Lake Fork Fishing Report: Early Fall Bites, Trophy Potential

Howdy from Lake Fork, Texas, this is Artificial Lure with your local fishing report for Wednesday, September 17, 2025.

We’re waking up to a fine early fall morning, temps around 64 this sunrise with mostly clear skies. The weather today is looking prime: highs creeping to the low 80s, light winds out of the north at 5-10 mph, and only a slight chance of stray clouds through the afternoon—classic post-front conditions that tend to get the fish on the move. Sunrise hit just after 7:05 AM, and you'll have daylight until the sun dips at 7:29 PM.

While tides aren’t much of a factor here in the heart of East Texas, water levels are stable and clarity is fair after last week’s rainfall. Water temps are hanging in the upper 70s. Bass are entering their fall transition—chasing shad up creek arms and working the grass edges more each day as things cool off a bit. Recent reports from both local guides and regulars say the topwater bite around first light has been outstanding along main-lake points, especially where hydrilla lines are close to deeper water.

Best producers have been walking baits and poppers like the Strike King Sexy Dawg and Pop-R in silver or shad patterns. Once that sun’s up, switch to mid-depth crankbaits—chartreuse-blue backs and craw colors are getting hits working secondary points and deeper timber. If you’re targeting the bigger largemouth, Texas-rigged creature baits in kudzu or watermelon red, and old-school Carolina rigs with chartreuse lizards, are moving some heavy fish off the ledges in 12-18 feet.

On the crappie side, slabs are being caught in good numbers from the bridges—especially under the 154 and over by Little Caney—holding to brush piles in 18-22 feet. Minnows are catching limits but those going with small chartreuse or monkey milk jigs under slip corks are getting the bigger crappie.

Catfish action is steady, with blues taking cut shad or punch bait off main channel drops. Channel cats are stacked up on baited holes in the creek arms. You might just luck into an arm-length flathead if you set live perch down near timber in 10-14 feet, especially after dusk.

For sunfish, the kids and bank anglers are loading up on big bluegill—Garden Gnome Cove and the SRA Island areas are hot with worms under bobbers.

Top hotspots today:
- SRA Point and north end of Little Caney for schooling bass at dawn
- Bridges at 154 and 515 for crappie
- Main lake timber south of the dam for those trophy blue cats

This week, an angler brought in a nice 12-pound largemouth near the dam off a Texas-rigged brush hog, and several 2+ pound crappie have hit the boards at the 154 bridge—proof that there are still some true Lake Fork giants out there. The state records speak for themselves: bass over 18 pounds and catfish pushing triple digits call Fork home, so every cast has potential for a memory.

Don’t forget to keep your eyes peeled around shallow grass for big bait balls—when you find shad, bass won’t be far behind.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Howdy from Lake Fork, Texas. This is artificial lore with
your local fishing report for Wednesday, September seventeenth, twenty twenty five.
We're waking up to a fine early fall morning temps
around sixty four this sunrise, with mostly clear skies. The
weather today is looking prime highs creeping to the low eighties,
light winds out of the north at five to ten

(00:21):
miles per hour, and only a slight chance of straight
clouds through the afternoon, classic post front conditions that tend
to get the fish on the move. Sunrise hit just
after seven oh five am, and you'll have daylight until
the sun dips at seven twenty nine PM. While tides
aren't much of a factor here in the heart of
East Texas, water levels are stable and clarity is fair

(00:41):
after last week's rainfall. Water temperatures are hanging in the
upper seventies. Bass are entering their fall transition dash, chasing
shad up creek arms and working the grass edges more
each day as things cool off a bit. Recent reports
from both local guides and regulars say the top water
bite around first light has been outstanding along main lake points,

(01:01):
especially where hydrilla lines are close to deeber wir best
producers have been walking baits and poppers like the strike
King's Sexy Dog and pop rock in silver or shad patters.
Once that sun's up, switch to mid dep crank baits,
chartreuse blue backs and craw collars are getting hits working
secondary points in deeper timber. If you're targeting the bigger

(01:24):
large mouth Texas rigged creature baits in kudzo or watermelon
red in old school Carolina rigs with chartreuse lizards are
moving some heavy fish off the ledges, and twelve to
eighteen feet on the crappy side slabs are being caught
in good numbers from the bridges, especially under the one,
five four and over by little kenny holding to brush

(01:46):
piles and eighteen to twenty two feet minos are catching limits,
but those going with small chartreuse or monkey milk jigs
under slip corks are getting the bigger. Crappy catfish action
is steady with loose taking cuts or punch bait off
main channel drops. Channel cats are stacked up on baited
holes in the creek arms. You might just luck into

(02:08):
an arm length flathead if you set live perch down
near timber and ten to fourteen feet, especially after dusk
for sunfish. The kids in bank anglers are loading up
on big bluegill. Garden, gome Cove and the Sra Island
areas are hot with worms under bobbers. Top hot spots
today Sra Point and north end of Little Caney for

(02:29):
schooling bass at dawn bridges at one five four and
five to one five for crappy, Maine Lake timbers south
of the dam for those trophy blue cats. This week
an angler brought in a nice twelve pound largemouth near
the dam off a Texas rig brushawk, and several two
plus pound crappy have hit the boards at the one
far four bridge, proof that there are still some true

(02:52):
Lake Fort giants out there. The state records speak for themselves.
Bass over eighteen pounds and catfish pushing tripled digits call
Fork home, so every cast has potential for a memory.
Don't forget to keep your eyes peeled around shallow grass
for big bait balls. When you find shad, bass won't

(03:12):
be far behind. Thanks for tuning in to your local
Leak Fork fishing report with artificial lore. Make sure to
hit that subscribe button for weekly updates. Tips, and more.
This has been a quiet Please production. For more check
out Quiet Please dot ai