregating once again by June. A few gulls continue to stop over as they migrate, occasionally signaling the presence of light topwater action by schoolie-sized largemouth feeding on shad on the surface. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service.

Tawakoni

GREAT. Water lightly stained; 66 degrees; 1.51 feet above pool. Lake Tawakoni continues to fish excellent as main lake temps sit right at 66 degrees. Hybrid striper and white bass have been solid with easy limits of fish coming off artificials including swimbaits and slabs. Fish are most consistent in less than 10 feet of water. The eating sized catfish bite is wide open. Blue catfish are biting well on cut shad in less than 4 feet. Crappie are good on minnow and jigs in 12-15 feet on brush and timber. The largemouth bass bite is good with shallow franks, worms and spinner baits doing damage. We are seeing lily pads in several coves and bass are in them. Report by Captain Michael Littlejohn, Lake Tawakoni Guide Service.

Texoma

GOOD. Water normal stain; 63 degrees; 1.32 feet below pool. Striped bass fishing is great on live shad in 30-40 feet of water on main lake points and ledges. Top waters working early around rocky banks, be on the lookout for white birds on the banks early. It will only get better as the striper finish their spawn and the shad start theirs. Crappie fishing is good on brush piles using jigs in 14-18 feet of water. Electronics help locate active fish roaming and sticking the brush. Monkeys milk and mo glo colors working the best. Bass fishing is good on top waters early and swim baits off the banks late morning. Live shad producing numbers and big spawned out fish along the bluffs. Catfish are fair on cut shad and prepared baits anchored in 40-50 feet of water in creek channels and near ledges. Look along the rocks for blues and channels spawning and looking for shad. Report by Jacob Orr, Guaranteed Guide Service Lake Texoma. Hybrid stripers are good on topwater along the bank early in the morning. Watch for egrets and seagulls. Then switch to sassy shad 4 inch glo on flats and points in 10-20 feet of water. Shad continue to spawn. Report by John Blasingame, Adventure Texoma Outdoors.

Weatherford

FAIR. Water heavily stained; 72 degrees; 4.61 feet below pool. Fishing patterns are holding steady. A few smaller size crappie at the house or shallow on rocks, and some have transitioned to deeper water brush piles with minnows or jigs. Bass are slow with a few late spawners shallow, but most are post spawn on chatterbaits and spinnerbaits. Catfish are fair on the main lake with cut bait.

Whitney

FAIR. Water stained; 67 degrees; 0.69 feet above pool. Catfish are good using cut drum, shad or punch bait under roosting birds. Striped bass are poor, some fish are being caught trolling live bait and down rigging jigs. 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. Striped bass are slow with many smaller sized fish being caught on swimbaits, umbrella-rigs or live bait. Report by Kraig Sexton, Sexton's Guide Service LLC, Fishing Charter, Marine Electronics & Whitney.

Worth

FAIR. Water normal stained; 64 degrees; 2.63 feet below pool. 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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