Early Morning Bass, Crappie and Cats at Lake Fork - A Texas Fishing Report

Lake Fork was glassy at sunrise, with a hint of fall in the morning air—perfect conditions for North Texas anglers hunting trophy bass and more. Sunrise clocked in at 7:11 a.m., and with the midweek calm, by first light several boats were already staking out the creek mouths and main-lake points.

Today’s forecast calls for partly cloudy skies, highs in the low 80s, and light SSE winds at 5-9 mph. That’s textbook bass weather right there, especially as water temps are sliding into the upper 70s after last week’s cool snap. No significant tides on this inland lake, but overnight cooling is helping crank up the shallow bite early and late. Sunset will hit at 7:19 p.m., so that twilight window looks promising for big bites.

Fish activity has been high—several guides reported solid numbers of slot-size and over-slot largemouths caught lately, with the big fish schooling up on shad schools around deeper bridge pilings and timber. According to the Texas Parks & Wildlife’s latest data, Lake Fork remains the king for lunker largemouths: bass topping 8–10 pounds aren’t an everyday catch, but 4–6 pounders are hitting steadily for skilled anglers, especially working that early dawn topwater[Cited from recent TPWD bass records by TPWD]. Major species landed recently also include good slabs of white and black crappie, feisty channel catfish, and plenty of white bass in the mix.

The best lures this week:
- Topwater walkers (like a Zara Spook or Sexy Dawg) fished along grass lines and over shallow points at sunrise.
- Squarebill crankbaits in shad or bluegill pattern, run parallel to creek mouths and over submerged timber as the sun rises.
- Carolina or Texas-rigged soft plastics (watermelon red or green pumpkin) pitched to stumps in 6–14 feet.
- For crappie, most folks are hitting brush piles and bridge pilings with minnows or baby shad jigs in chartreuse/white combos—mid-morning bite has been strongest.
- Catfish are coming on cut shad and punch bait fished on drop-offs or channel bends, mainly late evening or overnight.

For bait, nothing beats live shad or large minnows if you can find them. Otherwise, your reliable soft plastic worms and jigs are pulling numbers among bass, and punch bait is a sure bet for cats right now.

Hot spots you don’t want to miss:
- The SRA Point and Little Caney Creek have been producing limits early for bass, especially at those shad schools surfacing by mid-morning.
- The Hwy 515 West Bridge remains a crappie magnet, and some big ones have been spotted at the deeper pilings. For white bass, hit the main lake humps around Dale Creek.
- For bank fishermen, try the public piers at Lake Fork Marina for evening catfish and the occasional surprise drum.

One important reminder: Texas Parks & Wildlife asks that all anglers help fight the zebra mussel spread, so always clean, drain, and dry your boats after every trip.

That wraps up the Lake Fork fishing action for September 24th, 2025. Thank y’all for tuning in—be sure to subscribe for more local fishing reports, tips, and your best chance at landing a new personal best. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Lake Fork was glassy at sunrise, with a hint to
fall in the morning air, perfect conditions for North Texas
anglers hunting trophy bass and more. Sunrise clocked in at
seven eleven AM, and with the midweek calm, by first light,
several boats were already staking out the creek mouths in
Maine Lake Points. Today's forecast calls for partly cloudy skies,

(00:21):
highs in the low eighties and light ssee winds at
five to nine miles per hour. That's textbook bass weather
right there, especially as water temps were sliding into the
upper seventies after last week's cool snap. No significant tides
on this inland lake, but overnight cooling is helping crank
up the shallow bite early and late. Sunset will hit
at seven nineteen pm, so that twilight window looks promising

(00:44):
for big bites. Fish activity has been high. Several guides
reported solid numbers of slot size and overslot large mouths
caught lately, with the big fish schooling up on shad
schools around deeper bridge pilings and timber. According to the
Texas Parts and Wildlife's latest data, Lake Fork remains the
king for lunker large mouths bass topping eight to ten

(01:05):
pounds aren't in everyday catch, but four to six pounders
are hitting steadily for skilled anglers, especially working at early dawn.
Topwater cited from recent TPWD bass records by TPWD. Major
species landed recently also include good slabs of white and
black crappie, ficy channel catfish, and plenty of white bass

(01:26):
in the mix. The best lures this week topwater walkers
like a tzaraspook or sexy dog fished along grass lines
and over shallow points at sunrise. Next, square bill crank
baits in shad or bluegill pattern run parallel to creek
mouths and over submerged timber as the sun rises. Mixed

(01:46):
pa Carolina or Texas rig soft plastics, watermelon, red or
green pumpton pitched to stumps, and six to fourteen feet
pe c cats. For crappie, Most folks are hitting brush
piles and bridge pilings with minnows or baby shad jigs
in tretruz white combos. Mid morning bite has been strongest.

(02:09):
Catfish are coming on cutshad and punch bait fished on
drop offs or channel bends, namely late evening or overnight
for bait. Nothing beats live shad or large minnows if
you can find them otherwise and as soft. The Sra
Point and Little Caney Creek have been producing limits early
for bass, especially at those shad schools surfacing by mid morning.

(02:33):
The Highway five one to five Westbridge remains a crappy
magnet and some big ones have been spotted at the
deeper pilings for white bass. Hit the main lake humps
around Dale Creek for bank fishermen. Try the public piers
at Lake Fork Marina for evening catfish and the occasional
surprise drum. One important reminder Texas Parks and Wildlife asks

(02:54):
that all anglers help fight the zebra muscle spread, so
always clean, drain, and dryer bat after every trip. That
wraps up the Lake Fork fishing action for September twenty fourth,
twenty twenty five. Thank y'all for tuning in. Be sure
to subscribe for more local fishing reports, tips, and your
best chance at landing a new personal best. This has

(03:15):
been a quiet please production. For more check out Quiet
Please dot ai