Freshwater Weekly Fishing Report Week of July 17, 2025

Alan Henry: FAIR. Water clear; 81 degrees; 1.00 feet below pool. Crappie are fair in 25-35 feet of water over trees with jigs and minnows. Report by The Bait Shop, Post, Texas.
Amistad: GOOD. Water very stained; 82 degrees; 61.55 feet below pool. Lake conditions are holding steady with no significant changes from last week. Report by Shon Riley, Lake Amistad Fishing Guides.
Arlington: GOOD. Water slightly stained; 82 degrees; 0.01 feet below pool. Water temperatures are starting to come down after the recent rainfall. The bite has been solid early in the morning on topwaters and crankbaits. As the day progresses, fish are transitioning to points and brush piles, where worms, creature baits, and jigs are producing well. Now is a great time to cover water early, then slow down and target structure once the sun gets up.
Arrowhead: FAIR. Water stained; 85 degrees; 0.50 feet below pool. The fishing has really picked up. Most of the catfish are done spawning. Catfish can be caught drifting with fresh cut shad, or fishing over baited holes with punch bait. White bass can be caught, trolling crankbaits, or rattle traps. Report by Brandon Brown, Brown’s Guide Service.
Athens: GOOD. Water normal stain; 84 degrees; 0.35 feet above pool. Summer fishing patterns are holding steady. Bass are good in grass in 8-12 feet of water with Texas rig worms, wacky rig senkos and crankbaits. Bass are good on brush in 15-18 feet of water with spoons and Texas rig worms. Crappie are slow on small jigs over brush. Report by Reagan Nelson, Lake Athens Bass Guide.
Austin: GOOD. Water normal stain; 81 degrees; 0.50 feet below pool. Most of the creeks flowing into Lake Austin carried a lot of water this week. There is quite a bit of debris around the lake and a good stain to the water. There is a good shallow bite early in the morning. Whopper ploppers, spooks, poppers, and weightless flukes are getting bites. Once the sun is up fish are moving out deeper around brush piles. Texas rig worms fished slow around and through brush piles is good. A lot of fish are chasing small baitfish out in the river channel. Small jighead minnow style baits are good around these areas. If they’re shallow in the water column they react well to a jerkbait as well. Still a lot of grass growing around the lake and a ton of bluegill in it. Report by Carson Conklin, ATX Fishing.
B.A. Steinhagen: FAIR. Water stain; 84 degrees; 0.39 feet below pool. Very few anglers on the water.
Bastrop: GREAT. Water stained; 90 degrees. Summer fishing patterns are steady. Largemouth bass are schooling in the evenings on flats in 15-22 feet of water biting small green plastics.
Belton: FAIR. Water stained; 83 degrees; 8.04 feet above pool. Live Oak Ridge, McGregor, and Owl Creek ramps are closed. The lake is very high, with 7.96 feet of flood water and still rising. White bass fishing has gotten tougher as the strong topwater bite has greatly diminished with the rising water. As the lake has risen the white bass have moved shallow under 28 feet of water. Early morning and late evening at low light is best. Downrigging excels right now as it covers water and allows precise depth control. Use #12 Pet Spoons on multi-layer rigs. If, as you down-rig, side-imaging reveals white bass schools to the side of your boat, Spot-Lock cross-wind from them and cast MAL Heavy Lures to them while continuing to keep tabs on them with side-imaging. Use the sawtooth method so the lure doesn’t rise too far from bottom at any time in the retrieve. Sunfish can be caught easily in the flooded terrestrial vegetation in the back of most coves, especially those with rock and, or wood present. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service. Navigate with caution watching for floating debris due to the rise in water. Anglers can find blue catfish around points and sand flats in 10-25 feet of water. Larger fresh cut baits have been effective for trophy size fish. Eater fish under 10 pounds are active and slow drifting with small cut shad along sand flats will produce. Channel catfish are good and can be caught on punch bait in 10-20 feet of water. Flathead catfish are excellent on live bait in shallow water around river mouths. Report by Brian Worley, B&S Catfishing.
Benbrook: GOOD. Water stained; 83 degrees; 1.23 feet above pool. Lots of floating debris floating and debris on the bank. Catfish are excellent on cut bait and punch bait in 20-40 feet of water. Crappie are good on live minnows and jigs. Hybrid bass are good in 20-40 feet on live bait. Report by Hundley’s Guide Service.
Bob Sandlin: FAIR. Water stained; 83 degrees; 0.05 feet above pool. Catching numbers of small bass on points, but the larger bass are slow. Crappie are good on deep timber with jigs and minnows. The best times have been early and late. Channel catfish have been on fire. Big blue catfish are good at night in the flats by deeper channels. Report by Chris Caswell, Lake Bob Sandlin Crappie Fishing Guide. Flyfishing for bass should produce bass with Dock knockers and small clousers around retaining walls. Look for midday shade near boat houses. Topwater patterns in lilies should be good at mid and late day. Catfish are shallow, wooly buggers should work well. Clousers on sunny rocky shores might draw a strike. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service. Crappie continue to congregate on structure, schooling on timber in 10-30 feet of water. Minnows are preferred over jigs. The quality of fish is phenomenal. Report by River Bottom Boys Guide Service.
Bois d’Arc: GOOD. water normal stain; 90 degrees; 0.07 feet above pool. Bass can be caught early in the morning in pond weed with popping frogs, or poppers at the edge of grass. Chatterbaits are fair on points with bushes 3-7 feet. Bass are good with Texas rigs, creature baits or beavers around big timber and old road beds in 3-7 feet. Offshore bite has been slow but pond dams and brush piles, rock piles are fair with Carolina rigs and Texas rigs, big worms, brush Hawgs, or flukes best in 6-18 feet. Report by Marc Mitchell, Mitchell’s Guide Service. Crappie limits are still possible but will take some time. Target fish on timber from 15-30 feet of water with minnows over jigs. The key will be to cover water to catch the active fish, do not beg them to bite. Report by River Bottom Boys Guide Service.
Brady: FAIR. Water stained; 80 degrees; 0.44 feet below pool. The lake is very low and ramps are closed. There is a temporary use ramp available. It is possible to catch crappie and bass from the crappie house and from the bank.
Braunig: GOOD. Water stained, 85 degrees. Redfish bite is excellent, especially in the shallows during the morning and evening, with schools holding in 15-25 feet of water throughout the day. Anglers are having success trolling and casting with shrimp, dead crawfish, fish bite, and both live and dead tilapia, with fish averaging 5-15 pounds. Striper and catfish action remains slow, but bank fishing has been excellent at times, using shrimp, crawfish, tilapia, and fish bites. Report by Manny Martinez, Fishing With Manny.
Bridgeport: FAIR. Water normal stain; 86 degrees; 0.19 feet above pool. Crappie bite is fair on dock poles and brush piles. Largemouth bass bite is decent using jigs, crankbaits, and soft plastic baits near docks and rock points, white bass bite is good and hybrids are fair on main lake humps with slabs or live shad. Catfish bite is good on cut bait or live shad. Report by Jack Pellegrini, Lake Bridgeport Crappie Guide Service.
Brownwood: GOOD. Water slightly stained; 86 degrees; 0.42 feet above pool. Black bass to 6 pounds are slow in 3-15 feet of water on big soft plastics, wacky rig senkos and Hag’s Outlier Frogs in the shoreline grass. Crappie are good to 11 inches on minnows and jigs in 10-18 feet on deeper large docks with brush on the main lake and on scattered brush piles. White bass are fair to 1.5 pounds on crappie jigs and crankbaits out of the lights at night. Catfish are Slow on cut shad on the main lake flats.
Bryan: GOOD. Water stained; 85 degrees. Bass are pushing out toward main lake points, and offshore structure. The evening bite is the most productive. Report by the Aggie Anglers.
Buchanan: EXCELLENT. Water slight stain; 80 degrees; 0.48 feet below pool. Water is stained mid lake and muddy around Garrett Island and north. Trolling with downriggers and umbrella rigs produced stripers and hybrids in 18-32 feet of waters. Look for cleaner pockets of water. Topwater is hit-or-miss but they are coming up on top mixed striper and white bass. Catfish are good at the mouth of the river and up river with the inflows. Report by Captain Aaron Dick, One Up Fishing Guide. The Lower Colorado River Authority is advising the public to avoid the lake for the remainder of the week while lake conditions are dangerous due to floating debris, fast currents and possible bacteria levels associated with flooding. Check the LCRA website current conditions. Two flood gates are open.
Caddo: SLOW. Water stained; 86 degrees; 0.88 feet above pool. Lake conditions are good as current continues to flow from Lake of the Pines, so the schooling bass action is starting to heat up. A Pop R, plopper, fluke, frog and a small spinnerbait are good for schooling fish. Grass and lily pad fish will hit the ribbits or a frog, or a fluke bounced over the pads. Look for the birds or bait around the pads to locate fish. Tree fish can still be caught on big worms and senkos. Look for the deeper single trees. It is just majestic out here on this divine lake we call Caddo. Report provided by Vince Richards, Caddo Lake Fishing & Fellowship.
Calaveras: GREAT. Water stained, 89 degrees. Redfish action is excellent trolling, and bottom fishing using tilapia, shrimp, crawfish, and fish bites in a variety of flavors. Early mornings are best in the shallows, around 5-10 feet, while fish can also be found deeper up to 20 feet. Channel and blue catfish are also biting well in 5-25 feet of water on shrimp, tilapia, stink bait, and fish bites. Bank fishing has been productive for both redfish and catfish using shrimp, crawfish, and fish bites. Striper bite remains slow. Report by Manny Martinez, Fishing With Manny.
Canyon Lake: GOOD. Water slightly stained; 85 degrees; 18.18.10 feet below pool. The lake rose over 15 feet in a week after the recent flooding. Be sure to call and check on conditions before heading out. Navigate with caution watching for floating debris.
Cedar Creek: GOOD. Water slightly stained; 85 degrees; 0.25 feet above pool. Water level is 3 inches low. Big numbers of white bass and several trophy-class hybrid stripers have hit the deck. There is consistent action in 15-22 feet of water. A good go-to setup include a variety of slabs, spinnerbaits and the always-reliable yellow bladed Bo Blade spinner using the proven saw tooth retrieve technique. Trolling spoons with a hellbender set up at 3 mph in 13–17 feet of water is absolutely crushing the white bass. Water temperatures are currently holding around 83-86 degrees and will continue to rise as summer heats up over the next couple of weeks. Report by Brent Herbeck, Herbeck’s Lonestar Fishing Guide Service. Catfish are good anchoring on main lake humps and points in 13-24 feet, or drifting flat areas in 10-20 feet. Report by Jason Barber, Kings Creek Adventures.
Choke Canyon: SLOW. Water stained; 84 degrees; 36.21 feet below pool. With the lake currently at only 42 feet, all boat ramps are closed at this time. However, bank fishing has been excellent, especially for crappie, white bass, and both blue and channel catfish. For the latest updates and safety information, please contact Texas Parks and Wildlife. Report by Manny Martinez, Fishing With Manny.
Cisco: GREAT. Water stained; 80 degrees; 13.61 feet below pool. Reports of stringers of catfish caught. Report by Lake Cisco Rentals.
Coleman: FAIR. Water normal stain; 84 degrees; 0.66 feet below pool. Black bass to 2 pounds are slow in 10-20 feet of water around the lake off points with a scope minnow. Crappie are excellent to 14 inches on minnows in 8-15 feet under docks in Rattlesnake Cove on the right side going in. Hybrid bass are good to 6 pounds on squarebill crankbaits in the lighted docks. Catfish are slow on prepared bait, nightcrawlers and chicken livers.
Coleto Creek: FAIR. Water slightly stained, 87 degrees; 0.16 feet below. Water remains stained and the lake level is still high. The bass bite is fair at best, with most action coming on soft plastics fished off extended points and around timber in 6-12 feet of water. Report by Scott Springer, Fish Choke Canyon Lake.
Comanche Creek: 0.54 feet above pool. Comanche Creek is closed for the summer and will reopen in October.
Conroe: GREAT. Water stained; 88 degrees; 0.07 feet above pool. Finding a thermocline in 32-39 feet. Catfish have finished spawning and are now scattered throughout the lake, with anglers catching a mix of smaller fish and solid keepers, often alongside bream. Largemouth bass are producing well around docks, offshore structures, and bream beds, with crankbaits and soft plastics working best. Crappie fishing is fair to poor, with fish holding near submerged structures in 15-25 feet of water. Bream are active and bedding, commonly found near shallow docks, grass lines, and almost any structure. Rock structures along the dam and bridge pilings are also holding multiple species. Report by Bradley Doyle, Bradley’s Guide Service. Hybrid stripers are biting well on slabs, spoons, and live bait over flats and drop-offs in 12-30 feet. Check the tooth patches with the Outdoor Annual app to distinguish between white bass and hybrids. Always wear your life jacket. Report by Mike Cason, Fishical Therapy.
Cooper: GOOD. Water stained; 80 degrees: 0.11 feet below pool. As the summer temperatures increase the water temperature target crappie are in deeper timber along the river channel, and brush piles. Start on the edge of the timber line working towards the dam then to the timber in coves. Summer bite is typically best on live bait. Report by River Bottom Boys Guide Service.
Corpus Christi Lake: GOOD. 80 degrees; 14.16 feet below pool. Reports of a 3 foot 10 inch, 14.63 pound longnose gar, and a buffalo carp. A fun and memorable outing with some solid fish landed! Report by Weber’s Landing.
Cypress Springs: FAIR: Water normal stain; 83 degrees; 0.08 feet above pool. Catching numbers of small bass on points, but the larger bass are slow. Crappie are good on deep timber with jigs and minnows. The best times have been early and late. Channel catfish have been on fire. Big blue catfish are good at night in the flats by deeper channels. Report by Chris Caswell, Lake Bob Sandlin Crappie Fishing Guide. Crappie are excellent on brush piles and docks but you will have to weed through numbers of small fish to catch a limit. Minnows are outperforming jigs. Report by River Bottom Boys Guide Service.
Eagle Mountain: FAIR. Water normal stain; 87 degrees; 0.03 feet above pool. Thermocline has set in 25-30 feet of water. Catfish are good on manufactured baits in 28 feet of water. Sand bass are good on slabs and shallow water crankbaits under the lights. Crappie are fair in deep water brush piles on jigs. Report by Captain Bobby Mann, Catch a Dream Guide Service.
Falcon: GOOD. Water stained; 89 degrees; 46.15 feet below pool. Trophy catfish has been strong in 10-30 feet of water using live bait or fresh cut bait like tilapia, shad, and perch. Keeper-size catfish are being caught in shallower water, 3-15 feet deep, on stink bait, shrimp, or small pieces of fresh cut bait. Alligator gar action is good near the mouths of creeks in 10-20 feet of water using fresh cut carp and tilapia. Bowfishing has also been excellent on warm, sunny days, with clear water making for great visibility. Report by Ram Reyes, Ram Outdoors.
Fayette: GOOD. Water slightly stained; 92 degrees. Grass is looking good, so cast a frog to see if you can get a bass to bite. Bass are good 20 feet of water biting deep diving crankbaits, shaky heads and Carolina rigs. The bite slows midday. Perch can be caught from the bank to 10 feet of water on nightcrawlers. Report by Mark Fransen, Fransen’s Guide Service.
Fork: GOOD. Water Stained; 90 degrees; 0.44 feet above pool. Bass are good with frogs, buzz baits and poppers early morning on points and grass lines or around pond weed. Mid morning bite is good on shaky heads and square bill crankbaits around docks and bream beds in 3-6 feet of water. Offshore bite has slowed due to the full moon, but should bounce back. Carolina rigs, deep crankbaits, power shaky heads and Texas rigs around road beds, points, humps and channel swings in 15-24 feet are good. Report by Marc Mitchell, Mitchell’s Guide Service. Lily fields are filling in, hydrilla and milfoil are reaching for the surface. Fish this type of cover at mid day when bass are seeking cover. Frog patterns are working in the shallow vegetation early and late. Small fish patterns like a dock knocker are producing bass and crappie shallow near grass. Large bream have moved shallow, wooly buggers are producing good fish. Channel catfish are cruising 2-4 feet biting clousers. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service. Lake Fork crappie fishing is in a summer pattern with fish loaded up on brush piles, laydowns and trees. Best depths seem to be 14-24 feet of water with fish all up and down the water column. It is time to go to small minnows, small hand tied baits, small soft plastics and many times you keep those baits moving over fish. We are still weeding through a tremendous number of short crappie, but this means the future of crappie fishing is looking very good. Report by Jacky Wiggins, Jacky Wiggins Guide Service.
Ft. Phantom Hill: FAIR. Water stained; 85 degrees; 2.83 feet below pool. Bass are slow flipping shallow water. Crappie can be caught with minnows or jigs in shade and brush.
Georgetown: GOOD. normal stain; 84 degrees; 9.92 feet below pool. Some bass are a bit deeper and a shaky head works wonders on this lake around offshore humps and ledges. Find some lay laydowns in around 3-5 feet and flip those for some good bites. Report by Bryan Cotter, Texas Hawgs.
Graham: FAIR. Water stained; 80 degrees; 0.44 feet above pool. Fishing is improving. Water is still standing. Bass are good in shallow water vegetation. Crappie are good in brush about 10 feet deep. Sand bass and hybrids are good on spoons and jigs as fish school on main lake points. Catfish are good on main lake flats with cut shad.
Granbury: GOOD. Water stained; 83 degrees; 0.15 feet below pool. Water temperatures are in the middle 80s and clearing. Sand bass continue to be abundant on many areas of the lake from in-town by the Shores to the dam. Look for surface schooling action early and late. Striped bass are hit and miss, but when you get on them look out. Some good striped bass to 10 pounds are possible on the lower ends on bait and trolled jigs/crankbaits. Largemouth bass are good in numbers and many are schooling with the sand bass on feeding flats in town to Blue Water shores. Some of the bigger largemouth are near creek entrances and deeper docks. Best baits for largemouth are spinner baits and crankbaits early with soft plastics working later in the morning. Crappie reports are mixed, but small minnows and jigs worked near underwater structures like flooded timber from Water’s Edge to Bentwater are reported as good. Best catfish action is reported in the evening using cut shad or prepared baits. Some big blue catfish and yellow catfish are possible to 25 pounds. Report by Michael Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters.
Granger: GOOD. Water lightly stained; 84 degrees; 5.25 feet above pool. Water is 4 feet above normal and clearing slowly. Everything is slow except the catfish. Blue and channel are very good to 20 pounds on shad and Zote soap. Jug lines and drop lines in the flooded trees are working well. Report by Tommy Tidwell, Tommy Tidwell’s Granger Lake Guide Service.
Grapevine: GOOD. Water normal stain; 85 degrees; 0.48 feet above pool. White bass are good with fish suspended in 30 feet of water. A thumper with jigging spoons will put fish in the boat. Report by Omar Cotter, Luck O’the Irish Fishing Guide Service.
Greenbelt: SLOW. Water normal stain; 80 degrees; 47.76 feet below pool. Reports of good catches of sand bass on minnows. Few reports of crappie. The lake did receive some rain, but be sure to call to inquire about launching conditions before heading out.
Hawkins: GOOD. Water slightly stained. 80 degrees. Topwater lures early and late will produce good black bass action. Bream should be making their move shallow for their spawn. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service.
Houston County: FAIR. Water stained; 86 degrees; 0.36 feet above pool. Bass are on deeper brush and shaded docks with soft plastics. Crappie are on deep brush biting minnows and jigs.
Hubbard Creek: FAIR. Water Stained; 80 degrees; 11.15 feet below pool. Bass are fair to good with soft plastics in brush piles. Crappie are on brush piles biting minnows or jigs. Several anglers out trolling for white bass.
Inks: SLOW: Water normal stain; 85 degrees; 2.19 feet below pool. The Lower Colorado River Authority is advising the public to avoid the lake for the remainder of the week while lake conditions are dangerous due to floating debris, fast currents and possible bacteria levels associated with flooding. Check the LCRA website current conditions.
Jacksonville: GOOD. Water slightly stained; 88 degrees; 0.15 feet above pool. The lake is muddy after the recent storms. Bass are biting soft plastics and jigs on brush and structure at any depth above the thermocline. The thermocline varies from 9-22 feet. Schooling bass can be caught with rattletraps, swimbaits, and topwaters.
Joe Pool: GREAT. Water normal stain; 80 degrees; 0.75 above pool. Fishing is good but scattered. The lake is full pool and holding steady. Water temperatures are in the low to mid 80s, and will rise as temperatures get hotter. Bass can be found shallow during the early morning hours before the sun gets up. You can catch them with topwater and small soft plastics Texas rigged. Look for submerged pond weed. The shallow fish will be your 12-14 inch fish with the occasional slot fish. Once the sun gets up the bite moves out to mid depths 5-12 feet of water. Here you can use soft plastics, mid depth crankbaits in shad color, and drop shot. Look for timber and submerged brush and structure. Larger slot fish and the occasional over slot fish are in this depth range. You have to time it right due to there being bite windows where they feed then shut off. If you are not getting bit keep moving. Crappie are out on your favorite summer deep spots on minnows. Please wear your life jacket and be mindful of the weather. Be sure your boat is equipped with safety equipment, bilge pumps, batteries. It could save your life. Go fishing and wear your life jacket! Report by Gilbert Miller, GTB Outdoors.
Lake O’ the Pines: GOOD. Water normal stain; 90 degrees; 2.03 feet above pool. Bass are good on shallow flats next to deep water with lipless crankbaits and square bill crankbaits. Topwater baits are good early morning and late afternoon. Crappie are good on slip cork minnows or jigs 12-15 feet of water on brush piles and timber. Report by Brian Vickery Fishing.
Lavon: GOOD. Water lightly stained; 85 degrees; 0.32 feet above pool. Crappie are in 9-25 feet of water on timber and brush. Timber is more consistent for keepers and bigger fish on laydowns in 10-12 feet. Minnows are king out fishing jigs. Plenty on the boat ramps with a cast net 3/16 net. White bass are good in 15-20 feet on main lake points all day with a 1 ounce white or chartreuse slab bounced off the bottom. A splasher is still working to bring fish to the boat. Most slabs come with treble hooks, but if you cut all but one hook off it will make getting fish off the hook easier. Catfish are good using punch bait as you chum in 10-15 feet of water with range cubes. Black bass are really good in the mornings on red, or chartreuse and white spinnerbaits in 7 feet of water. Then switch over to 3-6 foot divers, and if that is not working switch to the 12 foot diver in crawfish color or sexy shad. Swim jigs and senkos are working in the floating tire reefs. Target bass around boat ramps, underwater rock, piles, flooded brush, and any of the riprap. Live Scope with a swimbait over crappie piles is super fun right now. Lots of bass in the 10-20 feet range in the piles. If you have side imaging, locate predominantly any submerged boat ramp, and you should have some pretty good luck there. Bluegills are really good on almost every brush pile in 15 feet of water with earthworms and bacon crickets. Use a 2-4 pound fishing line, any heavier on the line and the catch ratio dwindles. Average size fish is 6-8 inches with 9 inch kickers. Report by Carey Thorn, White Bass Fishing Texas.
LBJ: SLOW. Water stained; 85 degrees; 0.53 feet below pool. The Lower Colorado River Authority is advising the public to avoid the lake for the remainder of the week while lake conditions are dangerous due to floating debris, fast currents and possible bacteria levels associated with flooding. Check the LCRA website current conditions.
Lewisville: FAIR. Water normal stain; 84 degrees; 0.27 feet above pool. White bass and keeper sized hybrid stripers are slow to fair on points and humps in 15-32 feet of water. Slabs, spoons, spinnerbaits, and live bait are working. 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. Blue catfish are fair to good on cut shad on anchor or drifting humps, points, and flats in 15-35 feet of water. Channel catfish are good on baited holes on humps and points in 15-35 feet of water on cut shad or punch bait. Crappie are fair in 15-28 feet of water. Check brush piles, submerged timber, laydowns, rock piles, and submerged cover close to a drop off ledge. Minnows and jigs are catching those fish. Report by Wes Campbell, BendARod Fishing.
Limestone: GOOD. Water normal stain; 89 degrees; 0.32 feet above pool. Catfish noodling is excellent under bank washouts and boat ramps. Docks with lights are good at night for white bass. Lake cleared up even more this week. Fresh willow tree piles are best for crappie right now they need to be set in 17 feet of water. Largemouth bass continue to be good in 4-14 feet of water with boat docks, bulkheads, and rocks with chatterbaits, Texas rigs, Carolina rigs, and spinnerbaits. Report by Colan Gonzales, Lake Limestone Guide Service.
Livingston: GOOD. normal stain; 85 degrees; 0.48 feet above pool. Bite has been great in the morning and afternoons. Look for schooling fish right after daylight and late in the evenings. Catching most white bass in 6-17ft but can be caught on humps in 24-30ft as well. Ducktracker slabs have been the ticket. Water temp is sitting around 88 degrees. Catfish have been decent on flats 10-20ft. Drifting shad. Largemouth have been good on swim jigs and hitting rocks on wind blown points with square bill crank baits. You can use this report for the rest of July. Nothing will change much.Report by Michael Richardson, Lake Livingston Adventures.
Marble Falls: SLOW. normal stain; 85 degrees; 0.69 feet below pool. The City of Marble Falls has temporarily closed the lake due to flooding conditions.
Martin Creek: GOOD. Water slightly stained; 92 degrees; 0.08 feet below pool. Bass are fair to good early and late along the edge of the hydrilla. Texas rigged worms are working best. Crappie are good in brush piles and standing timber with bottom depth 25-30 feet. Minnows and pintail jigs are working well.
Medina: SLOW. Water lightly stained; 78 degrees; 82.35 feet below pool. The lake is very low, only 2.5-percent full. At this time there is no access to fish. Some reports of anglers fishing in the river.
Meredith: GREAT. Water stained; 81 degrees; 44.12 feet below pool. Bass fishing is good, with sand bass being caught all over the lake – gray or pink jig-heads with red eyes paired with pearl blue or pearl white grubs are producing well. White jerkbaits, rattling shad, and minnows have also been effective for both largemouth and smallmouth. Catfish action is great, especially around Harbor Bay and Bugbee, with shrimp, frozen shad and cut bait working well; some are even being caught off the docks. Crappie fishing is fair, with catches coming from the Sanford Yake area, Blue West, and the shallows around Fritch Fortress. Perch and bluegill are biting great under docks and in shallow areas using worms and corn. Walleye are excellent, especially in the evenings and at night, with minnows, bottom bouncers with floating worm harnesses, pearl blue plastics, white or gray crankbaits, and vibrating blades all producing. Trout action has slowed, with fair results at Spring Canyon and the Stilling Basin. Report by Dave Wright, Wright-On Bait, Tackle and Watercraft Rental.
Millers Creek: FAIR. Water stained; 83 degrees; 1.22 feet below pool. Crappie have improved to fair in 3-4 feet of water. Fish are a few weeks from spawning. Sand bass are fair around the dam when shad are surfacing. Shad are spawning so the bite should improve the bite for all species. Channel and blue catfish are slow in 15 feet of water. Bass are good pitching creature baits and plastic worms shallow and hardwoods.
Nacogdoches: GOOD. Water stained; 85 degrees; 0.33 feet above pool. Largemouth bass are excellent in 13-20 feet of water on deep diving crankbaits and Carolina rig or Texas rig. Lots of 2-4 pound jigs. Crappie are excellent on small chartreuse or white crappie jigs. Bigger 12-15 inch fish are on standing timber near creek channel swings, with smaller 10-12 inch fish on brush in 10-12 feet of water. Catfish are fair with live minnows and cut bait. Report by Cal Cameron, Cal’s ETX Guide Service.
Naconiche: GOOD. Water slightly stained; 88 degrees; 0.50 feet above pool. The summer pattern is official. Basically the same for the next few months. Jump out early and late, but if you can stand the heat, you might get rewarded. Offshore fishing has been productive, with fish stacking up in a suspended pattern around 8-10 feet of water. The thermocline is fully set in, so avoid fishing below it. Downsized lures are working best, so try a 6-8 feet diver in natural shad colors. Larger bites are also coming in 8-10 feet near the bottom, with squarebill crankbaits and small swimbaits getting most of the action, though a big worm rigged for cranking or crawling through timber near boat lanes in the backs of creek can be key. Do not forget to throw an Alabama rig or topwater early and late for aggressive feeders. Report by Eric Wolfe, NacoTack Fishing Services. Largemouth bass are excellent on large swimbaits or Carolina rigs along grass lines. Crappie are good on 1/32 ounce chartreuse or white crappie jigs in the laydowns in the timber fields. Catfish are fair on stink bait. Report by Cal Cameron, Cal’s ETX Guide Service.
Nasworthy: FAIR. Water slightly stained; 79 degrees. 0.82 feet below pool. The bass bite has been good flipping soft plastics around reed bases in 1-3 feet of water. The spawn is ending and bass are staying in the shallows as the water temperature rises to the 80s. The key is to cover water until you find a good stretch that holds multiple bass. Focus on holes in the reed banks where bass will set up on their beds. Watch for balls of bass fry because a fry guarder will be close by. Crappie were fair around main lake boat docks on chartreuse jigs and catfish were fair on cut bait and stink bait around river channel bends. Report provided by the Angelo State Fishing Team.
Navarro Mills: SLOW. Water stained; 85 degrees; 1.97 feet above pool. Few anglers on the lake as the lake continues to drop. White bass are slow and difficult to find. Crappie are slow on brush piles hitting jigs or minnows. Seeing more than normal yellow catfish on brush piles and near docks. Catfish are good for eaters with shad and perch. Largemouth bass are slow. Report by Navarro Mills Marina.
O.C. Fisher: SLOW. Water stained; 85 degrees; 28.97 feet below pool. Few reports and anglers fishing due to low lake levels.
O.H. Ivie: FAIR. Water slightly stained; 81 degrees; 15.80 feet below pool. Black bass are fair to 7 pounds on Hags outlier frogs and newly flooded brush working best. Bass can be caught on small worms and creature baits 5 feet or less. Crappie are slow with some being reported around Bluffs around Lee Day, Cemetery Hole and in front of Ranger Cove. White bass slow with some reports best fishing at night over lights main Lake. Catfish are good upriver in dirtier water with current. Cash add cheese bake and stink baits working best in shower water. Report by Wendell Ramsey, Ramsey Fishing.
Oak Creek: SLOW. Water lightly stained; 85 degrees; 19.56 feet below pool. Few reports due to the fluctuation of water level. Report by Bronte Guns and Tackle Pro Staff.
Palestine: GOOD. Water stained; 90 degrees; 0.03 feet at pool. Crappie are good on brush in 14 feet of water with minnows, or in timber in 18-25 feet of water with jigs. Channel catfish and small blue catfish are good near reading walls with stink bait or cut bait. Bass are good in 4-7 feet of water with senkos. White bass are good around sunrise in the morning on main lake points with small rattletraps or shallow diving crankbaits.
Palo Pinto: SLOW. Water stained; 87 degrees; 0.05 feet above pool. Blue catfish and yellow catfish are good in shallow water early mornings with cut bait. Sand bass and hybrids are slow. Crappie continue to bite in deeper water on minnows. Muddy conditions are clearing after the recent rains. Report by Lake Palo Pinto RV Park.
Pinkston: GOOD. Slightly stained; 85 degrees. Largemouth bass are good on Carolina rigs and dropshots around grass lines. Crappie are fair with white, clear or chartreuse crappie jigs in large brush piles. Catfish are good with live minnows or cut bait in deep water. Report by Cal Cameron, Cal’s ETX Guide Service.
Possum Kingdom: FAIR. Water slightly stained; 87 degrees; 0.23 feet above pool. Stripers are fair in 20-40 feet of water. The best bite has been live bait but it can be difficult to find. Fish are moving fast, so you will have to slowly move around and pick them off one at a time. Sand bass are fair to good and moving quickly in 5-20 feet of water on main lake points. Chrome and white seem to be out producing all other colors. Catfish are fair to good on cut shad in 10-20 feet of water fished on the bottom. Baited holes are your best bet to catch numbers but will not produce big fish. Bait with cattle cubes and wait 2-3 hours before fishing. Use punch bait for best results on baited holes. Catfish should be going into spawn soon so it should start to slow down until they are done spawning. Water clarity is 2-6 feet of visibility but slightly stained on the south end. Report by TJ Ranft, Ranft Guide Service.
Proctor: FAIR. Water stained; 86 degrees; 1.41 feet above pool. Catfish are good on juglines. Reports of white bass caught trolling in shallow water. Crappie are transitioning to brush piles.
Raven: SLOW. Water slight stain; 90 degrees. Lake Raven water clarity is slightly stained. Largemouth bass are good on weedless rigged artificial worms in red-tinted colors with glitter. Anglers should target the cove where the boathouse is located. This area has seen recent success when working the hydrilla grass line. No reports of crappie or catfish in recent weeks. Bluegill are good off of the boathouse dock on hotdogs and worms under a bobber.
Ray Hubbard: GOOD. Water stained; 85 degrees; 0.01 feet below pool. White bass are fair with surface activity on the flats in the morning throwing small swimbaits, tail spinners, or rattletraps. surface activity on the common flats. Later in the morning white bass are moving shallow 12-16 feet on long points, coves and ledges. Crappie are slow on brush piles in 12-15 feet of water. Crappie are showing up at bridge columns. Catfish are good in wooded timber 15- 25 feet prepared punch bait. Chumming will help bring the schools into your areas Report by John Varner, John Varner’s Guide Service.
Ray Roberts: GOOD. Water slightly stained; 84 degrees; 0.08 feet above pool. Summer patterns are holding steady. Largemouth bass are in 18-25 feet of water primarily on rock piles with 10 inch worms, crankbaits and football jigs. The best bass bite is flipping shallow cover early in the morning. Crappie are good in brush piles and timber in 18-25 feet of water. Sand bass are on humps and points in 20-25 feet of water with slabs. Blue catfish are good in 20-25 feet of water on humps and flats with live shad. Channel catfish are good in 10-25 feet of water on flats. Report by Daniel Koberna, Lt. Dan’s Crappie Co.
Richland Chambers: FAIR. Water stained; 85 degrees; 0.20 feet above pool. Bass fishing are fair and the water is stained and 86 degrees. The temperature will start rising this week with the high air temperatures. There are fish shallow around certain boat docks. The shade and food source will keep them shallow. There are still Gizzard Shad, and Bream shallow in big numbers. You could fish shallow all day and do well. The other bite is going to be deeper brush piles and other structures. These areas are pretty easy to check with your Livescope if you have it. You can cover a lot of water with big crankbaits or 10 inch power worms. Good Fishing Terry Hawkins Guide Service Report by Terry Hawkins Guide Service.
Sam Rayburn: GOOD. Water stained; 86 degrees; 2.68 feet below pool. A steady flow of freshwater continues to enter the lake, slightly impacting conditions. Bluegill are holding tight to brush and biting well. Bass are settling into typical summer patterns, with activity picking up around deeper structure and points. Crappie are also being found around brush piles, though the bite can be spotty at times. Report by Captain Lynn Atkinson, Reel Um N Guide Service.
Somerville: GOOD. Water stained; 84 degrees; 0.78 feet above pool. It is an unusually wet year for July and the lake is 10 inches above pool. At the marina crappie are fair, bluegill are fair on crickets or worms, and catfish are fair on minnows or punch bait. Crappie are good in the late afternoon on jigs and minnows over brush in 8-18 feet of water. Catfish are fair in 10-15 feet of water on structure using cut shad or punch bait. Black bass are slow on crankbaits and spinnerbaits in 6-14 feet of water. White bass are fair trolling with various spoons or anchored with shad and ghost minnows. Hybrids are good in deeper water, using jigs, cut bait. Below the dam all species are fair fishing, with 189 cfs of water being released. Report by Weldon Kirk, Fish Tales Guide Service.
Spence: SLOW. Water stained; 80 degrees. 47.79 feet below pool. Few reports due to the fluctuation of water level. Report by Bronte Guns and Tackle Pro Staff.
Stamford: SLOW. Water stained; 80 degrees; 1.17 feet above pool. Still freshwater coming into the lake. The water current has slowed over the spillway, so this should slow the white bass bite. Catfish are fair with dead or live minnows on jugs. Crappie are slow. Bass are slow with very few anglers on the water.
Stillhouse: GOOD. Water stained; 83 degrees; 9.98 feet below pool. All boat ramps except Union Grove have been closed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers until further notice due to flooding. Lake is currently 9.95 feet high. Look for largemouth bass in flooded terrestrial vegetation. White bass are best on down-rigged Pet spoons. Mud and debris extends to the long point off of Union Grove Park. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service.
Tawakoni: GOOD. Water lightly stained; 85 degrees; 0.17 feet above pool. Lake Tawakoni continues to fish well as we settle into a late summer pattern. Water temperatures have warmed into the mid 80s and we are seeing fish on all parts of the lake. The hybrid striper and white bass are active in all areas of the lake feeding on schools of shad and sometimes feeding on the surface. Best lures have been the slab spoon, but live shad is also working. The eating sized catfish bite is great. Easy limits in 15-25 feet are common using punch and dip prepared baits. Crappie are decent on minnows on bridge pylons and submerged brush piles in 10-15 feet. Largemouth are good on senkos, square bills and frogs. The frog bite is at daylight and in the pads. Report by Captain Michael Littlejohn, Lake Tawakoni Guide Service.
Texana: SLOW. Water stained; 80 degrees; 0.14 feet below pool. The lake is turbid due to the recent rains. A few reports of catfish catches.
Texoma: FAIR. Water stained; 84 degrees; 1.49 feet above pool. Striper fishing is up and down as the water temperatures have risen and the water levels have dropped. There is a lot of bait and fish do not have to try hard right now. Topwaters early and scattered through the day in coves and off points. Live shad is working drifting shallow flats or anchoring on humps in 10-20 feet of water. Catfish are good on ledges and humps in 20-30 feet of water off creek channels. Punch bait will catch channel catfish and cut shad will catch blue catfish in deeper water. Fish are in big schools. Bass fishing is up and down with the weather. The shad population is strong but fish can be forced to react near docks and structures. Look for brush and stumps as bigger fish will feed on larger baits. Report by Jacob Orr, Lake Texoma, Guaranteed Guide Service. Striped bass bite is consistently inconsistent. Fish are not in what is normally the typical pattern for this time of year. Fish can be caught in 10-30 feet of water trolling, or with live bait, topwaters and swimbaits. There is an abundance of baitfish but stripers are not feeding. pattern is off for what is normal. Tons of bait but fish are not feeding like they should. Report by John Blasingame, Adventure Texoma Outdoors.
Toledo Bend: GOOD. Water stained; 90 degrees; 1.08 feet below pool. The dog days of summer are here, with water temps in the low 90s and overall fish action slow. Night fishing for bass has been the most productive, especially around last week’s full moon – good numbers of quality fish were caught on Texas and Carolina-rigged 10-12 inch worms and lizards, with a few also hitting spinnerbaits and buzzbaits near lighted docks close to deep water. Daytime bite remains tough, but some success is coming late in the afternoon using Texas rigs and big crankbaits in 10-18 feet of water. A few bass are being picked up shallow on frogs in heavy lily pads, though bites are limited. Crappie are extremely slow, with many guides canceling trips over the next couple of weeks. Keep a close eye on the weather heading into the weekend – while tropical storms may not make landfall, strong north to northeast winds are expected either way, so stay weather aware. Report by Stephen Johnston, Johnston Fishing.
Travis: SLOW. Water normal stain; 87 degrees; 8.38 feet below pool. The Lower Colorado River Authority is advising the public to avoid the lake for the remainder of the week while lake conditions are dangerous due to floating debris, fast currents and possible bacteria levels associated with flooding. Check the LCRA website current conditions. Lake Travis is partially reopened after the recent flooding. The lake upstream of Mile Marker 36 and Sandy Creek Park continues to be closed due to floodwater and debris.
Twin Buttes: SLOW. Water stained. 82 degrees; 32.01 feet below pool. Channel catfish are still biting in shallow water in punch bait. White bass and crappie are biting at night under lights with minnows or shad. Report by Captain Michael Peterson, 4 Reel Fun Guide Service.
Tyler: FAIR. Water normal stain; 85 degrees; 0.18 feet above pool. Crappie bite is fair with primarily undersized fish with some keepers in 12-20 feet of water on brush piles with minnows and jigs. Catfish are fair on structure in 6-18 feet of water with stinkbait, liver and nightcrawlers. Bass are good in 6-7 feet of water on grass and shaded structure with plastic worms and topwaters. Bream are fair on red worms throughout the lake. Report by The Boulders at Lake Tyler. Water is a normal stain, but expect the clarity to be stained after the forecasted rain. Crappie have been in two main patterns with most fish 20 feet deep, but there is a good number of fish in 8-12 feet of water on brush piles. Minnows are outperforming jigs. Bass are great at dawn and dusk on topwater, but this bite shuts off very quickly. Transition to Texas rigs, crankbaits or jerkbaits in 4-15 feet. Catfish are fair on nightcrawlers and prepared bait. Panfish have been good on red worms and crickets. Report by Holton Walker, Holton Walker Fishing.
Waco: FAIR. Water stained; 89 degrees; 6.93 feet above pool. The lake is 7 feet above pool with an influx of water still coming in. The clarity is muddy and the bite will be tough for white bass, crappie and bass. Report by Greg Culverhouse, Crappie King.
Walter E. Long: GOOD. Water slightly stained; 87 degrees. The boat ramp continues to be closed and blocked off through 2025, but kayaks and canoes can still be launched from the bank. According to recent reports, the lake will now be closing the gates at 7 p.m. and all watercraft must be off the water by 6 p.m. While fishing seems to have slowed some, the lake is still productive. Working moving baits over grass patches continues to be one of the more successful techniques. Popular baits include crankbaits, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, and chatterbaits. Soft plastics techniques are also working well, with Texas-rigged and wacky worm baits, craw and shad profiles, and dropshots all seeing success. Report by Team YAKUSA.
Weatherford: FAIR. Water stained; 87 degrees; 3.09 feet below pool. Crappie are fair in 15 feet of water on brush piles with minnows. Bass are slow on soft plastics or crankbaits in deeper water. Catfish are fair with cut bait and shad on rocks. Water clarity is 1 foot.
Welsh: FAIR. Water stained. 88 degrees. Bass can be caught in deeper water with crankbaits and Carolina rigs.
White River: FAIR. Water normal stain; 78 degrees; 15.93 feet below pool. Crappie good on jigs and minnows 18 feet. Catfish are good on live bait in 5-10 feet. Report by The Bait Shop, Post, Texas.
Whitney: GOOD. Water slightly stained; 85 degrees; 2.52 feet above pool. Water clarity is stained, but the bite is consistent. Catfish are fair using cut bait in 25-30 feet of water. Striped bass bite is fair with the best bite in the afternoon on live bait in 25-30 feet of water. Crappie are on main lake brush piles in 15-30 feet of water. White bass are fair on slabs on main lake humps in 25-30 feet of water. Largemouth bass are good on soft plastics on deep structure. Report by Captain Cory Vinson, Guaranteed Guide Service.
Worth: FAIR. Water stained; 85 degrees; 0.67 feet above pool. Reports of catches of carp with bait balls. Catfish can be caught on punch bait.
Wright Patman: GOOD. Water normal stain; 85 degrees; 6.93 feet above pool. Crappie are good in 8-10 feet of water on brush. Catfish are fair in 10-28 feet of water on punch bait. Report by River Bottom Boys Guide Service.
Houston: GOOD. Water stained; 85 degrees; 0.30 feet above pool. Lake Houston is seeing 1,510 CFS flowing at the 59 bridge on the West Fork in Humble, with water clarity improving in many side pockets. The West Fork is cleaning up nicely, while Luces Bayou and the East Fork remain a bit muddy from runoff. Largemouth bass are holding steady on docks, riprap, and drains, biting well on Texas-rigged Rage Craws and chatterbaits. Crappie are good in the East Fork though the bite is light – minnows and silver hand-tied jigs are producing at 8-14 feet. White bass are decent on the old roadbed from Huffman to Walden, hitting pet spoons behind a 25 inch diver in 12-16 feet, but keep your line tight. Gar are thick in the West Fork and Spring Creek, with live perch under a cork working best. Be safe and always wear your kill switch! Report by Captain Zackary Scott, Zack Attack Fishing.

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Freshwater Weekly Fishing Report Week of July 17, 2025

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