Blue catfish limits and white bass action heating up on North Texas lakes

What's Biting

What's Next

The new moon is right now, and that dark-sky period sets up prime catfish windows across North Texas through the coming week. North Texas Catfish Guide flags the current conditions on Eagle Mountain Lake as textbook: the lake is near full pool, fresh water is running in, and that combination reliably triggers aggressive feeding across both blue catfish and channel catfish. Expect the morning bite to kick in early. In June, fish are moving before sunrise and often start slowing by 10 a.m. as surface temps climb. Night fishing becomes increasingly worthwhile as summer deepens, and the new moon window this weekend is an ideal time to make the overnight trip.

For blue catfish specifically, anchored cut bait presentations along channel edges and main-lake flats have been the North Texas Catfish Guide's go-to setup in June conditions. Channel catfish respond well to similar rigging in shallower transition zones around coves and inflow areas where fresh water concentrates baitfish. White bass are schooling on the main lake per the same source. Watch for surface activity and work fast-moving lures like spinnerbaits or small swimbaits to capitalize on breaking fish.

Bass anglers face the classic summer challenge at 87°F. Wired 2 Fish notes that summer bass positioning is driven heavily by oxygen, water temperature, and baitfish movement. Topwater and shallow presentations will produce in the first hour of light, but largemouth push to deep structure and offshore ledges as the sun rises. Tactical Bassin recommends a swing-head jig or wobble head paired with a soft plastic as a proven offshore summer setup; a medium-diving crankbait worked along the deep break covers water efficiently between bites. Plan to be on the water before 7 a.m. and off the flats by 9 a.m. The window is short in June.

On the river side, the Nueces River at USGS gauge 08211200 is running 72.8 cfs, a modest low-summer flow. Water temps at 87°F make catfish and sunfish the more viable river target; catch-and-release bass fishing at those temperatures carries real mortality risk in unshaded stretches. Work deep pools and shaded undercut banks where cooler, slower water concentrates fish.

Context

Mid-June is historically one of the reliable high points of the Texas catfish calendar. Water temperatures in the mid-to-upper 80s accelerate catfish metabolism and trigger active feeding in the weeks following the post-spawn recovery. Blue catfish in Texas reservoirs typically spawn in May and early June when water temps cross 70°F. By mid-June, fish have recovered and are replenishing energy aggressively, which is why the current bite on Eagle Mountain aligns so cleanly with where the season should be.

North Texas Catfish Guide's multi-year record backs this up. The June 2024 report from that source described limits of blue catfish, channel catfish, and white bass on most trips, with the guide noting the bite would only get better as warm days accumulated. The current May/June 2026 post echoes that framing almost exactly, suggesting the season is tracking on schedule rather than running early or late. The April 2025 spring report from the same guide noted 30-pound-plus blue catfish showing up regularly on limits trips, so the summer pattern now is a natural progression from that spring build.

For Texas rivers, summer low-flow conditions are the norm by mid-June. The 72.8 cfs reading at USGS gauge 08211200 on the Nueces River is consistent with typical summer baseflow. Rivers in South Texas narrow and warm significantly once spring rains taper off, concentrating fish in deeper pools and shaded stretches. This is a normal seasonal pattern, not an alarm signal.

No comparative week-over-week signal is available in this week's data for largemouth bass conditions across Texas specifically. Seasonal norms suggest the post-spawn summer transition is underway statewide. Fish that were shallow and aggressive during the spring spawn are now setting up on deeper offshore structure and following baitfish schools, a pattern that typically holds until water temps begin moderating in September.