6/27 Fishing report

CEDAR CREEK: The lake is a few inches low and beginning to clear. Surface temp is in the mid-to-upper 80s.

Fishing guide Jason Barber said patterns are beginning to change. The best bite has been early due to intense heat. Barber said bass are holding around boat docks and main lake structure. The fish are taking medium-diving cranks and Texas or Carolina rigged plastics. A few fish reported on topwaters fished around points and retaining walls.

Crappie are steady around the bridges, deeper docks and man made brush piles. Jigs and minnows are producing equally well. Catfish are good on cut shad fished on shallow points early and late. Midday bite has been best on main lake humps points near deeper drops.

Barber said white bass and hybrids are taking deep crankbaits trolled in 15-to-25 feet of water.

FORK: Lake Fork is about six inches high and clear. Water temp is in the upper 80s.

Bass are good to 10 pounds on Texas rig plastics and jigs fished around grass in 6-to-12 feet of water. Carolina rigs and deep cranks are fooling some hefty fish over deep, main lake structure.

Crappie fair on minnows and jigs soaked around bridge pilings and brush piles. The fish are suspended over about 30 feet of water. Catfishermen are reeling in channel cat up to four pounds using punch bait and cut shad.

SAM RAYBURN: The lake is about 18 inches low and clear. Water temp is in the upper 80s.

Bass fishing has been good on Yellow Magics, Zara Spooks and buzz frogs fished over grass in 4-8 feet of water, according to Ann Wilson at Ann's Tackle. The bite has been good all day at times. Carolina and Texas rig plastics are producing good quality fish along outside grasslines in 11-to-15 feet of water. Redbug, watermelon/red and plum apple are the top colors. Todd Castledine and Brent Broussard of Nacogdoches won the Bass-N-Bucks event over the weekend with 27.26 pounds. They were using perch pattern Strike Pro cranks in 5-to-9 feet of water.

Crappie fishing has been fair on minnows fished vertical over brush piles in 18-to-25 feet water. Pink jigs tipped with electric chicken Shad Assassins have been producing good results, as well.

NACOGDOCHES: The lake is about a foot low and clear. Water temp is in the upper 80s.

Bass are fair to five pounds on light Texas rigs, drop shots and crankbaits fished around scattered grass in 9-to-12 feet of water near creek bends. A few fish reported on Yellow Magics and Spooks worked over grassy flats, mainly early and late. Buzz frogs are working around lily pad stands in 3-to-5 feet of water. Some schooling activity reported.

Crappie are fair on minnows fished vertical around brush piles and channel edges in deep water.

TOLEDO BEND: The lake is about six inches low and clear. Water temp is in the upper 80s.

Charlie Shivley at Bill's Landing said trotlining has been fair on live and cut bait. Best line sets are in timber in 4-to-12 feet of water. Rod and reelers making some good hauls in the same areas.

Shively said crappie fishing has been slow up north. Deep brush piles are holding good schools of fish down south.

Bass fishing has been good to five pounds on Texas rig worms, spinnerbaits and crankbaits fished around floating patches of water hyacinth. A few fish also reported on frogs. Down south anglers are using deep cranks and jigs to pull some fish off deep grass edges.

Bream are good on earthworms and larvae fished fished beneath a cork in four feet of water.

PALESTINE: Lake Palestine is at normal level and clear. Water temp is in the upper 80s.

Greg Porter at Porter's Sporting Goods said topwaters are producing fish to six pounds under low light conditions. Best bite has been around shallow weed beds located in close proximity to deep water.

Channel cat are good to three pounds on punch bait fished around rocks and bulk heads in 2-to-6 feet of water. Blues are fair to 20 pounds in the same areas.

Crappie are good around brush piles in 18-to-20 feet of water. Minnows and jigs are producing equally well. Porter said white bass are slow.

PINKSTON: Lake Pinkston is at normal level and clear. Water temp is in the upper 80s.

Bass are fair to seven pounds on Texas rig and Carolina rig plastics fished on main lake points and around drop offs at night. A few fish hitting topwaters at first light. Midday bite has been good on jigs and Texas rig plastics dropped along outside grass edges.

Crappie are hit and miss around brush piles.

RICHLAND CHAMBERS: RC is at full pool and clear. Water temp is in the mid-to-upper-80s.

Bass are fair to around four pounds, according to Larry Winters at Midway Landing. Winters said the better catches are being reporting on crankbaits and Texas rig plastics ossed around boat houses doctored with brush. A few fish also hitting Carolina rigs and deep cranks on pond dams and other main lake structure.

Crappie are fair on live shiners soaked around standing timber and stumps 14-to-22 feet of water. Catfish are good to three pounds on punch bait and cut shad fished on bottom in 12-to-14 feet of water.

ATHENS: The lake is at normal level and clear. Water temp in around 86 degrees.

Bass fishing has been good to eight pounds on white cranks worked on secondary points in 8-to-12 feet of water. Charles Spearman at Lake Athens Marina said lots of slot fish in the 3-to-4 pound range have been reported.

Crappie are excellent on deep brush piles in 18-to-20 feet of water, mainly on minnows. Catfish are good to 12 pounds on frozen shad fished on bottom around the golf course retaining wall.