Caddo Lake

Looking to head out to Caddo lake the last weekend of this month.. I was wondering if anyone has any fishing reports out there and/or water temperatures predictions by month end. Any tactics? This is a shallow lake.. I went there once before in April and tore them up fishing shallow with tx rigged plastics/squarebill mainly. Any info would be appreciated! thank you!!

Lake is pretty high right now and pretty muddy too. Water temp last Thursday was 41.5. It was cold and I didn't get a bite. Of course that was the brutally cold day we had last week. The other reports I have heard are the fishing has generally been tough. It may stay that way until it gets warmer and the water calms down a bit.

The good news is the high water seems to be flushing a lot of salvinia out and I saw a bunch with ice all over it last week. hopefully that will kill a bunch more of it.

Thanks Mikey. yeah.. that's some pretty cold water. Makes sense that it would be slow.. Hopefully this rain and some warmer days will warm that water up quick and hold a little steady. What is Salvinia though?

Salvinia is an incredibily invasive plant species that is hitting Caddo hard. It is from South America and grows in the amazon. It can grow over many acres of water in literally a month or so.

Lots of efforts going on to control it. It is in a lot of lakes in that area but it is hard to kill off in Caddo because of the backwater hiding spots it lives in.

One thing for sure is drain your boats and pull any plant material off your trailer before leaving.

Go to this site for more info and donate to the cause.

http://gclaoftx.com/

The lake will fish really strong this time of year. I was out there this weekend. What you need to key in on is finding a pattern early in the day. This will enable you to catch fish and cash a check. Salvinia pulls the oxygen out of the water, make sure you are aware of this and how it will affect the bed fish.

Good info. You do any good this weekend? How did you fish it and how do you think it'll change when the temps rise a bit more?

I would not come any time soon. It's highest I've seen in years and only rising more after today's rain. Fishing should b awesome in April. Water is muddy and cold. Next full moon is gonna b awesome.

Good info James. If you do end up at caddo key in on newly flooded water with either a reaction bait or some sort of slow motion bait. I am not sure if you are familiar with the "pump pump pause" method on anything other than reaction baits. Caddo has been synonymous in creating big bucket mouths using the "pump pump pause" method. Color is also a big decision, you will want to throw either a black, green, or blue plastic with a little bit of red using the " pump pump pause" method. I know a few good sticks that will be fishing this week, and I will get another good report from them.

Cole I wouldn't b surprised they close the lake as high as its gonna get. But anything black and red will work also. I'm big on square bills also and u look like u did great last year

I know that you know square bills are one of the hidden gems of Caddo. If you can target bait fish in grass, close to the channel, but not to close to a main boat row, then you should be able to throw a reaction bait into the ambush points. It might take a few days of graphing the lake bed but when you find these "perfect scenarios" and the fish are feeding, you will get a strike.

People run graphs out there? I never even have mine on boat lol

Mudd, you don't think it will warm up and clear up a bit by the end of this month? That's when I'm planning a taking a few days to fish it. I love hearing reports regardless anyways.. So keep hem coming if you have some to share. I love hearing what works/what doesn't and why.. Thanks guys

I seriously doubt it be "good" fishing by then. We got another 3 plus inches rain today. Caddo was already over several docks out there. I know Johnsons parking lot was flooded and they said Friday it was still rising. I'm expecting it to rise thru the weekend. 12 mile bayou which is the run off from the dam is the highest over seen it in over 5 years. Fishing could b good by end of month but I'm leaning towards more next month for the best fishing. Again this is just my thinking. I know Jeems has alot of current, main lake is mud. Salvania was bad Sunday on Texas side but that's great cause it's being pushed out of lake. This is what it's been needing for few years now. Hopefully this will get the grass growing again and make fishing way better

Good deal. Thanks mudd

Caddo suppose crest at flood stage this weekend

https://www.facebook.com/CaddoLakeSP

Pics of state park flood

I was planning on taking the mini me out there Friday. So what yall are saying is that I need to make other plans?

Lake is going to b shut down I'm told. Some poles r under water. Lake won't crest till weekend and state park is closed till the 23rd for camping looks like

I wondered why you were buying a new graph for the console? I thought the stake out pole was good enough?

Earl G. Williamson is still open as of this afternoon, so you can still launch.

Unfortunately, the salvinia IS NOT yet being flushed out of the lake. I live near 12 mile bayou, and NONE is coming down the bayou even though it is at flood stage. I fished the BOSS Saturday, and a lot of salvina had pushed out of the back waters and onto the main lake, but, as of today, it is not moving South. I drove around the lake on from the Spillway to Mooringsport, to Jeems Bayou, and None of it has made it even to the Mooringsport Bridge yet. When I got home I looked at the Core of Engineers Lake O'the Pines site http://www.swf-wc.usace.army.mil/lakeopines/ , and found that they are only releasing 25 CFS of water over the spillway into Big Cypress/Caddo. This is after they have been giving us around 550 CFS for the past week. This doesn't make sense to me, as Pines is showing as being 4.5 ft above pool stage. ????????????

We need them to give us a big push of water from Pines to really push the stuff out and get it rolling down 12 mile. Hopefully they will open up the gates tomorrow.

Yea the dock is under is under 8-10in water. Lol

Flood Warning For Caddo Lake Issued...

The flood warning continues for
the Big Cypress Bayou At Caddo Lake near Mooringsport Louisiana.
* until further notice...or until the warning is cancelled.
* At 800 AM Tuesday the pool stage was 171.75 feet.
* Minor flooding is forecast.
* Flood stage is 172 feet.
* Forecast...Rise above flood pool stage by this Tuesday afternoon and
continue to rise to near 174.0 feet by Monday morning.
* Impact...Preparations should be completed around the lake for minor
flooding of access roads. Docks should be secured for high water. Also expect overflow into structures. This flooding will be similar to that of the October and November of 2009.

I would think even if there is not a big push out of Pines right now this high water will break that Salvinia loose in the backwaters and even a slow flow will get it moving. That is my hope anyway.

Hopefully it will be back close to normal by the Burns Big Bass tourney late March.

I doubt it b back to normal by then. B close but most likely that b a prespawn deal with way weather is. We expecting a lot more rain Thursday. I know a lot the salvania was packed around Tucker's Sunday and wasn't there Saturday

suppose to be there Saturday, could be interesting. Stayed at Tuckers one year when their parking lot was flooded for 3 days.

crazy... if anyone gets out on the water soon send some updates on the water and the fishing!!

My guess is the slowed the water coming out of pines to reduce the river flooding with the expected rain coming. As of yesterday the water was out of the banks on big cypress north of the 43 bridge. Sure it will get worse.

locals on caddo: I am looking for a lot for my rv, on Tx side (not a rv park). Any help will be apreciated, thanks