Blue Catfish and White Bass Lighting Up North Texas as Summer Bite Peaks

What's Biting

What's Next

North Texas Catfish Guide notes that fresh inflows and rising pool levels on Eagle Mountain Lake have fish moving and feeding — and expects the bite to keep improving. With water temps at 79°F and summer heat locked in, blue and channel catfish will likely remain highly active through the weekend and into early next week. Catfish thrive in warm water through the mid-70s to low-80°F range, conditions currently right on target. Look for fish to stage along main-lake channels and points near where fresh inflows enter the system, a pattern the guide has been capitalizing on this season.

The New Moon phase today (June 16) is often associated with heightened fish activity, particularly during low-light windows at dawn and dusk. Plan your launch accordingly: early-morning sets with cut shad along channel edges are a reliable approach for blue catfish, while the evening bite can fire up as surface temps cool slightly off their midday peak.

White bass have spread into the main lake, per North Texas Catfish Guide, following shad schools in open water. Jigging small blade baits or lightweight swimbaits along main-lake structure gives anglers a productive secondary option once catfish limits are secured.

For bass anglers, Tactical Bassin highlights early-summer presentations worth considering on Texas impoundments: swing-head jigs and shaky-head worms along offshore structure, plus medium-diving crankbaits run efficiently in the first hour of light before surface temps climb. These techniques are especially productive as bass transition out of the spawn and settle into summer haunts.

Lone Star Outdoor News flags Rio Grande cichlids as an emerging freshwater target now that rainbow trout season winds down across Texas. Anglers near South Texas river systems should consider this underutilized species as a summer option. For the coming weekend, North Texas lakes with catfish structure — channel edges, creek channel bends, inflow areas — remain the highest-percentage freshwater play in the state.

Context

Mid-June is historically one of the most productive windows for blue catfish on North Texas impoundments, and this year appears right on schedule. North Texas Catfish Guide's June 2024 report described nearly identical conditions on Eagle Mountain Lake: channel catfish "biting like crazy," limits common on most trips, and white bass active in the main lake. The current season mirrors that pattern closely, suggesting a reliable seasonal peak anglers can count on through this stretch each year.

Water temperatures in the upper 70s — currently 79°F at USGS gauge 08211200 — sit in the sweet spot for warm-water predators like blue and channel catfish, which feed most aggressively between roughly 75°F and 85°F. Once Texas impoundments push into the upper 80s in July and August, the bite typically shifts to shorter early-morning windows. Mid-June represents one of the last comfortable, full-day catfishing opportunities before summer heat forces that adjustment.

Wired 2 Fish notes that the catfish spawn drives large fish into the shallows in early summer before deeper water pulls them back. By mid-June, post-spawn fish are reestablishing feeding routines in their summer holding areas — which aligns with North Texas Catfish Guide reporting trophy blue catfish over 30 pounds on recent trips, a hallmark of fish that have completed the spawn and resumed aggressive feeding.

No Texas Parks and Wildlife stock survey data is available in this report. For official regulation updates, creel limits, and any special water-body restrictions on Texas lakes and rivers, consult Texas Parks and Wildlife resources directly before heading out.