Fork Fishing Report: Late Summer Bass, Crappie, and Cats on Lake Fork

This is Artificial Lure with your Lake Fork fishing report for Wednesday, August 6th, 2025. Summertime’s sitting heavy over East Texas, and Lake Fork has been giving up some solid catches for folks willing to adapt to the conditions. Air temps today pushed into the low 90s by afternoon, with humid south breezes and just enough cloud cover to keep things changing. Water surface temps on Fork have been hanging in the mid to high 80s, and the lake’s clarity is lightly stained in most areas after some hit-or-miss rains last weekend.

Sunrise hit at 6:37 AM, with sunset coming up at 8:18 PM, so you’ve got plenty of daylight to work with. Winds have been out of the southeast at 8 to 12 mph most of the day—enough to put a ripple on the main lake but not keep you off the water. Fork’s lake level is near normal for August, so you won’t be hindered by low ramps.

If you’re planning your trip by the lunar tables, fish activity peaked early—in the hour after sun-up and again near dusk. The barometer's been steady, so the fish have been fairly predictable. There aren't true tidal swings on Fork like out on the Gulf, but for those who believe in it, the best action was tied to that midday bump and the evening cool-down.

Now let’s talk catches. Largemouth bass are the main draw on Fork and they’re settling into classic late-summer patterns. Reports out of the east and south arms of the lake—especially around Little Caney and the mouth of Wolfe Creek—show the best numbers coming off the deeper main lake points and ledges, anywhere from 14 to 24 feet. Anglers are picking up scattered fish early on topwaters like poppers and walking baits, but once the sun is up, it’s been mostly deep stuff. Your best bet: big 10- to 12-inch worms rigged Texas or Carolina style, or football jigs crawled slow through timber and on hard-bottom breaks (TikTok user @jonathan_dietz_fishing).

For those working grass edges and submerged hydrilla, soft plastic jerkbaits like the Z-man Scented Jerk ShadZ have been getting bites (as seen on @juran.adventures). If you find active schools on your electronics, a big flutter spoon or a swimbait will draw reaction strikes—as always, stick to shad or bluegill color patterns.

Crappie have slowed some, but folks fishing submerged bridges and deeper brushpiles in 18 to 26 feet are still pulling some solid slabs, mainly on minnows. Catfishing’s been steady, especially at night. Channel cats and an occasional flathead showing up on cut shad and punch bait around the bridges and channel swings.

White bass are roaming mid-depth humps—best action is jigging with 1-oz slabs and tailspinners in the late morning. Not a limit every trip, but enough for a fry, and you might luck into some hybrids.

If you’re after a true Fork giant, dusk is hard to beat. Fish the first deep break outside the creek mouths—especially near Mustang and Williams—for a shot at that kicker fish as water temps drop and bait stacks up.

To recap: your go-to lures right now are big Texas-rigged worms, Carolina-rigged creature baits, and football jigs for bass. Try flutter spoons and swimbaits for suspended fish. For crappie, go deep and stick with minnows. Bring the bug spray, hydrate, and keep safety in mind—midday is brutal, so target early or late for the best action.

Local hot spots right now: the deep timber off Little Caney Point and the main lake ledges just east of the 515 bridge. Both are holding good numbers and a shot at quality fish.

Thanks for tuning in to today’s Lake Fork report. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss out on what’s biting where. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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