Sports
Prairies & Lakes Region fishing report - week of November 26, 2025
By TPWD
Nov 27, 2025
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Dunlap
FAIR. Water stained; 70 degrees. Bass are good on spinnerbaits early along the banks and docks, but the bite slows by late morning. Crappie are slow with minnows. Report by Lee Johnson and Kenneth Linder, local anglers.
Aquilla
GOOD. Water normal stain; 67 degrees; 0.99 feet below pool. Fishing patterns remain consistent, with a slight improvement for sand bass. Sand bass are fair in 20-30 feet of water off main lake humps with jigging spoons. Crappie are good on brush piles in 20-25 feet of water with minnows and jigs. Bass are good on spinnerbaits in 5-10 feet of water. Catfish are good in the timber on prepared baits. Report by Captain Cory Vinson, Guaranteed Guide Service.
Arlington
GOOD. Water slightly stained; 68 degrees; 0.94 feet below pool. The weather has been relatively warm keeping most game fish shallow feeding on shad. With these next cold fronts, most game fish will be hanging around the first break leaving shallow water areas. Bass will be keying in on shad baits like a crankbait and rattle trap. Crappie will be related to larger piles of wood in schools. Catfish will be on the lower side of the drop-offs eating weak shad falling to bottom as cooler temperatures approach. Report by Cade Rudiger, local angler.
Athens
GOOD. Water normal stain; 70 degrees; 0.67 feet above pool. Bass are feeding on shad and bluegill gearing up for winter. Shad are in the backs of the coves. There has been a better concentration of fish shallow all day now that it has cooled off. Bass can be caught on weightless 5 inch stick bait or 5 inch soft jerkbait in shad and bluegill patterns. Mix in a Texas rig worm, spinnerbait, or jig around docks. Crappie are schooled up on main lake brush piles hitting crappie jigs or minnows. Use a lighter jig head as the water cools down if the wind allows for it. Water clarity 3-4 feet of visibility. Report by Captain Kirk Pasalich, Artifishable Fishing Guide Service.
Bastrop
FAIR. Water normal stain; 67 degrees. Bass should be in the reeds and shallow grass hitting Texas rigs, or squarebill crankbaits. When the water temperature drops below 60 degrees fish will suspend in deeper water.
Belton
GOOD. Water normal stain; 70 degrees; 0.25 feet above pool. We are at peak fall fishing conditions now for white bass and hybrid striped bass. The fishing is excellent and will likely stay this way until the water temperature drops below 60 degrees in a few weeks. The only thing that could make this better is the arrival of our migratory, fish-eating birds like gulls and terns. A few are present, but so far have been unhelpful locating fish. Sonar remains the staple for finding fish in 30-35 feet around sunrise and sunset, then 35-52 feet the rest of the day. The MAL Dense worked vertically by cranking it upward through the lower third of the water column assisted by viewing this on Garmin LiveScope is my go-to tactic. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service. Large numbers of blue catfish under 10 pounds can be found along shallow banks in 10-15 feet of water. To catch larger blue catfish drift in 25-40 feet with fresh cut shad. Channel catfish are excellent using punch bait around gravel beds and timber. Flathead catfish are slow, but can be found around large rock piles using live bait. Report by Brian Worley, B&S Catfishing.
Benbrook
FAIR. Water normal stain; 64 degrees; 1.82 feet below pool. Catfish are good in 18-30 feet on cut and stink bait. Hybrids are fair in to 20-30 feet on minnows and small jigs with lots of shorter fish being caught. Crappie are fair next to timber in 15-30 feet on minnows. Report by Hundley's Guide Service.
Bois d'Arc
FAIR. Normal stain; 65 degrees; 1.88 below pool. The morning bass bite has slowed due to weather, but mid-morning has been good on swim jigs, chatterbaits and spinnerbaits around any grass you can find 2-4 feet. Then transition to 3-7 feet and slowly work flukes and soft plastic stick baits around bushes or deeper grass. As always Texas rigs rule on this lake with lots of fish on wood. Sometimes big wood and sometimes small bushes 5-7 feet. Cooler weather will probably slow this down a bit. Report by Marc Mitchell, Mitchell's Guide Service. Crappie are good on minnows or jigs midlake in the river channel from the 897 bridge to the dam. Targeting crappie can be tough on windy days. Report by River Bottom Boys Guide Service. Crappie are slow. Fish are holding to the bottom of the lake. 897 Bridge to the dam in a migration pattern. Tough to find. Minnows over jigs.
Bridgeport
FAIR. Water clear; 62 degrees; 4.22 feet below pool. Fishing patterns remain consistent except the crappie bite has slowed to fair due to the cold front. Target crappie in 10-25 feet of water on docks, and offshore brush piles with minnows or jigs. Largemouth bass are good using topwaters on banks in the morning or for deeper schooling fish. Some can be caught on crankbaits and chatterbaits on main lake rock and docks. White bass and hybrids are fair on main lake humps and points with topwaters, slabs or trolling with deep crankbaits. Catfish are good on cut or live bait on main lake humps, deeper holes in coves, and in the river on boulders. Report by Jack Pellegrini, Lake Bridgeport Crappie Guide Service.
Cedar Creek
GOOD. Water slightly stained; 64 degrees; 2.94 feet below pool. Fishing patterns remain consistent. Good stacks of hybrid striped bass and white bass are being found on mid-lake points and drop-offs along sandy flats throughout the dam area, Crappie Island, Key Ranch, and the spillway humps in 12–22 feet of water. Cast spinnerbaits and slabs, and watch for schooling fish on these flats as well as around deeper seawalls and shorelines. Fish any hump in 14–22 feet across the lake to find schools stacked up as the day warms. Schooling activity is best on cloudier days. Birds are starting to show up with the cooling weather and will become more consistent indicators of active fish as fall continues. To catch hybrids use spinnerbaits or work a slab vertically with a fast up-and-down motion for immediate strikes. A slow retrieve with a slab cast and reeled steadily back is also effective. Try rattle traps, spoons, umbrella rigs, slabs, or sassy shads to trigger bites. The crappie bite continues to improve. Target crappie with small jigs and minnows in 5–12 feet under bridge pylons, brush piles, and docks. Anglers are finding limits by moving from spot to spot catching several fish before relocating. Guides report conditions improving, with larger crappie showing up more frequently. Report by Brent Herbeck, Herbeck’s Lonestar Fishing Guide Service. Catfishing is good in 2-8 feet of water on the north end, or drifting 10-36 feet of water throughout the lake with fresh gizzard shad and cut rough fish. Report by Jason Barber, Kings Creek Adventures.
Comanche Creek
80 degrees; 0.07 feet above pool. Comanche Creek continues to produce limits of eater sized channel catfish. Largemouth bass numbers are excellent with many anglers bragging on 100 fish days with an occasional fish to 6 pounds. Crankbaits and soft plastic drop shot rigs have been producing catches. Tilapia are abundant and are easily caught using worms under a bobber. Report by Michael Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters.
Cooper
SLOW. Water stained; 67 degrees; 3.51 feet below pool. Crappie are slow and difficult to find. Best bet is to target river channels with minnows. Report by River Bottom Boys Guide Service.
Cypress Springs
SLOW. Water normal stain; 65 degrees; 0.75 feet below pool. Crappie are slow and easily spook. The best bait will be minnows. Smaller fish are in schools and on brush, while keeper fish are roaming independently in the river channels. Report by River Bottom Boys Guide Service.
Eagle Mountain
GOOD. Water stained; 65 degrees; 1.64 feet below pool. Blue catfish are excellent with cut shad. Yellow catfish are good with live perch. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows around boat docks and pushing shallow due to water temperature. Black bass are fair on spinnerbaits and jerkbaits. White bass are fair on slabs in open water. Perch are good on nightcrawlers around docks. Carp are good on manufactured bait around docks. Report by Captain Bobby Mann, Catch a Dream Guide Service.
Fayette
SLOW. Water slightly stained; 73 degrees; full pool. The weather is not favorable for fishing over the Thanksgiving weekend with high winds and rain in the forecast. The water temperature is mid 70s, but should hopefully drop after this cold front. Some baitfish are moving up shallow. Bass are slow in shallow water with rattletraps and spinnerbaits, or in 12-15 feet of water on Carolina rigs. Report by Mark Fransen, Fransen's Guide Service.
Graham
GOOD. Water stained; upper 65 degrees; 3.54 feet below pool. Crappie are good on minnows in brush in 12-14 feet of water. Crappie and bass are feeding on shad. Bass are good on crankbaits on main lake points. Catfish are good on cut shad. Fish are feeding on shad in the back of pockets. Sand bass and hybrids are schooling around the hot water outlet. The bite is good with cut shad or jigs.
Granbury
GOOD. normal stain; 65 degrees; 0.13 feet below pool. Water temperatures are in the low to middle 60s and falling slowly. Recent rains have helped but have not fully filled Granbury. Sand bass action continues to fair to good midlake from Indian Harbor to Mallard Pointe. Striped bass are slow to fair on live bait fished from the dam to Decordova Bend Estates. Black bass are good to 4 pounds on soft plastics near weeds and laydowns. Some good topwater action for largemouth bass is good near schooling sandbass and on main lake points and flats. Look for the birds. Best black bass reports come from the area near town and in the river above Granbury. Catfish action is picking up on cut bait. Some big blue catfish can be caught mid-lake to Hunter Park on cut shad. Crappie action remains good to excellent on small jigs and minnows fished near standing timber and bridge pilings. Report by Michael Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters.
Grapevine
GOOD. Water stained; 65 degrees; 2.00 feet below pool. Before the cold front the white bass bite was phenomenal. Numbers of white bass can be caught while the fish are feeding up for the winter. White bass are moving quickly and frequently and there is good bird action to follow. Big schools are best on the north side of the lake. Target sand bass in 12-15 feet of water near drop-offs with smaller imitation shad slabs fished off the bottom. Use white slabs if the water clarity becomes stained. Sand bass are preparing their bodies to spawn, so smaller lures will work best. Bass and catfish are mixed in with the sandies. Report by Omar Cotter, Luck O'the Irish Fishing Guide Service.
Hawkins
FAIR. Water slightly stained; 65 degrees. Small poppers fished around grass and isolated stumps should draw a strike from black bass. Small streamers should bring action from chain pickerel. Report by Guide Alex Guthrie, Fly Fish Fork Guide Service.
Jacksonville
SLOW. Water normal stain; 69 degrees; 0.23 feet above pool. Bass were biting on deeper brush and structure with Texas rigged big worms and jigs. Spotted bass were biting wacky worms and jigs around docks.
Joe Pool
FAIR. Water normal stain; 67 degrees; 0.25 feet below pool. The weather has been relatively warm keeping most game fish shallow feeding on shad. With these next cold fronts, most game fish will be hanging around the first break leaving shallow water areas. Bass will be keying in on shad baits like a crankbait and rattle trap. Crappie will be related to larger piles of wood in schools. Catfish will be on the lower side of the drop-offs eating weak shad falling to bottom as cooler temperatures approach. Report by Cade Rudiger, local angler.
Lavon
FAIR. Water stained; 68 degrees; 2.21 feet below pool. Fishing patterns are consistent but there is rain in the forecast. While it is raining fish like to hide under structure, such as underwater lay-downs, docks, or underwater rock shelves. Fish near creek mouths for catfish feeding on stunned baitfish, and other fish coming out of the creek system. Use cut shad drum or blue gill. Crappie are great in 15-20 feet on structure with igs and minnows. Some black bass are in 2-10 feet of water. A few bass have been caught on a ledge in 22 feet, but the best catches are in 10-15 feet when the sun comes up with a squarebill crankbait and 12 foot series 5 diver, watermelon red watermelon green creature baits, or plastic worms. White and chartreuse spinnerbait is good early. If you have live scope a small 5/8 ounce paddle tail jigs will land a bite. There are still a few white bass in 10-15 feet of water, but most of them are now in black water. Black water means the water appears black due to the abundance of gizzard shad. You should see this in 2-4 feet along the bank. Cast to the bank, almost hitting the bank and drag it across over their heads. After the third reel on your fishing reel, it is pretty much over and you have to repeat. It is a quick bite and accuracy matters. If you cast 2 feet from the bank, your cast landed on fish and they will not bite. White and chartreuse paddle tail swimbaits are best. While the water temperature is dropping in the mid 60s the catfish are primarily in 10-15 feet of water, but can be schooling deep. Bite is on cut bait. Bluegills spawned about a month ago because fish smaller than a pinky nail can be caught. Bluegill, shad and tilapia spawn multiple times per year. Bluegills are active on almost every brush pile in 15-20 feet. Worms are best with the white pieces of bacon, if they are very active as they will not pull the bait off the hook and you can reuse it multiple times. A big factor in this is using a two or four pound monofilament line anything more than that your catch ratio plummets. Tilapia can be found along the banks of the marinas, and 2 feet off the shoreline in schools of 10-30 every 20 feet apart. Use a small barber 2 to 4 pound line and a small piece of worm will catch them just as fast as you can catch bluegill on brush piles. Target sandy banks and rip rap, which is the Boulders surrounding boat, ramps, dams, railroad tracks. If you do not get anything after one minute, go ahead and make your bobber deeper until you start getting bit. Report by Carey Thorn, White Bass Fishing Texas.
Lewisville
FAIR. Water normal stain; 65 degrees; 0.18 feet below pool. The fishing patterns should remain consistent until the water temperature reaches 50 degrees. Hybrid striper and white bass are slow on points and humps in 10-30 feet of water with slabs, spoons, spinnerbaits, and swimbaits. If you are keeping fish, please be aware that there are a lot of undersized hybrid stripers in the lake that look very similar to a white bass. Blue catfish are fair to good on cut shad drifting humps, points, and flats in 15-32 feet of water. Channel catfish are fair on baited holes on humps and points in 15-30 feet of water on cut shad or punch bait. Crappie are fair in 10-34 feet of water on brush piles, submerged timber, laydowns, and rock piles. Submerged cover close to a drop off ledge has been best. More crappie have been showing up around the bridge pilings as well. Minnows are working better than jigs. Report by Wes Campbell, BendARod Fishing.
Limestone
GOOD. Water clear; 68 degrees; 1.67 feet below pool. The pattern will remain steady steady until there is a major change in the weather. Shad patterned lures will be best right now. Crappie are in 8-20 feet of water on minnows. Most fish are migrating towards the mouths of creeks. White bass are grouping up and starting to feed for the winter. Largemouth bass are in 4-12 feet of water on brush, docks and bulkheads hitting Texas rigs and spinnerbaits. Catfish can be caught throughout the lake in 10-20 feet of water on cutbait. Some catfish are following shad into the creek. Report by Colan Gonzales, Lake Limestone Guide Service.
Navarro Mills
GOOD. 67 degrees; 0.15 full pool. All species are good, but the size of fish is down. White bass are good trolling with spoons. Crappie are good in 12 feet brush piles with minnows. Catfish are good throughout the lake on perch. Report by Navarro Mills Marina.
Palestine
GOOD. water stained; 65 degrees; 0.14 feet below pool. Fishing patterns are consistent, but this cold front should knock the water temperature to the upper 50s. Crappie are good in 16-25 feet of water with jigs or minnows. Catfish are good in shallow water in the creeks with cut bait.
Palo Pinto
GOOD. stained; 68 degrees; 0.07 feet below pool. The lake level is on the rise and the creeks are running. Blue catfish are good with cut bait and fresh shad. Crappie are good in deep water with minnows. Drum and carp are biting on worms. Report by Lake Palo Pinto RV Park.
Ray Hubbard
GOOD. Water normal stain; 63 degrees; 0.88 feet below pool. White bass have been fair throughout the day in shallow water on long points and coves. Later in the morning white bass are shallow in 18-21 feet on long points, coves and ledges. White bass are starting to group up and as the water temperature declines to the mid 60s fish will push to deeper open water. Crappie are good, and also moving. Fish are related to brush piles in 18-25 feet of water and on bridge columns. Catfish are good in wooded timber in 18-22 feet on prepared punch bait. Chumming will help bring the schools into your areas. Some reports of big blue catfish catches on deep flats mid lake drifting with large cut bait. Report by John Varner, John Varner's Guide Service.
Ray Roberts
GOOD. Water slightly stained; 66 degrees; 0.69 feet below pool. Largemouth bass are fair to good running in pockets, ditches and draws with a swim jig. Crappie are good with natural colored jigs or minnows. Orange and chartreuse or green and chartreuse jigs when the clarity is muddy. Target fish in the middle of the creeks channels in deep holes and pockets, on flats with timber in 12-18 feet or in 25-30 deep brush. Channel catfish are good on baited holes. Blue catfish can be caught on flats with 18-24 feet of water with cut bait. Sand bass are fair on humps with live bait, or slabs. Report by Daniel Koberna, Lt. Dan's Crappie Co.
Richland Chambers
GOOD. Water slightly stained; 67 degrees; 1.85 feet below pool. White bass are excellent with large schools on humps and points. Idle these main lake areas until you locate fish then drop a 2 ounce slab with a bucktail jig or spoon 18 inches above the slab. If the fish stop biting sometimes you only have to move 20 yards to find them again. Undersized hybrids are mixed in. As the water temperature cools expect the hybrid bite to turn on and fish to congregate in large groups. Catfish are good and catches are filling coolers. Black bass can be caught on shallow cover following schools of shad. Limits are possible with a squarebill crankbait. Target larger bass with a swimbait or glide bait. Report by Terry Hawkins Guide Service.
Somerville
FAIR. Water stained; 64 degrees; 2.66 feet below pool. The gates at the dam are now closed so the bite has slowed below the dam. At the marina all species are fair. On the lake crappie are fair with various jigs and minnows holding tight to brush in 8-12 feet of water. Catfish are good in 5-12 feet of water on drop-offs with cut shad, punch bait or using jug lines. Black bass are fair on craw jigs and slow plastic baits in 6-14 feet of water. White bass are slow trolling with various spoons or anchored with shad and ghost minnows. Hybrids are slow with jigs or cut bait in deeper water. Report by Weldon Kirk, Fish Tales Guide Service.
Stillhouse
FAIR. Water stained; 70 degrees; 0.59 feet above pool. We are at peak fall fishing conditions now for white bass and hybrid striped bass. The fishing is excellent and will likely stay this way until the water temperature drops below 60 degrees in a few weeks. The only thing that could make this better is the arrival of our migratory, fish-eating birds like gulls and terns. A few are present, but so far have been unhelpful locating fish. Sonar remains the staple for finding fish in 30-35 feet around sunrise and sunset, then 35-52 feet the rest of the day. The MAL Dense worked vertically by cranking it upward through the lower third of the water column assisted by viewing this on Garmin LiveScope is my go-to tactic. Report by Bob Maindelle, Holding the Line Guide Service. Fall conditions have bass scattered, making it difficult to find big groups or consistent patterns. Large schools of nomadic bass are roaming the main lake chasing shad. Bass fishing is fair utilizing forward-facing sonar and mid-strolling small minnow-style soft plastics. For bigger bites, fish a football jig along steeper rocky shorelines. Report by Ander Meine, Bassquatch Fishing.
Tawakoni
GOOD. Water lightly stained; 64 degrees; 1.36 feet below pool. Lake Tawakoni has settled into a solid fall pattern and is fishing good the week of Thanksgiving! Hybrid striper and white bass action has been solid. Seeing limits of big hybrids, and white bass. Best depths have been 10-20 feet with swimbaits and slabs. Eating sized catfish are very good. Limits of quality channel catfish have been reliable on cheese based punch bait in 16-25 feet. Trophy catfish to 65 pounds are good in 10-25 feet of water with cut bait. As the water temperature cools the bite will improve. Crappie have improved in 10-18 feet of water on bridge pilings, docks and vertical timber are holding fish. Largemouth bass are good on squarebill crankbaits in super shallow water next to dock legs and shallow stickups. Report by Captain Michael Littlejohn, Lake Tawakoni Guide Service.
Texoma
GOOD. Water stained; 63 degrees; 0.27 feet above pool. Striper fishing is good on live bait and swimbaits. Fish are schooling in deep water under gulls and off river ledges 35-55 feet of water. Catfish can be found on deep flats and creeks channels in 40-60 feet of water. Drift whole gizzard shad or cut rough fish off the bottom. Bigger fish are moving up into coves and creeks. Crappie are in brush and structure in 8-12 feet of water with fish being suspended near the top of the water column. Bigger fish are roaming shallow flats 5-12 feet of water, jigs and small shad produce fish on the right weather day. Report by Jacob Orr, Lake Texoma, Guaranteed Guide Service. Stripers are good in 10-30 feet of water in ditches, drop-offs and ledges near flats with slabs, live bait, and Alabama rigs. Birds are working. The pattern is finally more consistent with what is typical for this time of year. Report by John Blasingame, Adventure Texoma Outdoors.
Weatherford
FAIR. Water stained; 70 degrees; 5.28 feet below pool. Bait is starting to transition to the creeks. Bass are slow around docks with crankbaits. Crappie are fair on brush piles with minnows and jigs. Crappie are showing up in the crappie house. Catfish are fair around rock with cut bait and shad.
Whitney
GOOD. Water normal stain; 69 degrees; 1.42 feet below pool. Fishing patterns remain consistent, but expect the bite to slow during and after a cold front. Catfish are good using punch bait in 20-30 feet of water. Striped bass are slow early in the morning on live bait in 25 feet of water, or on topwater baits where fish are schooling. Crappie are fair in the main lake brush in 20-30 feet of water. White bass are slow on slabs in 20 feet of water. Largemouth bass are fair using soft plastics on deep structure and around docks. Report by Captain Cory Vinson, Guaranteed Guide Service.
Worth
GOOD. Water normal; 67 degrees; 1.20 feet below pool. Bass fishing is good along cattails and under concrete bridge pilings using crankbaits with big vibration. Crappie are slow. Sand bass are good in deeper water on slabs. Catfish are good on cut shad. Report by Michael James, local angler.