East Texas Fishing Report

B.A. Steinhagen

 FAIR. Water stain; 85 degrees; 0.20 feet below pool. Bass are more active Bass are fair on soft plastics in the cuts, or with frogs over grass. Crappie are fair with jigs in flooded timber. Catfish are fair on juglines.

Livingston

 GREAT. Stained; 88 degrees; 0.52 feet below pool. White bass bite is excellent in 10-20 feet of water with white and chartreuse Ducktracker slabs. Report by Michael Richardson, Lake Livingston Adventures.

Sam Rayburn

 GOOD. Water stained; 83 degrees; 3.58 feet above pool. The bite for all species seems to improve when the water is being generated. This stirs the water, breaking up the thermocline. Bass are slow in shallow water with many smaller fish being caught on frogs, and spinnerbaits. Deeper bass bite is fair with Carolina rigs. Crappie are slow in the morning, but improve midday. Catfish are all over the lake in 20 feet of water and in 12 feet of water in the creek channels. White bass are on points in the south end of the lake near the dam. Report by Captain Lynn Atkinson, Reel Um N Guide Service. As the lake continues to drop fish are going to be moving to traditional summer locations pending the thermocline depth. Bass are good early morning on shallow main lake points with medium or deep diving crankbaits, and topwaters. Main lake ledges with Carolina rig shaky head and spoons. Navigate with caution watching for floating debris, trees, and stumps. 

Toledo Bend

 GOOD. Water slightly stained; 91 degrees; 1.80 feet below pool. Fishing is slow during the day but great at night. The forecast predicts 4-5 inches by the weekend, and the creeks are running strong. Water temperatures are back down in the high 80s, so when the weather finally settles the bass fishing should improve.

. during the day with all the freshwater. Topwater baits, chatterbaits and spinnerbaits will be good in 1-5 feet around the bay grass and edge of flooded bushes. It will take a few days for the deeper fish to start to bite after all the rising water. Best baits will be mid range crankbaits and Texas rig, worm or baby’s brush hog. The best bite has been at night with catches up to 10 pounds with buzzbaits and spinnerbaits on main lake points then Texas rigs and Carolina rigs out in 10-16 feet. The crappie fishing has been slow but should improve. Best fishing has been deep brush and standing timber 12-18 feet with live bait. Report by Stephen Johnston, Johnston Fishing.