Lake Houston Fishing Report

Current Fishing Report: Very Good To Excellent

Anglers are catching big, blue catfish using forward-facing sonar and other high-tech fish finders, originally designed for bass fishing. As a result, they are now catching more and bigger blues, by identifying specific targets. The catch rate is improving as anglers hone their skills with these new tools. Currently, new baits, line and rigging methods have also improved success for bank fishing enthusiasts. Savvy anglers, who study the life cycle and patterns of blue catfish, are still catching nice fish, with or without these new tools.

SUMMER. Summer is the premier season for blue catfish on Lake Houston. Fish remain active despite warm water, feeding heavily along river channels, creek mouths, flats adjacent to deep water, and around the dam. Early morning, late evening, and night fishing are especially productive. Early Summer is post-spawn season for big blue catfish. They follow big schools of baitfish, and feed heartily. Live shad is the preferred bait at night, while cut bait is catching nice blues during the day. Stay around channel edges and fish areas that have concentrations of bait. Once Summer weather has warmed lake water into the 80's, blue catfish move closer to the main basins. During hottest months blue cats commonly suspend along the thermocline where it intersects channel ledges. In Summer they hold in deep feeding areas, 15 to 35 feet deep, preferring to remain in slow-moving current when available. During low-light conditions they feed in water from 8 to 15 feet deep. Blues, including some of the bigger ones, are caught while slow trolling, or drifting ledges, adjacent to river channels, or within the channel along the edges. Anglers fishing from the bank are catching a few fish, but boats are the preferred approach. Late Summer, if the water temperature rises above the high 70's, they become less active, and fishing can slow down.

FALL. Cooling water triggers aggressive feeding. Schools of shad gather in creek arms and along channel edges, with blue catfish following closely. Drift fishing and anchoring over channel breaks both produce excellent catches. Fall is one of the better times of year for catching blue catfish. Early in Fall they cruise the shallows in 10 to 30 feet of water, in search of food. Areas with good reports include points and channel bends around the main river channel. Later, in the season they migrate shallower and toward current, primarily in the main body of the lake, around 15 to 35 feet deep. They remain in these areas and feed aggressively in preparation for Winter.

WINTER. Winter fishing remains very good because blue catfish stay active in Texas reservoirs. Fish concentrate in deeper river channels and holes but often feed during warming trends. Once the cold Winter has set in, big blues are caught in deep holes, around 20 to 40 feet deep. Prime areas are in the main river channel and on deep channel ledges. Good reports often come from the river channel intersections. Here these catfish await warmer water in Spring. They are less aggressive now, but slow drifting, or dead sticking baits, can still trigger bites. Cut bait, or live bait taken from this lake are the top bait choice. Use slip sinkers, 3-way rigs, or Carolina rigs with enough weight to keep the bait bumping bottom as you drift or slow troll.

SPRING. Spring offers outstanding fishing as blue catfish feed aggressively before spawning. Fish move shallower, especially around creek mouths, riprap, flooded timber, and shoreline structure. The pre-spawn bite is among the year's best. Spring begins the aggressive feeding, in preparation for summer. Blues in early Spring are typically caught 5 to 20 feet deep in bays and coves, on shallow flats, and along shallow ledges where baitfish school. Hot spots on this structure includes channel bends and sharp depth breaks. Transition zones between the main channel and secondary creek channels, and flats around creek mouths are also popular areas. In late Spring blues will stage for the spawn in water 8 to 15 feet deep, then spawn in 2 to 12 feet of water, around cover. Cut bait is the ideal bait this time of year, with locals preferring cut gizzard shad.

Current Fishing Report: Good

Bass fishing is currently experiencing major changes in the way anglers are approaching the sport. The expanded use of high-tech fish finders is giving anglers, who fish from a boat, a distinct advantage. The fishing hasn't really changed, but the catch rate has increased considerably. The advent of new lures and equipment has improved success for anglers fishing from the bank. Savvy anglers, who study bass patterns, continue to catch nice fish, with or without the new gadgets.

SUMMER. Warm water pushes many bass toward deeper creek channels, submerged timber, and bridge structure during the day. Early mornings, evenings, and cloudy days offer excellent shallow-water action around vegetation, docks, and shoreline cover. Water temperatures warm considerably in Summer, so bass feed shallow, early and late in the day. As the day warms, they are typically caught in 8 to 20 feet of water. During Summer, keep an eye on the thermocline to determine the maximum depth to fish, as there is very little oxygen below the thermocline. Largemouth bass here feed on threadfin shad, gizzard shad, small sunfish and crawfish. During the hotter parts of the day, they are typically caught on points, channel edges, and ledges 15 to 20 feet deep. Drop shots, and wacky-rigged stick worms often catch finicky bass when the bite is slow.

FALL. Cooling temperatures bring baitfish into creeks and shallow coves, with bass following closely. Fish feed aggressively before winter and can often be found chasing schools of shad along flats and secondary points. When Fall arrives, bass here will follow schools of baitfish into coves and shallow bays where crankbaits, swimbaits, and slow-rolled spinnerbaits have been successful in prior years. In Fall, anglers typically have success in 5 to 15 feet of water, around points and shallow flats leading to deeper water. As deeper water cools, bait and bass move out to ledges, channel edges, points and humps. Here flutter spoons are often the ideal bait in 15 feet of water, or deeper. Some of the larger bass will seclude themselves away from the school, often in slightly deeper water.

WINTER. Bass become less active during winter but remain catchable on slower presentations. Fish typically hold around creek channels, standing timber, and deeper brush piles, becoming more active during warming trends. The cold of Winter will isolate largemouth around deeper structure, flats, points and creek channels. Water temperatures are usually in the low high 40's to mid 50's, and bass can be found near the bottom, or suspending from 10 to 22 feet deep over deeper structure. In January they may move slightly deeper. Bass often move a bit shallower on warm, sunny days. Also, some of the larger bass will isolate away from schools, 5 or so feet deeper. Here they hold, feeding less frequently, awaiting warmer water to return in Spring. Slow presentations with drop shots, jigs, spoons, finesse worms, or lipless crankbaits are often the key to getting bites.

SPRING. Spring is the best season for largemouth bass. Pre-spawn fish feed heavily before moving into shallow spawning areas. After spawning, bass remain around nearby cover while recovering and feeding aggressively. When water temperatures rise into the low 60's, largemouth move from deep wintering holes, to shallower water near spawning areas. Vibrating jigs, crankbaits, jerkbaits and spinnerbaits are typically get bites just away from the shoreline. In early Spring they feed aggressively in about 2 to 12 feet of water, and prepare for the spawn. Once water warms into the mid to high 60's, they will move into 2 to 8 feet of water, and create nests, then lay their eggs. Immediately afterwards, females move to deeper water and males remain to guard the eggs, and then the fry. After a couple weeks, the males also move to slightly deeper water, around 5 to 15 feet deep. Anglers report good topwater action from mid Spring through Summer, especially early in the morning, and on cloudy days. Deep-diving crankbaits, vibrating jigs, drop shots, plastic worms, jigs, spoons, and swimbaits catch bass when they are not shallow.

Current Fishing Report: Good

SUMMER. As the water warms, crappie move to deeper brush piles, bridge pilings, submerged timber, and creek channels where they hold in schools. Early morning and evening provide the best bite, while vertical jigging produces fish throughout the day. Water temperatures get quite warm, and crappie fishing is usually pretty good. They feed in 12 to 15 feet of water early and late in the day, until the hot Summer sun causes them to retreat to depths of 15 to 22 feet. Also, a few have embedded in the shade of slightly shallower vegetation. This is a good time to focus around brush piles, standing timber, deep lay downs, bridge pilings and deeper docks. Some of the best fishing is early morning, late evening, or night. Anglers are also locating schools of crappie hanging over deep structure and around creek channel edges, using fish-finder electronics.

FALL. Cooling temperatures bring crappie toward shallower brush and standing timber as baitfish migrate into creek arms. Schools remain tightly grouped, making electronics valuable for locating fish. As Fall begins cooling the shallows, baitfish, move into shallow flats, coves and bays, which draws crappie into these areas. They will be feeding heavily in preparation for the cold Winter, in 8 to 18 feet of water. Minnows, hair jigs, and crappie jigs, are good options during this feeding marathon. Late Fall which turns the shallows cold, starts pushing crappie deeper, toward winter holding areas. Small flutter spoons, fished in 10 to 12 feet of water, are a good option during this transition. Good results typically come around points, creek channels, and brush piles.

WINTER. Winter is one of the best seasons for crappie on Lake Houston. Fish school tightly over deeper brush piles, creek channels, and bridge pilings, making them predictable and easier to target with vertical presentations. The water temperature drop into the 30's and low 40's. The shallows turn cold, causing crappie to migrate to deeper holding areas, mostly off shore. Typically they are caught using a very slow presentation, in 15 to 25 feet of water. Most are caught around creek channel bends, submerged timber, deep brush piles, and main-lake structure. Good reports often come from anglers targeting standing timber and brush piles. When they suspend in open water, they often relate to some cover, or structure change, directly below them. During warming trends, especially warm afternoons, they are drawn into slightly shallower water to feed.

SPRING. Spring is the peak crappie season as fish move into shallow coves and protected shoreline cover to spawn. After spawning, they gradually return to nearby brush and timber while continuing to feed aggressively. In early Spring, crappie begin staging in 2 to 10 feet of water, just outside spawning bays and shallow flats. Spring is prime time to be on the water, as crappie have moved shallow to spawn. At that time, they are typically caught in 2 to 6 feet of water. Vegetation, docks, brush and wood are where most anglers catch crappie using small crappie jigs or live minnows. After the spawn, crappie typically move outside the spawning area and hold on cover close by, in 6 to 15 feet of water. Once they move out of the shallows, anglers report success using fish finders and forward facing sonar to locate schools of crappie, which tend to stack vertically around cover.