Texas fishing reports
334 reports for Texas — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Eagle Mountain Lake catfish keep biting through summer heat
Eagle Mountain Lake near Fort Worth remains the standout freshwater story for Texas this cycle, with North Texas Catfish Guide's reports on the fishery describing blue catfish regularly topping 30 pounds during peak stretches and channel catfish producing easy limits once conditions align. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for Texas waters this cycle, so we don't have a current temperature or flow number to report, but the guide's history on Eagle Mountain points to a dependable warm-season pattern: rising or stable lake levels and steady feeding activity keep blue and channel catfish active, with white bass also moving through the main lake body in past June reports from the same source. Largemouth bass and crappie typically hold their own through Texas summers by working deeper structure as surface temps climb, though no source in this cycle spoke to either species directly for Texas waters. With a full moon overhead, expect catfish to lean harder into low-light and overnight feeding windows.
Galveston offshore bite holds as mid-coast trout stay patient
Mid-coast trout fishing has cooled slightly under a stretch of southwest wind and 90-degree afternoons, but the bite hasn't shut off. Capt. Bink Grimes reports a fair trout bite drifting over shell and mud in about 5 feet of water in east Matagorda Bay, per the Galveston Daily News' Reel Report. Closer to Galveston, conditions remain steadier: Capt. Shannon LaBauve out of Galveston Yacht Marina says offshore fishing has been good on the days boats can get out, and the Reel Report notes area fishing overall remains steady. Two local tournaments hit the water Saturday, the Pasadena Livestock Show and Rodeo Reel Fishing Tournament in Baytown and the Cowboys on the Coast event out of Bastrop Marina. The Reel Report also welcomes new contributor Capt. Abby Webster of Texas Legend Charters in Freeport. Expect a hot, sticky week ahead.
South Texas anglers lean on summer patterns as CCA STAR rolls through South Padre
Texas Fish & Game Magazine's July 19 CCA-Texas STAR Leaderboard update confirms the statewide tournament, which runs the full Texas coast through September 7, is keeping anglers active around Lower Laguna Madre and South Padre through the heart of summer. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this stretch this cycle, so today's outlook leans on typical late-July patterns for the region rather than a specific on-the-water report. Redfish and spotted seatrout are the bread-and-butter targets this time of year, typically working grass flats and sandy potholes on early tides before the heat pushes fish deeper. Snook and tarpon activity is usually building along the jetties and passes as summer progresses, though we don't have a direct sighting to confirm that yet this week. With a full moon overhead, expect stronger tidal swings and better low-light bites. Check state regs before harvesting, and watch local forecasts closely given the lack of fresh buoy data.
East Texas bass slide deep as summer heat locks in
Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn anglers are seeing the same full-moon, mid-summer pattern showing up across East Texas reservoirs this week: bass pulling off the bank into deeper, cooler water as surface temps hold in the summer-hot range. A regional analog worth noting — Lake Fork Trophy Bass's July report describes big bass still feeding aggressively despite the heat, with clients boating some of their best fish of the year during the hottest stretches, a pattern that typically extends across the region's major reservoirs. Tactical Bassin (blog) is steering anglers away from the shoreline this time of year, pointing instead to submerged vegetation, offshore cover, and dropshot presentations as bass group up deeper. Toledo Bend's profile keeps rising nationally too — MLF News confirmed the reservoir will host Bass Pro Tour Stage 4 in April 2027. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this cycle, so treat water levels and clarity as typical for a hot Texas July and verify locally before launching.
Highland Lakes bass and stripers slide deep as summer heat holds
Lake levels across the Texas Hill Country are running well above last year's pace — My Canyon Lake Fishing reports Canyon Lake sitting roughly eight feet higher than this time in 2025, a sign of a wetter spring feeding the broader Hill Country watershed that also holds Travis, LBJ and Buchanan. No live buoy or gauge readings came through for these three reservoirs today, so anglers should lean on local knowledge for exact water temp and clarity. Full-moon conditions this week typically stretch out low-light feeding windows for predators. Seasonal patterns dominate the outlook: largemouth bass are sliding off bank cover onto submerged vegetation and deeper structure, a shift Tactical Bassin's summer series flags as typical for late-July heat. Striped bass, the signature draw on Lake Travis, and white bass both tend to suspend and school over deep water and main-lake humps once surface temps climb into the 80s. Blue and channel catfish remain the most reliable after-dark option through August.
Blue catfish stay hot on Eagle Mountain Lake as inflows keep rising
Blue catfish are feeding aggressively on Eagle Mountain Lake near Fort Worth, per North Texas Catfish Guide, who report the lake running nearly full with fresh water pushing into the system — a combination they call the recipe for fast, active feeding. Rising levels are putting fish on the move, and once anglers connect with a school, the bite reportedly happens quickly. The same outfit's past summer reports also note channel catfish and white bass schooling hard in the main lake alongside the blue cat push. With a full moon overhead this week, expect catfish to stay active after dark as well as during low-light hours. Largemouth bass typically slide off the bank into deeper offshore cover once summer heat locks in on Texas reservoirs, a pattern echoed nationally by Tactical Bassin, who are steering summer bass anglers toward dropshot rigs and submerged vegetation. As always, check state regulations before harvesting.
Galveston jetties to blue water fire up as summer heat settles in
Capt. Greg Ball reports warm Gulf waters, plenty of bait, and a strong variety of fish from the jetties out to blue water, calling late July into early August one of the best stretches of the year (per Galveston Daily News, Reel Report). Offshore trips out of Galveston Yacht Marina have been productive whenever boats can get out, according to Capt. Shannon LaBauve. Mid-coast action has cooled some, with high air temps and southwest winds slowing things down; Capt. Bink Grimes still found trout biting fair while drifting shell and mud in about 5 feet of water in east Matagorda Bay. A hot week is ahead, with coastal temps in the 90s and wind out of the southwest, per the Reel Report. Two local tournaments run Saturday out of Baytown and Bastrop Marina, and the CCA-Texas STAR tournament remains underway coastwide through September, per Texas Fish & Game Magazine.
East Texas bass slide deep as summer heat tightens the bite
Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn anglers are settling into classic mid-summer patterns as the heat holds strong through late July. At nearby Lake Fork, guides with Lake Fork Trophy Bass report the reservoir in great shape for midsummer — water levels running about two feet low with good clarity — and note that some of their clients' biggest bass of the year have come during the hottest stretch of summer, a pattern that typically extends across East Texas trophy-bass water. Tactical Bassin (blog) is steering anglers away from the bank this time of year, pointing toward submerged vegetation and offshore structure rather than shoreline cover as bass slide deeper to escape the heat. Sam Rayburn itself hosted a Bassmaster Opens event this season, per B.A.S.S. News, confirming competitive limits are still being weighed in on the lake. Expect largemouth to bite best in the low-light hours, with deeper offshore structure holding fish through the hottest part of the day.
Hill Country bass slide deep as summer heat tightens the bite
Textbook late-July heat has largemouth and smallmouth pushing off the bank across the Hill Country chain of Lake Travis, Lake LBJ, and Lake Buchanan. Tactical Bassin's mid-summer roundup this week is blunt about it: anglers still working the shoreline are struggling, and the pattern to lean on now is submerged vegetation and offshore structure in deeper water, where bass hold tight to cover once surface temps climb. The same source points to finesse presentations, including a well-placed dropshot, for tougher bites once fish get pressured by boat traffic. No direct on-the-water reports came in for Travis, LBJ, or Buchanan specifically this cycle, and no buoy or gauge readings were available for the three lakes, so treat conditions as seasonal-typical: warm, stable, full-moon-bright nights, and fish sliding deep during peak daylight hours. Early and late windows remain the best bet until a cold front breaks the pattern.
Blue catfish bite holds strong as summer rolls into Eagle Mountain Lake
Eagle Mountain Lake near Fort Worth is running nearly full with a strong flow of fresh water into the system, and per North Texas Catfish Guide that combination has blue catfish moving and feeding aggressively heading into summer. The guide's most recent report describes fish stacking up on fresh inflow, with the numbers bite for blue catfish holding strong and shots at trophy-class fish mixed in. That spring-into-summer momentum typically carries through July across North Texas reservoirs as water temperatures stabilize in the mid-80s. Channel catfish should ride the same pattern, working bottom structure near creek channels and current breaks. White bass, which North Texas Catfish Guide has previously reported schooling on the main lake in early summer, are worth checking on secondary points and open flats. Largemouth bass fishing statewide tends to slow with the July heat, pushing fish deeper onto offshore structure during the hottest midday hours. A full moon overhead favors low-light and nighttime feeding windows for catfish anglers willing to fish after dark.
Offshore bite runs hot off Galveston as summer heat slows the flats
Offshore anglers running out of Galveston Yacht Marina are enjoying some of the best fishing of the year, according to Capt. Greg Ball, who points to warm Gulf waters, plenty of bait, and steady action from the jetties out to blue water (Galveston Daily News — Reel Report). Capt. Shannon LaBauve echoes that offshore trips have been productive whenever boats can get out. Inshore is a mixed bag: Capt. Bink Grimes reports the trout bite as fair, drifting shell and mud in about 5 feet of water in east Matagorda Bay, with mid- and lower-coast catches slowing under high air temps and southwest wind (Galveston Daily News — Reel Report). Redfish attention stays high with the Texas Redfish Rumble's third stop weighing in July 18 at Pier 6 in San Leon, and the CCA-Texas STAR tournament running the full coast through September 7 (Texas Fish & Game Magazine). Several captains posted fresh video reports this week from Baffin Bay, Aransas Pass, and Rockport-Copano (TexasFishingTips).
Eagle Mountain Lake catfish keep firing as Texas lakes settle into summer
With no fresh buoy or gauge readings in today for Texas lakes and rivers, this report leans on guide intel out of the Fort Worth area. North Texas Catfish Guide's latest dispatch on Eagle Mountain Lake describes the reservoir running full with fresh water pushing into the system, a combination the guide says has blue and channel catfish "moving" and "feeding" aggressively, with limits coming fast once anglers get on a school. An earlier report from the same guide noted white bass and channel catfish biting hard alongside blue cats as the lake warmed through early summer. We're treating that as a seasonal baseline rather than today's exact read, since none of it is dated to this week. Largemouth bass aren't mentioned directly in current intel; expect the typical late-July pattern of early-morning and low-light activity as water temperatures climb through peak summer heat across North Texas reservoirs.