Lake Fork Fishing Report: Hot Summer Patterns Ignite East Texas Action

Artificial Lure here, bringing you your June 18, 2025, Lake Fork fishing report, straight from the heart of East Texas. We’ve got hot summer patterns in play, and the fish are responding in kind.

Sunrise greeted us at 6:16 a.m. this morning, and sunset will wind down at 8:29 p.m. The lake’s water temp is hanging around 82 degrees, just a tick above pool—great conditions for chasing just about anything with fins. Water’s stained and the weed lines continue to thicken up, especially around the lily fields, hydrilla, and milfoil beds.

Bass fishing is downright exciting right now. Early and late in the day, you’ll want to work topwaters—frogs and buzzbaits—around shallow grass, pads, and flooded weeds. Shad are stacked along the points, and the bass are pushing up to feed in that magic 2 to 4 foot range. When the sun gets higher, shift out to those classic Lake Fork structures: main and secondary points, humps, and roadbeds in 12 to 25 feet. Carolina rigs tipped with big flukes, deep-diving crankbaits, and magnum worms are producing some bigs. Don’t sleep on the squarebill or chatterbait bite either as the wind pushes bait into the shallows—those are still hot. Local guides have reported good numbers of largemouth bass in the 2 to 8-pound class daily, and even a few double-digit giants coming from the Chicken Ridge and the 164 Bridge area, according to the folks at Lake Fork Guide Service and Captain Experiences.

Crappie are heating up with the weather—big slabs are stacking on brush piles, underwater bridges, and laydowns from 14 to 32 feet deep. Both white and black crappie are showing up, and Jacky Wiggins Guide Service says minnows, small hand-tied jigs, and soft plastics are all working. Color hasn’t mattered much, just make sure you’re in the zone above the fish. If you find a loaded brush pile or reef, odds are you’re going to fill a cooler in short order.

Bream and channel cats are cruising the shallows—look for channel cats in 2–4 feet around grass edges and near timber. Wooly buggers and small clousers are doing work for those fly anglers, but cut shad or nightcrawlers on a slip bobber will get it done for the rest.

If you’re looking for hot spots, don’t skip Chicken Ridge or the bridges at 154 and 164—they’ve been consistent with both bass and crappie action. The submerged roadbeds and the thick weed flats off Mustang Creek are local favorites, too.

That’s the rundown—get on the water early or stay late for the best bite, keep it safe, and enjoy these prime summer Lake Fork days. Thanks for tuning in to your local fishing report, and make sure you subscribe to stay up on all the action.

This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease dot ai.