Texas fishing reports
334 reports for Texas — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Post-spawn bass and crappie on the move across the Highland Lakes
Conditions across the Hill Country reservoir chain are running eight feet above year-ago levels, per My Canyon Lake Fishing, with WORD confirming ideal boating and fishing conditions through this week. The post-spawn transition is in full swing across Lake Travis, Lake LBJ, and Lake Buchanan heading into June, with a Full Moon pushing bass toward offshore structure. The Colorado River below Travis is moving at 928 cfs (USGS gauge 08158000) with no temperature reading available this cycle. Tactical Bassin reports that targeting isolated offshore structure and drifting wind-blown flats with chatterbaits and finesse rigs, including neko and dropshot presentations, produced multiple quality bass in a recent post-spawn session, a pattern well-suited to the limestone structure of the Highland Lakes chain. LakeForkGuy describes post-spawn as 'the most aggressive crappie bite of the year,' a window that typically holds on brush-pile-rich impoundments like Buchanan and LBJ well into early June.
Galveston Bay lights up for speckled trout as red snapper season opens offshore
Water temps at 84°F per NOAA buoy 42035 signal a fully transitioned late-spring bite along the upper Texas Gulf Coast. The Galveston Daily News Reel Report is calling bay conditions "really, really good" heading into June. Speckled trout are showing well across Galveston Bay, with one angler logging solid catches between storm cells over the holiday weekend. Offshore, Lone Star Outdoor News confirmed the federal red snapper season opened May 22, and charter captains who had been eagerly anticipating the start are now running to structure. In the surf, Lone Star Outdoor News also notes whiting are "running extremely" well right now, a fast-action species with excellent table appeal. Seas are calm at 1.6 feet with light winds, making both bay and offshore runs comfortable. Tonight's full moon will drive hard tidal current through bay passes and cuts, which is the key to timing your inshore windows this weekend.
Eagle Mountain blue catfish running hot as Texas lakes enter peak June window
North Texas Catfish Guide reports blue catfish limits coming easy on Eagle Mountain Lake near Fort Worth, with multiple 30-pound-plus fish landed per trip this spring. The charter credits a full lake and fresh inflows for pushing fish into an active, fast-feeding mode, which they call one of the best setups of the year. Channel catfish are tracking well on the same water. On the river side, USGS gauge 08211200 registered 113 cfs as of May 31, signaling moderate, stable flow in a south-central Texas drainage. Post-spawn bass are transitioning to offshore summer structure across the state, with Tactical Bassin noting that chatterbaits, drop shots, and Neko rigs are producing around isolated humps and submerged cover. LakeForkGuy is flagging what they call the most aggressive post-spawn crappie bite of the year, making it a strong secondary target. Tonight's Full Moon should extend nocturnal catfish feeding into the overnight hours, a prime window for anglers who can get out after dark.
Specks and Black Drum Firing in Galveston Bay as Red Snapper Season Opens
Water temps touching 81°F at NOAA buoy 42035 signal prime late-May conditions along the Texas Gulf Coast. The Galveston Daily News Reel Report puts it in concrete terms: Duain Cagle and his son Chris loaded up on quality black drum and speckled trout in upper Galveston Bay this Memorial Day weekend, working live shrimp under popping corks. Further south, Capt. Reanna Yaklin has been keeping a full schedule on Baffin Bay, per the same outlet. Lone Star Outdoor News is calling whiting a standout species right now, dubbing it an ideal time for a beach fish fry, and also confirms the federal red snapper season opened May 22 for anglers ready to run offshore. Texas Fish & Game Magazine highlights productive marsh edge action for redfish, flounder, and specks for those willing to work the spartina shorelines at first light. The waxing gibbous moon and warming coastal waters stack multiple strong inshore bites heading into the week.
Post-spawn bass transition underway on East Texas reservoirs
The Lake Fork Trophy Bass guide service reported clients catching "a lot of big bass" through April as the spawn reached full swing, with fish running about 3 feet below pool on a reservoir the guide described as "in great shape." By late May, Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn are in the post-spawn transition: largemouth bass have cleared the beds and are recovering, a phase that per Wired 2 Fish splits the fish between aggressive shad chasers and finesse-oriented shallow loners. LakeForkGuy (YT) is calling this "the most aggressive crappie bite of the year" using post-spawn tactics, a promising signal for the timber-rich structure on these East Texas reservoirs. The Neches River, which feeds Sam Rayburn's watershed, is running at 2,060 cfs (USGS gauge 08030500), a moderate and stable flow that keeps water clarity in check. No gauge temperature is available, but late-May surface temps on East Texas lakes typically settle in the mid-to-upper 70s. A waxing gibbous moon sharpens feeding windows at dawn and dusk.
Speckled trout and black drum headline a strong Galveston Bay late-May bite
Over Memorial Day weekend, Duain Cagle and his son Chris landed solid black drum and speckled trout fishing live shrimp under popping corks in upper Galveston Bay, per the Galveston Daily News Reel Report. It is a strong sign the inshore bite is humming as late May shifts toward summer. Baffin Bay is drawing attention as well, with Capt. Reanna Yaklin reportedly spending considerable time on the water there, according to the same source. Along marsh edges, Texas Fish & Game Magazine describes anglers working spartina-grass shorelines at first light for redfish, flounder, and specks: a classic late-May pattern on the upper Texas coast. Offshore, the federal red snapper season opened May 22, per Lone Star Outdoor News, giving Gulf-capable boats a fresh target. Current readings from buoy 42035 show calm conditions: 1.6-foot swells and light winds, a favorable window before summer afternoon weather builds.
Post-spawn bass and crappie transitioning at Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn
With East Texas bass completing their spawn cycle in late May, the Sabine River gauge (USGS 08030500) reads a moderate 1,860 cfs, signaling stable inflow into Toledo Bend as water levels settle. Lake Fork Trophy Bass reported a full spawn push underway in April, with multiple 10-plus-pound fish landed in March and April across East Texas impoundments. By now, bass are transitioning to post-spawn recovery mode. Per Wired 2 Fish's post-spawn analysis, expect a mixed picture: shallow fry-guarding males and deeper females actively gorging on baitfish before summer heat compresses the bite window. LakeForkGuy called this stretch 'the most aggressive crappie bite of the year' for post-spawn anglers, with brush piles and standing timber the go-to targets. No water temperature reading was available from the local gauges; typical late-May surface temps on East Texas reservoirs run in the upper 70s to low 80s°F, which keeps bass and crappie active before the real summer slowdown sets in.
Post-spawn bass active on Hill Country lakes as Memorial Day arrives
My Canyon Lake Fishing reports that Canyon Lake, situated in the broader central Texas hill country corridor, is sitting 58.6% full, eight feet higher than this time last year, with boat ramps open and conditions described as ideal for fishing and recreation. The Colorado River feeding Lake Travis logged 372 cfs at USGS gauge 08158000 early Monday, a steady moderate flow for late May. Direct on-water intel for Lakes Travis, LBJ, and Buchanan is limited in the available feeds this week, with no current state-agency reports on hand. That noted, late May is a well-established transition point on these reservoirs. Wired 2 Fish covers the post-spawn bass dynamic: some fish are now aggressively feeding on shad and bream beds while others remain shallow and spooky after leaving the nest. Dawn and dusk low-light windows are when the biters commit to surface presentations; midday fish call for a finesse approach.
Blue catfish limits at Eagle Mountain; post-spawn bass in full transition
North Texas Catfish Guide reports Eagle Mountain Lake near Fort Worth is fishing at its best heading into Memorial Day weekend. With the lake nearly full and significant fresh water inflows pushing active fish into feeding mode, guide trips are producing limits of blue catfish — the guide notes multiple 30-pound-plus fish have been boated in recent weeks and expects conditions to improve further into June. Away from North Texas, Wired 2 Fish describes Texas bass mid-transition through the post-spawn: some fish are aggressively chasing shad and working bream beds, while others are shallow and spooky, favoring finesse presentations. LakeForkGuy signals this is shaping up as "the most aggressive crappie bite of the year" as post-spawn fish spread off structure. USGS gauge 08211200 reads 35.7 cfs, indicating low summer-lean flow on the monitored Texas drainage — typical of river systems entering the summer season.
Hill Country Bass Enter Post-Spawn Transition Ahead of Memorial Day Weekend
The Colorado River is running at 1,010 cfs per USGS gauge 08158000 as of Sunday evening, reflecting healthy late-spring flows in the Hill Country watershed heading into Memorial Day weekend. For broader regional context, My Canyon Lake Fishing reports that Canyon Lake sits at 886.46 feet (58.6% full), eight feet higher than this time last year, with boat ramps fully operational and conditions described as ideal for boating and fishing. Direct angler reports for Travis, LBJ, and Buchanan are sparse this cycle, but late May marks the classic post-spawn transition for largemouth and Guadalupe bass across the Hill Country chain. Striped bass remain a year-round draw on Lake Travis. Warming late-spring water should push catfish into predictable feeding patterns near creek channels. With the first-quarter moon overhead and Memorial Day boat traffic incoming, early-morning and evening windows will be the priority for anglers looking to avoid mid-lake congestion. Water temperatures were unavailable from gauges this cycle.
Reds and Specks Active on Gulf Flats as Snapper Season Opens
NOAA buoy 42035 logged Gulf water at 79°F on May 25, and the warmth is translating to solid action across the Coastal Bend. Texas Fish & Game Magazine describes redfish pushing wakes through flooded marsh in pre-dawn light, with speckled trout and flounder stacking on the same spartina grass edges where shrimp are snapping along the shoreline. In the backbays, Capt. Reanna Yaklin has been logging consistent time on Baffin Bay per the Galveston Daily News, signaling the premier wading flat is fishing well. Offshore, the federal red snapper season opened May 22 per Lone Star Outdoor News, giving crews willing to make the run a fresh target heading into the holiday weekend. Recent TexasFishingTips reports cover Port Aransas, Baffin Bay, Laguna Madre, and Rockport-Copano, confirming broad charter activity across the region. The Galveston Daily News notes Memorial Day weekend carries a 50/50 weather outlook, so monitor the marine forecast closely.
Hill Country bass in post-spawn mode as late-May topwater windows open
Colorado River flow at the Austin gauge (USGS 08158000) checked in at 249 cfs this morning, signaling stable conditions on the Highland Lakes chain. Direct bite reports for Travis, LBJ, and Buchanan are thin this cycle — TPWD paused its weekly fishing report format earlier this year per My Canyon Lake Fishing, leaving some intel gaps for the region. Nearby Hill Country lake levels are running well above year-ago marks: Canyon Lake currently sits 8 feet higher than the same date in 2025 and remains ideal for all water recreation, according to My Canyon Lake Fishing. With a first-quarter moon and late-May timing, largemouth bass are in post-spawn recovery mode across the shallows. Wired 2 Fish highlights that early-morning topwater presentations near grass, reeds, and docks produce strong reaction strikes as post-spawn fish linger near shallow cover. LakeForkGuy (YT) calls this window the most aggressive crappie bite of the year, with post-spawn fish stacking on brush and creek-channel transitions.