Late Summer Sizzle on Lake Fork: Bass, Crappie and Catfish Bite is On Fire

Good morning fish heads! Artificial Lure here with your Lake Fork, Texas fishing report for Friday, August 29th, 2025.

We’re rolling into one of those sticky late summer mornings—already feeling that muggy blanket at the ramp, with temps climbing into the upper 70s at dawn and topping out near 100 by mid-afternoon. Winds are swinging out of the south at about 10 to 15 mph, which gives just enough chop for those topwater shenanigans. Today’s sunrise popped at 6:53 a.m., and you can pack it in around 7:53 p.m. if you’re determined to squeeze every cast out of the light.

Now, tidal action is a non-factor here on Fork, but if you’re bouncing over to Port Aransas or considering some coastal play, NOAA called for a low tide early, rising to a 0.99-foot high around 1:35 p.m.

Here on home waters, the **bass bite is on fire in classic late summer fashion**. Recent catches have been plentiful, with solid numbers of largemouth in the 3- to 8-pound range stretched across the shallow grass and deeper timber. Guides and locals report that topwaters like **walking baits and buzzbaits** are drawing big pops early around hydrilla and along main-lake points. Once the sun gets up, tongue-wag out your favorite **deep-diving crankbaits, Carolina rigs with watermelon or green pumpkin plastics, and don’t overlook a classic Texas-rigged worm** dragged through the timber or off secondary points.

And speaking of plastics, wacky rigs and shaky heads are sticking some fish on the edges of the creek channels, especially up Little Caney and Birch Creek arms. Midday, if you’re marking bait, a drop shot in 15 to 25 feet or even a flutter spoon jigged over humps is putting a few kickers in the livewell.

**Crappie** are holding true to form for August: best catches have been coming off the deeper brush piles in 18 to 24 feet, especially close to the dam and around the Hwy 515 bridge. Minnows just off bottom are the trick, though a small chartreuse jig tight-lined will get you plenty. A YouTube video from earlier this month, Hot August Crappie in East Texas, showed limits dropping quick on brush—key being stay tight to the timber and mind that thermocline.

**Catfish** are cruising the main lake flats and creek mouths. Folks soaking cut shad or punch bait on the bottom in 10 to 20 feet have been hauling in good messes of channels and blues. Nighttime is even better if you can stand the heat and mosquitos.

If you want specifics, a local guide this week shared that “the bite is best from sun-up to about nine, then again near dusk. Fish are schooled on main lake points and classic summer structure.” Most productive waters have stayed in the 6-to-18-foot range, depending on cloud cover and bait position.

If you’re looking for **hot spots**, put in some time at:
- **SRA Point and Little Caney Creek** (work topwater early, plastics later)
- **Hwy 515 West Bridge** and the **old 154 bridge pilings** for crappie and deep bass
- **Wolf Creek** for evening schooling activity

In other news, white bass are popping up here and there chasing shad schools. If you see birds working or surface commotion mid-day, throw a small slab spoon and have some fun.

That about covers it for this scorcher of a Friday. Time your outings for early and late and don’t forget a gallon of water and a hat you can trust.

Thanks for tuning in to your Lake Fork report with Artificial Lure. Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss a local tip, and keep those lines tight! 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):
Good morning, fishheads, artificial war Here with your Lake Fork,
Texas Fishing Report for Friday, August twenty ninth, twenty twenty five.
We're rolling into one of those sticky late summer mornings,
already feeling that muggy blanket at the ramp, with temps
climbing into the upper seventies at dawn and topping out
near one hundred by mid afternoon. Winds are swinging out

(00:20):
of the south at about ten to fifteen miles per hour,
which gives just enough chop for those top water shenanigans.
Today sunrise popped at six fifty three am, and you
can pack it in around seven fifty three PM if
you're determined to squeeze every cast out of the light.
Second sunrise popped at eight am and seven fifty three AM.
One seven fifty three. That's a social play. The base

(00:41):
bite is on fire in classic late summer fashion. Recent
catches have been plentiful, with solid numbers of large mouth
and the three to eight pound range stretched across the
shallow grass in deeper timber gives, and locals report the
top waters like walking baits and buzz baits are drawing
big pops early around hydrilla in a long main lake points.
Once the sun gets up, tongue wag out your favorite

(01:04):
deep diving crank baits, Carolina rigs with watermelon or green
pumpkin plastics, and don't overlook a classic Texas rigged worm
dread through the timber or off secondary points. And speaking
of plastics, racky rigs and shaky heads are sticking some
fish on the edges of the creek channels, especially up
Little Caney and Birch Creek arms midday. If you're marking bait,

(01:25):
a drop shot from fifteen to twenty five feet or
even a flutterspoon jigged over humps is putting a few
kickers in the live well crappy are holding true to
form for August. Best catches have been coming off the
deeper brush biles in eighteen to twenty four feet, especially
close to the dam and around the Highway five hundred
and fifteen bridge. Minnows just off bottom are the trick,

(01:46):
though a small chartruse jig tight line will get you plenty.
A YouTube video from earlier this month hot August crappie
in East Texas showed limits dropping quick on brush key beings.
Stay tight to the timber and mind. At Thermaicline, catfish
are cruising the main lake flats and creek mouths. Folks
soaking cutshad or punch bait on the bottom in ten

(02:08):
to twenty feet have been hauling in good messes of
channels and blues. Night Time is even better if you
can stand the heat and mosquitoes. If you want specifics,
a local guide this week shared that the bite is
best from sun up to about nine, then again near dusk.
Fish are schooled on main lake points in classic summer structure.

(02:28):
Most productive waters have stayed in the six to eighteen
foot range, depending on cloud cover and bait position. If
you're looking for hotspots, put in some time at Sra
Point and Little Caney Creek work top water early plastics,
later s Y five hundred and fifteen Westbridge and the
old one hundred and fifty four bridge pilings for crappy

(02:50):
and deep bass Wolf Creek for evening schooling activity. In
other news, white bass are popping up here and there
chasing shad schools. If you see birds working or surface
commotion midday, throw a small slab spoon and have some fun.
That about covers it for this scorcher of a Friday time,
your addings for early and late, and don't forget a

(03:10):
gallon of water and a hat you can trust. Thanks
for tuning in to your lake Fork Report with artificial lure.
Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss a local tip,
and keep those lines tight. This has been a quiet
please production. For more check out Quiet please dot ai