Lake Fork Fishing Report: Topwater Bite Hot, Crappie Stacking Up, Catfish and Bream Moving Shallow

This is Artificial Lure bringing you your up-to-the-minute fishing report for Lake Fork, Texas, Friday May 16th, 2025.

We’re starting the day with water temps running between 69 and 78 degrees across most areas, with stained clarity and a lake level hovering just a hair above pool. Sunrise today hit at 6:19 AM and you’ll have light to fish all the way until sunset at 8:18 PM. There’s no tidal movement to worry about on Lake Fork, but the wind’s been kicking up now and then, which is helping that shallow bite[1][3].

Let’s talk fish activity. Black bass are in a post-spawn mood and they’re hungry. The early morning topwater bite has been red-hot—those frog patterns and small poppers in the shallow grass and pondweed are working like a charm. As the sun rises, move over to points, both shallow and secondary, where fish are staging in 5 to 10 feet. Carolina rigs, drop shot, and crankbaits have all been solid producers, especially if you’re near any shad spawn action. Keep an eye out for blue herons—they’ll point you right to the shad and the bass. If you’re looking to change it up, throw a wacky rig or a fluke along the grass edges in 1 to 3 feet, particularly on the lower end of the lake[2][3][4][5].

Crappie are coming into their summer pattern now. We’re seeing plenty of smaller black crappie stacking up on brush piles, lay downs, bridges, and docks. The bigger white crappie are starting to hold out on deeper trees, but all sizes are responding well to both minnows and jigs of any color. Fish are in 10 to 30 feet of water, some right near the surface, others hugging the bottom. The catfish bite has been fair in 2 to 4 feet of water on cut bait and clousers, while big bream have moved shallow and are eating up wooly buggers[3].

For those looking to capitalize, your best bets for lures right now are frogs in the early morning, chatterbaits and spinnerbaits near shad activity, and Yum Dingers or flukes along grass and points. Crappie anglers should rig up with live minnows or brightly colored jigs, especially around brush piles and bridge pilings[2][3][4].

A couple hot spots to target: try Little Caney Creek early for the topwater bite, and then move to the points near the 515 West bridge as the sun climbs. Don’t overlook Wolf Creek either—plenty of fish holding off the main-lake points there, especially with a little wind[2][3][5].

That’s the latest from Lake Fork. Tight lines and good luck out there today!