East Texas Fishing Report

The East Texas Fishing Report for the week of June 5:

ATHENS — Lake Athens is about two feet low clear. Surface temp is 83-85 degrees.

Bass are good to seven pounds in 3-5 feet of water on topwaters and soft plastics. Peter Gould at Lake Athens Marina said some of the better catches are coming around lily pad stands.

Crappie are good. Anglers are reporting limits in 8-12 feet of water, mostly on shiners.

Bream are excellent. Best catches are coming on crickets fished shallow.

CEDAR CREEK — Cedar Creek is about three feet low and stained-to-clear. Water temp is in the low 80s.

Bass are fair to four pounds on spinnerbaits and wacky worms fished around shallow weedbeds. A few fish taking topwaters under low light conditions.

Best bet for crappie is dropping small jigs and minnows around brush piles and shady docks. Bridge pilings also are holding fish.

White bass and hybrids have been active at first light on 'Traps and Sassy Shad. Catfish are fair on punch bait fished shallow.

PALESTINE — Lake Palestine is six inches low and clear. Water temp is in the mid 80s.

Trey Miller at Flat Creek Marina said black bass are fair on Carolina rigs dragged in 8-10 feet, mostly on points and other structure.

Crappie are good. Several limits reported on live shiners soaked in 14 feet of water.

White bass are excellent at first light, mostly on Rat-L-Traps tossed to windy points. Catfish are fair. Several limits of channels in the 1-2 pound range reported on blood bait fished on rocks.

RICHLAND CHAMBERS — RC is 5 1/2 feet low and clear. Water temp is in the mid-80s.

Bass are fair to eight pounds on spinnerbaits and plastics worked in 3-5 feet of water, mostly around stumps. Topwater bite has been slow.

Crappie are fair on live shiners fished in 15-25 feet of water. The fish are suspended in timber.

Larry Winters at Midway Landing said catfish are good to 48 pounds on jugs baited with live perch. Hand liners are picking channels in timber, 15-20 feet deep.

White bass are schooling at first light, mostly over points. A few hybrids mixed in.

SAM RAYBURN — Sam Rayburn is about one foot low and clear. Water temp is in the low 80s.

Bass are busting Ribbits and Horny Toads buzzed over lily pads and stands of pepper grass. Senkos and shad pattern cranks also have been productive. The midday bite is best on Carolina rigged watermelon plastics dragged on points and other main lake structure in 15-22 feet of water.

Crappie are excellent over main lake brush piles using Puddle Jumper jig, Wedgetails and live shiners.

Bream are on beds up north and taking crickets and earthworms.

TOLEDO BEND — Toledo Bend is about four feet low and clear. Water temp is in the low 80s.

Catfishing is good on trotline baited with live perch. Several fish in the 40-pound class reported over the weekend. Hand liners are taking some nice blues and channels using stink bait on points and shorelines in 2-4 feet of water.

Bass are fair to four pounds on chrome topwaters early and late. Anglers are using deep cranks and Carolina rigs to catch keepers at midday.

Crappie are excellent down south. Best bite is coming on live shiners soaked around deep brush. Anglers are keying on river breaks up north and collecting a few keepers. White bass have been active over boat lanes at first light.

SABINE LAKE — The fishing has been consistently inconsistent. Most anglers are reporting hit or miss results on specks and reds. Trout are working birds on occasion. Fishermen are picking up a few reds and specks at the jetties.

FORK — Lake Fork is about 2 1/2 feet low and clear. Water temp is about 85 degrees.

Bass are good to eight pounds on topwaters cast around shallow lily pads, 4-6 feet, early and late. Chris Parker at the Minnow Bucket said guides are having the best luck at midday using spoons and Carolina rigs on main lake structure in 18-22 feet of water. Night fishing has been excellent to nine pounds on black spinnerbaits and 10-inch worms.

Crappie are best at night and at first light on live shiners. Best depth is 20-25 feet.

Catfish are good on punch bait fished on bottom in shallow water.

PINKSTON — Lake Pinkston is at normal level and clear. Water temp is in the low 80s.

Bass are fair to five pounds on watermelon finesse worms rigged Texas style along outside grass edges. Wacky rigged Trick Worms also are producing a few bites early and late. Schooling activity has been sporadic. Night fishing is fair on points and main lake structure in 12-25 feet using Carolina rigs and Texas rigs.

Crappie are slow.

NACOGDOCHES — Lake Nacogdoches is at normal level and clear. Water temp is in the low 80s.

Bass are fair to three pounds on small finesse worms worked slowly through scattered hydrilla beds and along creek breaks. A few fish busting frogs buzzed across lily pads in 4-6 feet of water. Senkos also have been productive.

Crappie are fair over brush piles in 18-22 feet of water. Minnows are producing best results.

— Matt Williams