Matt Williams
The Athens Review
ATHENS — ATHENS — Lake Athens is five inches high and beginning to clear. Water temp is in the low-to-mid-50s.
Jerry Hanson at Lake Athens Marina said bass fishing has been good. Good numbers reported on lipless cranks and shallow divers worked around grass in 3-8 feet of water and around boat docks 5-8 feet deep. Several fish in the 7-10 pound range reported during the last week.
Crappie are good from the bank out to five feet, mainly on minnows soaked beneath a cork. Catfish are good to five pounds on frozen shad and punch bait fished on bottom in 10 feet of water.
CEDAR CREEK — The lake is at normal level and stained. Water temp is in the low 50s.
Fishing guide Jason Barber said bass fishing has been fair. Several fish in the seven pound range reported, mainly around boat docks in 5-7 feet of water and shallow brush. Pre-spawners are beginning to creep towards the shallows.
Crappie and white bass have surged up the creeks. Lots of limits reported by bank fishermen during the last week.
Catfish are fair to 20 pounds on cut shad soaked on bottom in 4-8 feet of water.
RICHLAND CHAMBERS — RC is at normal level and stained. Water temp has warmed to the low 50s.
Larry Winters at Midway Landing said black bass are fair using jigs and spinnerbaits in the backs of creeks in 3-6 feet of water.
Catfish are good to 25 pounds on cut shad and punch bait soaked on windy shorelines in skinny water. Crappie and white bass are slow.
NACOGDOCHES — The lake is at normal level and stained-to-clear. Water temp is in the mid-to-upper 50s and warming.
Bass fishing has been fair, but should continue to improve as warming water temperatures beckon more fish to the shallows to spawn. Best bite has been coming on spinnerbaits, Chatterbaits and soft plastics worked from the bank out to five feet; floating patches of grass left behind by coots can make it difficult to fish some areas effectively. Look for increased activity over shallow spawning flats adjacent to creeks if water temps continue to warm.
Crappie fishing reports are scarce. A few fish still coming off brush piles in deep water, mainly on minnows. The fish should begin gravitating towards the shallows in the next couple of weeks. Try small jigs and Roadrunners or minnows beneath a slip cork over grass flats near channel breaks.
PALESTINE — Lake Palestine is about four inches high and stained. Water temp is in the mid-50s and warming.
Bass fishing has been good to seven pounds on spinnerbaits, Chatterbaits and soft plastics fished in 1-4 feet of stained water. The upper end has been especially hot as good numbers of quality fish are gravitating towards to the shallows to spawn. A 22-pound sack won the Bud Light tournament over the weekend; second place had 21 pounds.
— Matt Williams
