PLEASE NOTE: TPWD has discontinued fishing reports. These reports are from the June 26 issue of Lone Star Outdoor News compiled by Vivian Leopold.
With the recent series of rains, many lakes in Texas are now near full pool, but not all. The drought-stricken Central Texas reservoirs improved substantially, while some large East Texas and Piney Woods reservoirs remain below conservation levels. Overall reservoir storage across Texas is much healthier than it was a year ago.
GRAHAM
- Water level is 4.67 feet below pool at 76.2% full. Some shallow structure and boat ramps may be affected.
- Water temps are about 81degrees
- Fishing conditions are fair to good with best times to fish – early morning (4 a.m. to 6:30 a.m.) and late afternoon to evening (4:30 to 7 p.m.)
- Largemouth bass should be in early summer patterns, holding around points, brush, docks and depth changes, especially during low-light periods; Use Texas-rigged worms, jigs, shaky heads or top-water lures at dawn around docks and shoreline cover
- Channel catfish are in their preferred temperature range and should be active around creek channels, humps and bait-rich areas; Try cut bait, stink bait or shad near channel edges and submerged structure
- White bass may still be found chasing baitfish, especially early and late in the day; Around schooling bait, use small swimbaits, spoons or inline spinners
GRAPEVINE LAKE
- Water level is 1.31 feet above pool at 100% full
- Water temps are around 82 degrees
- Current conditions look generally good to very good, more so for white bass, sand bass, catfish or crappie
- Largemouth bass are best at first light, shallow with top-waters, and again late evening; Try soft plastics and jigs working around docks, rocky banks and brush during the day
- White bass are one of the stronger bites on the lake; Fish in creek channels, deeper humps and around baitfish schools at mid-morning
- Best bets for lures are jigging spoons and small shad imitations
- Crappie are best around submerged brush piles 10 to 20 feet deep and structure; Anglers are finding fish in deeper cover and around underwater timber.
- In addition to small, live minnows, the most productive baits are usually small presentations that imitate shad or small minnows
- Catfish are consistently good, especially along creek channels, flats and windy banks and drop-offs toward evening; Use cut shad, punch bait or stink bait for the best bite
CADDO LAKE
- Water level is 0.30 feet above pool at 100% full
- Water temps are about 81degrees
- Paul Keith of Caddo Lake Guide Service has fished this lake for about 40 years focusing on bass; He provided the following information for this report
- The rains have brought the lake up to full pool but more water would help the bass bite; Lake O’ the Pines is not releasing any water into Caddo right now
- Largemouth bass are best right now with plastic frogs around lily pads and weeds; Use flukes around schools and a Texas rig with a 6-inch worm deep
- Crappie can be found in deeper channels and around boat houses with tube jigs
- Bream are bedded around smaller cypress islands; Use crickets and worms
HOUSTON
- Water level is 0.12 above pool at 100% full
- Water temps are about 81degrees, stained
- Lake Houston remains one of the Gulf Coast region’s better bass fisheries and is known for producing quality largemouth bass with trophy potential and large redear sunfish
- Largemouth bass should be productive around points, grass edges and shallow timber early morning; As the sun gets higher, target deeper brush piles, creek channels and submerged structure with Texas-rigged worms, jigs or deep-diving crankbaits
- Overcast days may extend the bass bite into midday
- Crappie will be holding around brush piles and deeper cover in 10 to 20 feet of water; Minnows and small jigs are the most consistent producers
- Sunfish/Redears can be found around shoreline vegetation, brush and shallow flats using worms or small jigs; This is one of the lake’s standout species
- Channel and blue catfish are active along creek channels and deeper drop-offs; Good choices are cut bait, punch bait and stink bait especially at dawn or near sunset
GRANGER
- Water level is 5.06 feet above pool at 100%
- Water temps are around 81 degrees, stained to murky from recent inflows
- Crappie fishing is very good and provides the strongest bite on the lake; Focus on main-lake brush piles, standing timber and submerged cover
- Minnows and small crappie jigs are producing the best catches
- Blue catfish are holding along creek channels, windblown banks, flats near baitfish and deeper structure
- Fresh shad, cut bait and prepared baits are working well; Summer catfishing should remain productive through June and July
- White bass schools are moving into summer patterns on humps, ridges and channel structure; Slabs, spoons and jigging presentations around baitfish are producing fish
- Electronics are especially helpful for locating active schools
- Largemouth bass fishing is slow to fair with early morning and late evening offering the best opportunities; Expect a tougher bite during midday
- Target shoreline cover, creek channels, timber and brush with worms, crankbaits and jigs