FISHING REPORT

The weekly fishing report is compiled for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

FRESHWATER

BASTROP: FAIR. Water clear; 54 degrees. Largemouth bass are slow fishing creeks, timber and brush on plastic worms, crankbaits and jigs. Crappie are fair on minnows in brush piles and standing timber in 14-25 feet. Channel and blue catfish are slow on cut bait and live bait.

BELTON: FAIR. Water lightly stained; 54 degrees; 0.71 feet low. Black bass are slow near rocky coves, timber, deep creeks and drop-offs on spinnerbaits, finesse jigs and crankbaits. White bass are fair on the main lake points, channels and drop-offs with white slabs, jerk baits and swim baits in 18-40 feet. Hybrid stripers are fair with live bait in the main lake in 25-40 feet. Crappie are fair on minnows in brush piles in 14-28 feet. Catfish are fair on cut bait and punch bait.

BROWNWOOD: FAIR. Water lightly stained; 53 degrees; 2.75 feet low. Largemouth bass are slow with crankbaits, spoons and hair jigs near creeks, rocky shorelines and fallen timber. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs in brush piles and timber near a creek channel. White bass and hybrids are fair on slabs. Catfish are fair on punch bait and cut bait in 15-25 feet near baited areas.

BUCHANAN: GOOD. Water clear; 55 degrees; 6.63 feet low. Largemouth bass are fair with hair jigs, football jigs, brush hogs and purple drop shots on bluffs, rock ledges and the rocky shorelines. Striped bass are fair along the river channel with live bait. White bass are good on silver slabs near drop-offs, humps and flats. Use sonar to find schools of baitfish and feeding fish. Crappie are good on minnows and paddle tail jigs in 15-25 feet fishing timber and brush piles. Channel catfish are fair on punch bait and cut bait. Blue cats are good on cut bait.

CALAVERAS: GOOD. Water stained; 62-64 degrees. Red drum are slow but showing signs of increasing activity since Sunday. Black bass are good working rip rap, vegetation and shallower water off structure with crankbaits, spinners and Carolina-rigged worms. Hybrid striped bass are good on spoons following bait. Catfish are good on stinkbait, chicken livers and cut shad.

CANYONLAKE: GOOD. Water clear; 61degrees; 5.38 feet low. Striper fishing is good along the river channel with live bait. White bass are good on humps, flats and ridges with white slabs and jigging spoons. Largemouth bass are fair with suspended jerk baits, bladed swim jigs, Carolina-rigged plastic worms and diving crankbaits near drop-offs, timber and rock piles in 15-30 feet. Smallmouth bass are good on small swimbaits, grubs and small cranks in 8-20 feet along rock ledges and steep rocky shorelines. Catfish are good with prepared baits and cut bait. Crappie are fair with live minnows and jigs near brush piles and timber near creeks or drop-offs in 15-25 feet.

CHOKECANYON: GOOD. Water lightly stained; 58-61degrees; 22.11 feet low. Largemouth bass are great from 11 a.m. throughout the day. Steep banks, timber and submerged vegetation excel on jigs, plastic worms, spinners and crankbait. White bass are fair, moving to points. Catfish are consistently good on larger live bait, cut baits and stinkbait.

FALCON: FAIR. Water lightly stained north and clear south; 59 degrees; 38.59 feet low. With major tournament season about to hit the lake, the conditions are the best we could hope for. Black bass are fair working rocks, flooded structures, riprap and sometimes brush. Chartreuse square bills, Texas-rigged soft plastics and rage craw all have their moments. White bass are great, working mainly on drops. Crappie are good on brush piles and isolated hardwoods. Catfish are perfect hitting coves at their deepest areas using live bait and stinky bait. Remember to stay on the Texas side unless you have a Mexican fishing license.

GRANGER: FAIR. Water stained; 55 degrees; 0.90 feet low. Black bass are fair on Texas-rigged plastic worms, crankbaits, brown/green grubs and jigs near rocky shorelines, brushy creeks and timber in 12-20 feet. Crappie are fair on minnows and tube jigs on brush piles and timber near drop-offs in 14-24 feet. White bass are fair on chrome or white slabs in 25-35 feet near lake channels, flats and dropoffs. Catfish are fair on cut bait and live bait. Yellow cats are fair.

LBJ: FAIR. Water clear; 55 degrees; 0.70 feet low. Black bass are fair on drop shots, suspended jerk baits, black/red jigs and crankbaits near brush, deeper creeks and rock ledges. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs around brush piles and docks. White bass are slow over main lake points, flats, drop-offs and humps with slabs. Catfish are slow on punch bait and cut bait in 14-28 feet.

FAIR. Water stained; 54 degrees; 1.56 feet high. Black bass are slow on crankbaits, spinners, skirted jig and drop shots working brush piles, rock bluffs and dropoffs. Smallmouth bass are fair with small jigs and plastic grubs near rocky banks, creek ledges and dropo-ffs. Crappie are slow on minnows and jigs in brush piles and standing timber in 14-28 feet. White bass are slow on slabs off main lake ridges, humps, drop-offs and along the dam. Channel catfish are fair with punch bait. Blue cats are fair with cut bait or live bait near brush piles.

FAIR. Water clear; 58 degrees; 21.80 feet low. Largemouth bass are fair with medium-diving green/blue crankbaits, red/orange skirted jigs and drop shots near deeper boat docks, rock ledges and points with drop-offs. White bass are slow with slabs or jigging spoons working the main lake channel, drop-offs and humps. Trolling is still effective with pearl or white swimbaits. Striper action along the main river channel is fair with live bait. Crappie are fair on minnows in 15-25 feet near docks, brush piles and rock ledges. Catfish are fair on cut bait and prepared baits in 12-26 feet.

WALTER E. LONG: FAIR. Water lightly stained; 54 degrees. Largemouth bass are fair on drop shots, shad-like crankbaits and chartreuse spinners near timber, creek mouths and brushy shorelines. Hybrid stripers are slow with live shad or spoons. Crappie are fair on minnows in 14-24 feet near brush piles. Catfish are fair on cut bait and live bait. Sunfish are slow on worms and crickets.

SALTWATER BAFFIN BAY:

GOOD; 64-65 degrees. Redfish are good in the sand flats on shrimp. Topwaters can work on warm sunny days in between cold fronts. Flounder are good on croaker or minnows. Speckled trout are good on shrimp in the shallows.

CORPUS CHRISTI: GOOD; 60 degrees. The north side of the bay has been good for redfish and black drum. Speckled trout can be found in the flats on shrimp or cut mullet. Flounder are good around the drains or rocks on mullet or croaker. Black drum are excellent on crab in the deeper water.

EAST MATAGORDA BAY: GOOD; 62-63 degrees. Speckled trout are good on live shrimp under a popping cork and soft plastics around the reefs. Redfish are very good near the south shoreline on live mullet or soft plastics in the shallow water where it’s warm. Flounder are good on shrimp. Black drum are good on crab or croaker near vegetation.

PORT ARANSAS: GOOD; 61 degrees. Redfish and speckled trout will be found in the bays using shrimp, mullet or croaker. Wade fishing is a great method along the shallow shorelines. The oyster reefs and drop-offs in the deeper waters are good areas for sheepshead and flounder on mullet or croaker. Black drum are good in the deeper water on crab.

PORT ISABEL: GOOD; 69 degrees. Some speckled trout and redfish have been caught around the shallow grass flats and around Laguna Madre. Flounder are still feeding around the drains and on mullet. Black drum are good on crab in the lower Laguna Madre.

PORT MANSFIELD: GOOD; 67 degrees. Trout and reds are good on the west shore where water temperatures are higher using Kwigglers ball tails and willow tails and live shrimp under a popping cork in mud and grass with potholes in shallow and out to deeper water. Red snapper in state waters are good with the light winds.

PORT O’CONNOR: GOOD; 63 degrees. Speckled trout can be found along the drop-offs and around the flats on shrimp or croaker. Redfish are good in back bays on shrimp. Flounder are good on croaker or mullet in the shallow grass flats.

ROCKPORT: GOOD; 61degrees. Back lakes and drains are where the speckled trout and redfish have been, and shrimp or croaker are the best baits. Flounder are good on mullet. Black drum are great around Copano Bay on crab.

SOUTH PADRE: GOOD; 69-70 degrees. Redfish are good in the flats fishing with cut bait on bottom rigs. Speckled trout and flounder are good around the jetties on live mullet. Black drum are good along the drop-offs on shrimp.

WEST MATAGORDA BAY: GOOD; 62-63 degrees. This side of the bay is best for wading since there is a firm bottom, and it remains the best method for catching fish here. Speckled trout are good on live shrimp or cut mullet along the flats or shoreline. Redfish are good in the marshy areas on croaker. The flounder bite is good around the rocks on mullet.