Freshwater Weekly Fishing Report Week Of December 9, 2021 | Sports | Waxahachiesun.com – Waxahachie Sun

Alan Henry

GOOD. Water clear; 63 degrees; 3.22 feet low. Fishing at Alan Henry is excellent. On the days leading up to a cold front, the fish feed heavily. Black bass are good, with great catches on top waters, swim jigs, spoons, and the Kraken large square bill that dives to 10 feet. Crappie are biting on jigs tipped with small minnows. Report by Phillip Pool, Gone Fish’n Guide Service.

Amistad

GOOD. Water clear; 64 degrees; 47.52 feet low. Belly weighted flukes and Alabama rigs on deep edges of grass. White bass and stripers are good below 30 feet of water following shad balls. Catfish are excellent on stinkbait and cut bait. Remember to stay on the Texas side of the lake unless you possess a Mexican Fishing License. Report by Captain Olin Jensen, Jensen’s Guide Service.

Arlington

FAIR. Water lightly stained; 61 degrees; 3.85 feet low. Largemouth bass are fair on blue or black spinners, football jigs, drop shots, and diving crankbaits fishing near creek ledges, rocks, and brush. Crappie are good near boat docks and brush on minnows and jigs. Catfish are fair on cut bait and chicken liver.

Arrowhead

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 52-55 degrees; 2.08 feet low. Fishing is clinging to the winter pattern as we head into the Holiday season. Catfish are good on the shallow flats and in deeper water on fresh-cut shad. The crappie bite is on fire at the derricks and in brush piles. Report by Brandon Brown, Brown’s Guide Service.

Athens

GOOD. Water clear; 58-60 degrees; 0.25 feet above. The lake fishing patterns are holding steady as we head into the Holiday season. Bass are slowing, relating to brush piles and deep points using c-rigs, jigs, and deep crankbaits. Crappie are fair, with few limits reported, in brush piles in 20-25 feet of water using small jigs. Report by Jim Brack, Athens Guide Service.

Austin

GOOD. Water clear; 52 degrees; 0.69 feet low. Fishing is holding true until the cold fronts roll in more consistently. The wind will influence the bite by pushing the baitfish, so look to windblown points to find fish chasing their food source. Largemouth bass are good, on deep rocky banks with crawfish imitation plastics and early on top waters and shad imitation swimbaits. Crappie are fair around brush piles on jigs and minnows. White bass are good trolling crankbaits and minnows in the green lights at night. Blue catfish are good on cut live shad. Report by Lee Benton, Fishing Guide Austin.

B.A. Steinhagen

GOOD. Water stained; 62 degrees; 0.54 feet low. The sunny weather has cooperated for fishing, and the fish are biting in the same patterns. Black bass are fair on crankbaits. Crappie are fair with minnows on the structure edges and above brush piles. Catfish are good on cut and prepped bait.

Bastrop

GOOD. Water clear; 74 degrees. Fishing patterns remain consistent with weeks past. Largemouth bass are good fishing football jigs, crankbaits, and purple or black Carolina rigged plastic worms near rocks, brush, and shaded timber. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs in brush piles. Channel and blue catfish are good on nightcrawlers and punch bait.

Belton

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 60 degrees; 1.98 feet low. This week’s warm and stable weather, impacted only by a weak front on Wednesday, kept the bite turned on all week, boosted by a lake week warmup. White bass are good using MAL Heavy Lures under birds and whenever fish showed to be feeding in the water column. Switching to Bladed Hazy Eye Slabs when the fish settled to the bottom was an effective 1-2 punch. Some catches of freshwater drum, striped bass, and largemouth mixed in. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service. Catfish are good, scattered anywhere from 20-90 feet of water. Drifting using fresh-cut bait will put the cats in the boat. Report by Jason “SPUD” Barton, Cattin’ Around Adventure’s Professional Guide Service.

Benbrook

FAIR. Water lightly stained; 58 degrees; 5.95 feet low. Largemouth bass are fair fishing jerk baits, shaky head jigs, deep-diving crankbaits, and blue or purple Carolina rigged worms near docks, brush, rocks, and main lake points. Crappie are good on minnows near brush piles. Hybrid striped bass are fair with live bait and swimbaits. White bass are good with slabs and live bait on main lake drop-offs, ridges, and humps. Catfish are good with chicken liver, shrimp, and cut bait.

Bob Sandlin

GOOD. Water clear; 61 degrees; 1.71 feet low. Crappie are in the transition, so they are scattered from 15-30 feet of water. Catfish are good on shad or cut bait 20-25 feet of water. Report by Mary Thomas, Lake O the Pines Crappie Fishing.

Braunig

GOOD. Water stained, 68 degrees. Channel catfish and blue catfish are good around the jetty and rip rap on Big Marv’s Cheesebait and worms. Redfish are fair on live tilapia and cut shad around the dam area and discharges. Bank fisherman catching some catfish on cheese bait and worms off the shoreline points with deep water access. Catch redfish by using live tilapia in the same shoreline areas.

Bridgeport

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 56 degrees; 2.91 feet low. Hybrids and sand bass are good on slabs and “Deadstick” rigs in deeper water around humps. These fish continue to move fast! Keep an eye out for birds working bait. Blue and channel catfish are good on cut shad around windblown points. Crappie are fair around brush piles in deeper water. Jigs and minnows have been working. Largemouth and smallmouth are good on crankbaits and finesse baits against the rocks, especially on sunny days. Report by Keith Bunch, Lake Bridgeport Guide Service.

Brownwood

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 59 degrees; 1.24 feet low. Largemouth bass are good with perch like crankbaits, brown or green Texas-rigged plastic worms, chartreuse bladed spinners, and shaky head jigs near timber, rocky shorelines, and docks. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs in brush piles and near bridge pilings. White bass and hybrids are good on slabs, swimbaits, and live bait along the main lake channels, humps, and ridges. Look for birds diving over feeding schools of white bass. Catfish are good on shrimp, chicken liver, and live bait.

Buchanan

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 62 degrees; 4.77 feet low. Fishing is holding true until the cold fronts roll in more consistently. The wind will influence the bite by pushing the baitfish, so look to windblown points to find fish chasing their food source. Largemouth bass are excellent, throwing spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, topwaters, and soft plastics on rocky banks. Crappie are good brush piles using live minnows. Striper, hybrid, and white bass are schooling early morning on topwaters and later in the day drifting live shad. Channel, blue and yellow catfish are fair to good using chicken liver and cut live shad. Report by Lee Benton, Fishing Guide Austin.

Caddo

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 56 degrees; 0.79 feet high. Largemouth bass are good working crankbaits, flipping jigs, buzz baits, wacky rigs, drop shots near creek channels, crossings, points, and trees. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs near brush piles and timber. White bass are good on slabs, live bait, and jigging spoons on the channel edges, flats, and main lake humps. Chain pickerel are slow. Catfish are good on live bait, nightcrawlers, and punch bait.

Calaveras

FAIR. Water Slightly Stained, 68 degrees. Red drum are slow but can be caught around the wall and north shoreline points using shrimp and throwing spoons. Channel and blue catfish have been good on Big Marv’s Cheesebait and cut shad off points with deep water access. Shoreline fisherman catching mixed bags of blues and redfish towards the dam area using live tilapia and cut bait.

Canyon Lake

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 59 degrees; 0.08 feet high. The water is beginning to cool down, and we should see fall fishing patterns coming soon. Striper fishing is good along the river channel edge with live bait. White bass are good with live bait, chartreuse jigging spoons, and silver slabs. Look for birds diving over feeding schools. Largemouth bass are fair with football jigs, red or green Texas-rigged plastic worms, and white-bladed spinners near rocks, timbers, and roadbeds. Smallmouth bass are good on plastic grubs and small silver spoons along bluffs, rock ledges, and rocky shorelines. Catfish are good with punch bait and live bait. Crappie are good with live minnows and jigs near the marinas, timber, and brush piles.

Cedar Creek

EXCELLENT. Water lightly stained; 59 degrees; 1.54 feet low. Fishing is the same as we enter into another weekend with weather in the 70s. Largemouth bass are fair in 8-14 feet of water on secondary creek channels using Texas rigs and a four-ounce shaky head. White bass and hybrids are good on main lake humps and points using silver slabs. Night fishing is excellent right now too. Crappie have slowed down using jigs in brush piles in submerged brush piles in 8-18 feet of water and around docks near creek channels. Catfish are good on baited holes. Report by Kyle Miers, Lake Country Outfitters.

Choke Canyon

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 66 degrees; 18.03 feet low. White bass are good in 18-25 feet. Black bass bite is moderate biting on red shad flukes. They are sitting on their beds, getting ready to spawn. Crappie are good in the hardwoods. Catfish are good on cheese bait in structured points. Report by Alex Cruz, Affordable Guide Service.

Cisco

GOOD. Water stained; 62 degrees; 2.86 feet low. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbait and soft plastic rigs in the early mornings and later in the evenings fishing the northern portion of the lake. Sunfish are good on cutworms under structures or vegetation. Crappie remain fair on jigs and minnows. Catfish are fair on stinkbait, chicken livers, and cut shad.

Coleman

FAIR. Slightly stained. 54 degrees; 1.10 feet low. Hybrid stripers are fair on rattletraps chasing schools deeper, preferring silver coloring. Largemouth bass are fair with topwater, worms, and jerkbaits just off the timber in deeper water and brush. Crappie remain good on jigs off of points. Catfish are fair with stink bait and cut bait.

Conroe

GOOD. Slightly stained; 63 degrees; 1.17 feet low. Catfish are good on baited holes in 10-22 feet of water using liver, shrimp, and catfish bubblegum. Crappie numbers have picked up and are biting on minnows, hair jigs, Lone Star Crappie jigs, with the best success coming with Little Miss Bacon baits for plastics using monkey milk. Fish in 11-24 feet of water in standing timber, laydowns, and pylons under the 1097 bridge. Hybrids are forming larger schools in 30-35 feet of water with this cooler weather. Keeper-sized catches coming by trolling using a Hell Bender with a pet spoon on humps, or use your electronics and jig for them with M.T. Pockets tackle one-ounce slabs, or a MAL Lure. Black bass are in 6-16 feet. The norm has been that the bass will concentrate around the baitfish and look to shallow pitching docks with a creature bait. The bigger fish are still out a little deeper, and the bite seems to favor the evening over the morning. Always wear your life jacket. Report by Mike Cason, Fiscal Therapy Lake Conroe Fishing Guide.

Cooper

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 56 degrees. Fall fishing is holding steady. Largemouth bass are good on deep diving crankbaits, black or red plastic worms, chatter baits, and football jigs. The white bass and hybrids are good over humps and flats using silver or white slabs and chartreuse swimbaits. Crappie are fair with minnows working brush piles and timber in 16-25 feet of water. Catfish are good on punch bait and chicken liver.

Corpus Christi Lake

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 66 degrees; 2.50 feet low. White bass are good on crankbaits and swimbaits by the dam. Largemouth bass are fair fishing deep with crankbaits, spinners, and worms. Crappie are good fishing with jigs and minnows near the dam in rock pile structure and the pier in the state park. Carp are fair off the pier in the state park. Catfish are good on shad. Deeper water is holding the fish.

Eagle Mountain

GOOD. Water stained; 59 degrees; 1.59 feet low. White bass are fair on points, humps, and ledges on chartreuse/white slabs and silver/chrome slabs. These fish are moving fast, so make sure to move fast and check different depths. With cooler water temperatures, slow down your slab technique or even try mixing in some deadsticking. On warm mornings don’t be afraid to move shallow. Crappie are fair around marinas, brush piles, and walls but are moving around a lot. They are being caught on minnows and jigs. Warmer weather has been scattering the crappie. However, they bunch up on colder days and are biting well. Bass are fair around main lake points in 15-20 feet of water. Blue catfish are good on cut bait, and anglers have been catching good numbers of smaller fish and some trophy catfish as well. Channel catfish are good on punch bait suspended off the bottom. Channel and blue catfish are scattered. They can be caught in depths from 2-50 feet and everywhere in between in the past week. Catfish are moving daily, so don’t be afraid to try different depths, both deep and shallow. Report provided by Chad Ferguson of North Texas Catfish Guide Service and Catfish Edge

Falcon

GOOD. Water stained; 70 degrees; 42.17 feet low. Fish are in 10-15 feet of water near rock structures. Crappie are good in brush piles in 12-20 feet of water using small jigs. Bass are in the brush piles. Catfish are good, relating to the edge of the main river channel along the mouths of creeks where there are flats. Live bait is key. Bow fishing for alligator gar is fair in the backs of creeks. Report by Ram Reyes, Texas Kings Outdoors.

Fayette

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 75 degrees. Water temperatures are cooling off from the higher summer temperatures. Largemouth bass are fair on shaky head jigs, square billed crankbaits, and purple or black drop shots. Sunfish are good on shrimp, dough balls, and cut earthworms. Catfish are good on earthworms, punch bait, and cut bait.

Fork

FAIR. Water lightly stained; 62-64 degrees; 2.92 feet low. Largemouth bass are good on Carolina rigs and Viper XP jigs in black or blue along the creek bends and drop-offs in 4-8 feet of water. Medium diving crankbaits colored in a bream pattern are good on points and humps on the deeper side in 6-8 feet of water. Suspending jerk baits with black back and gold side, orange belly, or AYU are working best on the points in 4-6 feet of water and in the grass in 3-5 feet of water.

Ft. Phantom Hill

GOOD. Water stained; 56 degrees; 0.89 feet low. White bass are in 4-7 feet of water biting on hardstyle crankbaits. Docks are also productive this time of year.

Gibbons Creek

GOOD. Water stained; 61 degrees; 1.86 feet low. Fall fishing is good. White bass bite is good schooling. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs in structure. Channel blue catfish are good on live bait and stinkbait. Open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Graham

FAIR. Water lightly stained; 60 degrees; 2.31 feet low. The winds have kept anglers off the lake this week, so there are no new reports. Crappie bite has slowed with a few catches deep. They will start to school up as the water temperature declines.

Granbury

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 62 degrees; 0.41 feet low. Granbury water temperatures are around the middle 60’s. Striped bass and sand bass are fair to good under the birds from Decordova to near downtown. Black bass action is good on topwater early and soft plastics later in the day. Black bass up to six pounds are possible near main lake points and near creek channel entrances. Black bass in the river near Tin-Top continue to be fair to good near laydowns on small crankbaits. Crappies are excellent near submerged structure on the upper ends on small minnows and small jigs. Catfish of all species are also excellent on cut shad fished on feeding flats from Indian harbor to the Peninsula. Report by Michael Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters.

Granger

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 61 degrees; 0.54 feet high. Fish should be moving to shallower water as the temperatures decline. Black bass are good on medium diving crankbaits, raspberry, and watermelon Carolina rigged plastic worms and pearl or chartreuse swimbaits near points, rocky areas, flats, and channel edges. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs in brush piles. White bass are good on jigging spoons and slabs near main lake points, humps, ridges, and flats. Catfish are good on nightcrawlers and cut bait. Yellow cats are fair with live perch.

Grapevine

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 59 degrees; 0.98 feet low. The weather is perfect for getting out on the lake and fishing. White bass are good with schools moving quickly. Success comes on a stinger hook using a bait hook. Catfish are good with large fish being caught. Report by Omar Cotter, Luck O’the Irish Fishing Guide Service.

Greenbelt

SLOW. Water stained; 59 degrees; 39.97 feet low. There are few fishermen out on the lake as the Fall weather settles in. Catfishing on jugs has been reported.

Houston County

GOOD. Water stained; 64 degrees; 0.08 feet below. Dredging has the water murky. Crappie are good, suspended around brush and standing timber in water depths 12-18 feet using minnows. White bass are schooling from the surface to 20 feet of water and biting on silver slab spoons.

Hubbard Creek

EXCELLENT. Water clear; 56 degrees; 2.05 feet low. Fishing was excellent this past weekend. White bass are good located in 25-30 feet of water on main lake points and south of the islands. A slower to moderate presentation worked best using slabs, rooster tails, or small roadrunners in light colors. Report submitted by Clay Lohse, Respect the Fish Guide Service.

Jacksonville

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 65 degrees; 0.20 feet low. Largemouth bass are fair with deep diving crankbaits, shaky head jigs, Texas-rigged plastic worms near points, timber, and brush piles. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs working for timber and brush piles. Catfish are good on punch bait and cut bait.

Joe Pool

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 58 degrees; 0.96 feet low. The fish are around boat houses in brush piles and rock banks this time of year. The shad are moving to shallow, warmer water, and the fish are following to feed. Bass are biting on six-inch Motoroil worms. Crappie are good in the brush piles around boat houses biting on little minnows.

Lake O’ the Pines

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 60 degrees; 0.40 feet low. Crappie have moved to deeper water suspended at 25-30 feet of water in standing timber biting on one-eighth-ounce jigs, with the best success coming from jigs tipped with minnows. Catfish are good in 15-20 feet of water in baited holes using cheese bait. Report by Marty Thomas, Lake O the Pines Crappie Fishing.

Lavon

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 57 degrees; 3.68 feet low. Fishing is similar as we head into the Holiday season. Crappie are on good, biting jigs and minnows in submerged timber in 25-30 feet of water. White bass are good on windblown banks in 2-10 feet of water using swimbaits and spinners. Blue catfish are great in 17-25 feet of water using cut bait. Black bass are good in brush piles in 20 feet of water and along rocky ledges using Alabama rigs, creature baits, jerkbaits. Crankbait divers in 12-25 feet of water have also been successful. Report by Carey Thorn, White Bass Fishing Texas.

LBJ

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 60 degrees; 0.77 feet low. Fishing is holding true until the cold fronts roll in more consistently. The wind influences the bite by pushing the baitfish, so look to windblown points to find fish chasing their food source. Black bass are good, with an early morning topwater bite using frog imitation baits and soft plastics around shallow rocky docks. Crappie are good on brush piles using live minnows. White bass are good in the green lights at night, periodically schooling around shallow sandbars on the main lake areas during the day. Catfish are fair fresh cut shad and Danny King’s punch bait. Report by Lee Benton, Fishing Guide Austin.

Lewisville

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 57 degrees; 1.46 feet low. Fish are becoming more active, so change locations frequently to chase them around. Check the weather before heading, and be sure to follow safe boating practices. White bass are good as shallow as 6 feet early in the day, moving to 30-feet later. Crappie are good, catching average sizes on main lake brush piles in 18-22 feet on minnows and one-sixteenth ounce shad colored jigs.

Limestone

GOOD. Water clear; 60 degrees; 1.88 feet low. Largemouth bass are good in seven feet of water or less on chatterbaits, wacky worms, and lipless crankbaits. Crappie are good in 12 -22 feet of water on minnows around brush piles and standing timber. White bass are in 7-12 feet of water using silver jigging spoons. Report by Colan Gonzales, DFW Fishing Guide Booking.com.

Livingston

GOOD. Slightly stained; 62 degrees; 0.03 feet low. Fishing continues to be good. White bass are good on reaper duck tracker slabs in 9-15 feet of water. Crappie are good on jigs in the creek. Black bass are fair on crankbaits along the rip rap. Small blue catfish are good cut shad on the river banks.

Martin Creek

SLOW. 70 degrees. Water lightly stained; 2.28 feet low. Fishing has slowed due to the cold front and then the warmer weather heating the lake back up into the 70s. Sand bass action by the dam on the humps bouncing shad imitation jigs off the bottom. The crappie bite has slowed, but fish are still in 9-30 feet of water in brush piles.

Medina

FAIR. Water lightly stained; 57 degrees; 45.95 feet low. Black bass are fair on topwaters early, moving deeper with crankbaits, spinners, worms, and jigs. White bass are fair on spoons below black bass on deep points. Striped bass are fair cruising deep mid-lake. Catfish are fair on live bait, chicken livers, and blood baits.

Meredith

GOOD. Water stained; 54 degrees; 51.54 feet low. The amount of anglers on the lake has declined. Sand bass and catfish are biting in 35-40 feet of water in North Canyon. Walleye are good in 25-35 feet of water using grubs and minnows. Report by Kenneth Wysong, SharKens Honey hole.

Millers Creek

GOOD. Water stained; 47 degrees; 1.49 feet low. Largemouth bass are good on points and fishing pondweed with worms, topwater frogs, and weedless jigs. Crappie are good in the timber with minnows. White bass are fair and schooling deep off points. Catfish are fair mid-depth in coves with live and prepared bait.

Naconiche

GOOD. Water stained; 58 degrees. The bite has been challenging over the last few days. A few catches in shallower water using Junebug Mag-Worm in floating timber. Shad lures are still the best baits to throw. A slow twitched suspending jerk bait can be deadly. Bass are relating to the lake bottom in 15-20 feet of water. Catches are possible using deep diving crankbaits. The crappie population is good. Catfish are slow. Report by Eric Wolfe, NacoTack Fishing Services.

Nasworthy

GOOD. Water murky; 57 degrees. 1.11 feet low. Black bass are great as heat drives bass to shelter and deeper water. Worms, spinners, and crankbaits are good suspending above the brush and fallen timber. Crappie are good with jigs but slowing. White bass are fair mid-depth. Catfish are fair on live and prepped baits throughout the lake.

Navarro Mills

SLOW. Water lightly stained; 59 degrees; 1.10 feet low. Fishing is slow with few reports coming in. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs off the docks.

O.C. Fisher

FAIR. Water stained; 60 degrees. 41.71 feet low. Largemouth bass and white bass are great using half-inch pumpkinseed jigs and 10-inch power worms. Crappie are good on minnows near similar drops and more prominent humps. White bass are fair schooling some early but mainly deep late in the day. Catfish are fair on stinkbait, live, and cut bait.

O.H. Ivie

GOOD. Water clear; 62 degrees; 15.65 feet low. The bass fishing has been good on swimbaits, jerkbaits, and Texas rigs with a creature off the points. Crappie are good using Crappie jigs in 15-20 feet of water. Report by Brandon Burks, Burks Fishing Livescope Trips.

Oak Creek

FAIR. Water lightly stained; 57 degrees; 5.43 feet low. Few reports coming in this week as the colder weather and winds have kept people off the lake. Crappie continue to bite off the docks using little minnows.

Palestine

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 67 degrees; 0.64 feet low. The fall bite is in full swing. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows relating to timber and brush in 12-30 feet of water. Bass are good with a topwater bite early, switching to jigs later in the day. Rely on heavy structures such as the boathouse, brush piles, bridges, and laydowns. Catfish are good on cut bait and chicken liver. You will catch bigger catfish on stinkbait.

Palo Pinto

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 60 degrees; 0.24 feet low. Fishing continues to be slow due to the cold fronts rolling through. Crappie are slow on jigs and minnows near docks and moving deeper than they have been. Catfish are good on the flats using perch, chicken liver, and off docks using minnows. Report by Chelle’s Bait.

Possum Kingdom

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 62 degrees; 0.96 feet low. Striper fishing continues to be good and should continue as long as the weather holds steady. Catfish are still consistent on cut bait in 20-30 feet of water. Crappie have moved to deeper structure and will probably remain until spring. Report by TJ Ranft, Ranft Guide Service.

Proctor

SLOW. Water clear; 57 degrees; 1.51 feet low. Fishing is slow as we enter into the winter season. Crappie are fair near brush piles in Copperas Creek Park. Catfish are fair drifting in the high point area. White bass and hybrid stripers are slow on slabs. Black bass are slow.

Raven

GOOD. Water stained; 75 degrees. Fishing has been tough after the recent weather fluctuations. The lake is down about 1.5 feet from normal, and with recent rains, the lake is pretty stained with washed-down sand. Crappie are scattered in deep water biting on minnows and jigs. Bass are fair, roaming in deeper water using slow Texas rigs. Catfish are good on minnows and cut bait at night.

Ray Hubbard

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 58-60 degrees; 1.18 feet low. White bass are fair on three-fourth-ounce slabs with jig 12-inches above the slab on lower lake deep flats in 35-40 feet of water. Fish are usually suspended at the mid-water column. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows in trees 20-35 feet of water and are moving to the deep flats. Report by John Varner, John Varner’s Guide Service.

Ray Roberts

FAIR; Water lightly stained; 57 degrees; 0.65 feet low. White bass are moving quickly in 20-28 feet of water on main lake points biting on one-ounce silver and chartreuse slabs, with better luck on smaller slabs because the smaller size is most similar to what they are feeding on. The bass are moving quickly, so the bite is best on the bottom using Alabama jigs in 30-35 feet, letting the bait hit bottom and slowly reeling up. The bite is best while the wind is blowing and dies down when the wind does. Crappie are good on main lake brush piles 20-30 feet on minnows, with bigger fish in the Buck Creek area in the standing timber around 20 feet with bait suspended in the 10-12 feet of water.

Richland Chambers

GOOD. Water clear; 59 degrees; 2.14 feet low. December has started with a BANG with easy catches of both catfish and white bass. Both are in the same area, so you will spend very little time looking for fish. White bass are good using a slab and jig combination on lake points and humps in 25-30 feet of water. Catfish are excellent on Danny King’s Punch Bait in timber on the Richland Arm in 20-30 feet of water. Fish where the Cormorants roost. Largemouth bass are fair on plastics in 10-20 feet of water on Main Lake Points. The crappie bite is slow in 20 feet of water under bridges and brush piles. The best bait to use are minnows. Report by Royce Simmons, Gone Fishin’ Guide Service.

Sam Rayburn

GOOD. Water stained; 62 degrees; 3.34 feet low. Bass are relating to points and main lake brush piles using jigging spoons and crankbaits. Crappie continue to migrate into the river, with catches in the brush piles using whitehead jigs or minnows. Catfish continue to move into shallow water and into the creeks. Report by Lynn Atkinson, Reel Um N Guide Service.

Somerville

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 62 degrees; 0.23 feet low. White and hybrid bass are good with white/chartreuse jigging spoons, slabs, and live bait on main lake flats, humps, and points. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows in brush piles and timber. Catfish are good with punch bait, chicken liver, and cut bait. Largemouth bass are good with wacky rigs, shaky head jigs, diving crankbaits near the timber, brush piles, and roadbeds.

Spence

FAIR. Water stained; 61 degrees. 37.86 feet low. Fish should be moving to shallower water but still seeking structure. Crappie are good on minnows in structure. Bass are schooling up. Catfish are fair on live and cut bait coming out from flats to deeper water. Blue cats are biting on chicken liver.

Stamford

FAIR. Water stained; 56 degrees; 1.14 feet low. The crappie bite is good using Crappie minnows. Fish continue to be in 7-15 feet of water. A local fisherman reeled in a 29-pound yellow catfish, so the catfish bite is picking up.

Stillhouse

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 57 degrees; 1.51 feet low. This week’s warm and stable weather, impacted only by a weak front on Wednesday, kept the bite turned on all week, boosted by a lake week warmup. White bass are good using MAL Heavy Lures under birds and whenever fish showed to be feeding in the water column. Switching to Bladed Hazy Eye Slabs when the fish settled to the bottom was an effective 1-2 punch. Some catches of freshwater drum, striped bass, and largemouth mixed in. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service.

Sulphur Springs

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 55 degrees; 5.16 feet low. The report is the same as the weeks past. White bass are good early back to the pockets using chatter bait in water depths of 1-3 feet. Try topwaters at first light on the main lake points 1-3 feet deep using a KVD Sexy Dawg. Later, try shaky heads worms with GrandeBass Rattlesnakes or Lake Fork Tackle Baby Ring Fry in 5-8 feet of water. Largemouth bass are good on football jigs, crankbaits, and drop shots working near points, drop-offs, and fallen timber. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs near brush piles and standing timber. Catfish are fair on chicken liver, cut bait, and earthworms.

Tawakoni

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 57 degrees; 1.76 feet low. Trophy catfish are good on cut gizzard shad in 30 feet of water. Channel and blue catfish are still going over on the South end of the lake in 23-35 feet of water using worms and punch bait. Use cut bait to land the big catfish. White bass are good on the flats in the mornings. Striped bass are in the middle of the trees. Crappie are biting on minnows and jigs. Report by Keith Parks, Messin’ with the Fish.

Texana

FAIR. Water stained; 63 degrees; 0.21 feet low. Fishing has not changed too much as we are still waiting for water temperatures to drop. Largemouth bass are fair. Crankbaits, jigs, and spinners have been most successful. Crappie are fair with some slowing with jigs under vegetation. Catfish are good on stinkbait, cut bait, and live bait.

Texoma

EXCELLENT. Water lightly stained; 57 degrees; 1.37 feet low. Striped bass are good transitioning away from the slab bite to swimbaits, four-inch worms, and on windy days Alabama rigs. The dead stick bite is starting to pick up. Water temperatures dropping in the creeks will have the fish moving back out to the main lake. Winter is the best time to catch trophy catfish. Report by John Blasingame, Adventure Texoma Outdoors.

Toledo Bend

GOOD. Water clear; 66-71 degrees; 4.18 feet low. The water level is 167.8, with no generators running and rain this week. The water is clear in the main lake and extra clear in feeder creeks. The weather has been stable the last few weeks, so the report is about the same. Some bluegill are showing up under the docks again, and bass have moved to the shallows. The crappie bite has been “off the chart” this week. Big crappie (up to two pounds) have been caught. Largemouth bass are in 4-6 feet of water on small square bill crankbaits flat-sided, white spinnerbaits, Carolina rigs, Texas rig worms, lizards, craw worms, and senkos. The kayakers have been producing bass casting jerk baits, red rattle traps, and spinnerbaits in white and chartreuse, also in shallow water. Flyrodders should use hollow body flies (shad and bluegill colors), Clouser minnows (chartreuse/white or all black), and black/red spoon fly. Good numbers of bass are being caught offshore with their electronics using a half-ounce to once chrome jigging spoons and deep-diving crankbaits and umbrella rigs in 10-15 feet of water off points close to deep water. The catfish bite has been good on chicken livers or live perch in 12-15 feet of water near the river channel adjacent to stump field flats. Cold weather is on its way, so the fish bite will change overnight. Important: With freezing temperatures approaching, remember to stow your outboard in a down position allowing the water to drain thoroughly so it doesn’t freeze and crack housings. Here’s another hint to save you $$$, keep your batteries fully charged through the winter. Caution: Toledo Bend is very low right now. Be extra careful running the boat lanes as there are many stumps and obstacles. If you don’t know the area, idle in! Safety Reminders: Everyone needs to wear their life jackets (PFDs). Inspect your lanyard (for wear and tear) on your engine kill switch before leaving the boat ramp to make sure they are in good operating conditions. Keep your cell phone in a waterproof pouch and attach it to your person in case you get separated from the boat. You will then be able to call someone for help. Good luck and tight lines! Report from Captain Steve (Scooby) Stubbe, Mudfish Adventures LLC, Mudfish Rod Shop, Kayak/Guide Service.

Travis

GOOD. Slightly stained; 67 degrees; 18.64 feet low. Overall the bite has been challenging. Bass are fair in 25-30 feet of water in coves. Dropshot and jigs imitating a crawfish have brought a few catches in the boat. Water clarity has improved all over the lake, seeing rocks 10-12 feet. Report by Captain Randal Frisbie, Central Texas Fishing Guide.

Twin Buttes

GOOD. Water stained. 57 degrees. 12.30 feet low. Crappie are good with limits reeling in on live bait off the bottom in 32 feet of water. Report by Captain Michael Peterson, 4 Reel Fun Guide Service.

Tyler

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 62 degrees; 0.62 feet low. The crappie bite has slowed, and the fish have moved out to deeper water. Crappie are still biting on minnows. Channel and blue catfish are good on chicken breast, minnows, and anything garlic. Bass are good on trick worms and spinnerbaits. Report by Paul Taylor, The Boulders at Lake Tyler.

Waco

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 60 degrees; 2.62 feet low. Catfish are good when drifting main lake flats and channel ledges on fresh-cut baits like shad and perch. White bass and hybrid bass are in the main lake. Report by Jason “SPUD” Barton, Cattin’ Around Adventure’s Professional Guide Service.

Walter E. Long

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 71 degrees. The fish are feeding up as the water temperatures continue to drop. The bass are schooling deep into the coves, staying within 10-12 feet of water or deep inside the reeds. Catfish are good on chicken liver, live and punch bait. Sunfish are good on crickets, cutworms, and shrimp pieces.

Weatherford

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 59 degrees; 2.65 feet low. The lake is low, but the boat ramp is still accessible. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits or jigs in black or blue colors shallow around docks. Crappie are fair to good at the Crappie House in 12 feet of water using baits that mimic shad such as black or chartreuse jigs, electric chicken, or blue thunder. Catfish are fair to good.

White River

SLOW. Water stained; 60 degrees; 21.30 feet low. Crappie are good around the pier in 4-6 feet of water using a chartreuse-colored jig tipped with crappie bite.

Whitney

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 59 degrees; 2.13 feet low. Striped bass are good on live bait and down rigged jigs from the Island to Bear Creek. Follow the bird actions to locate schooling fish. Report by Michael Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters.

Worth

GOOD. Water stained; 59 degrees; 0.96 feet low. Crappie are good around boat docks on jigs and minnows and on structure in mid-depths. Bass are fair on main lake points and ledges. Catfish are good on cut shad and cut bait in all depths. Fish are scattered with current water temps and can be caught deep, shallow, and in-between depths. If you cover a lot of water and pay close attention to your electronics (and are patient), catfish can be caught in good numbers. Large blue catfish are also biting. Report provided by Chad Ferguson of North Texas Catfish Guide Service and Catfish Edge

Wright Patman

GOOD. Water lightly stained; 57 degrees; 3.53 feet high. Largemouth bass are good on drop shots, shad like crankbaits, and football jigs on humps, flats, and points. White bass are fair on live bait and slabs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs near timber and brush piles. Catfish are good on chicken liver, punch or live bait.

Zebra Mussel Alert To prevent the spread of zebra mussels, the law requires draining of water from boats and onboard receptacles when leaving or approaching public fresh waters. Get details.