By Matt Williams

The East Texas Fishing Report for the week of July 20:

ATHENS — Lake Athens is at normal level and clear. Water temp is in the upper 80s.

Charles Spearman at Lake Athens Marina said bass fishing has been good to seven pounds. The fish are still on a strong worm bite at midday. Best depth is about 20 feet. Spearman said anglers are reporting fair numbers of slot fish on topwaters in the shallows during low light conditions.

Crappie fishing has been excellent on shiners fished vertical around brush piles in 20 feet of water. Catfish are good to eight pounds using frozen shad in 8-10 feet of water.

CEDAR CREEK — The lake is about seven inches low and clear. Surface temp is in the upper 80s.

Fishing guide Jason Barber is picking up some quality bass using Carolina rig plastics and deep cranks around hump and points with plenty of brush. There also have been a few bass hanging around bridge pilings and some of the deeper docks.

Barber said crappie anglers are picking up steady limits. Bridge fishing has been good, but brush piles are most consistent. White bass and hybrids are taking Sassy Shads, swim shads and spoons worked in 15-30 feet of water, mostly on main lake points.

Catfish are hanging close to deep water as well. Barber said 20 feet has been the magic depth for blues and channels alike. The fish are relating to humps, creeks and humps. Drifting with fresh shad seem to be most productive.

RICHLAND CHAMBERS — RC is about 1 1/2 feet low and fairly clear. Water temp is in the upper 80s.

Bass are fair to five pounds on Carolina rig plastics dragged on old pond dams and main lake humps. A few fish also reported on Texas rig plastics fished in relation to deeper docks.

Crappie anglers are picking up solid limits on minnows. Larry Winters at Midway Landing said the fish are suspended in deep timber, 20-25 feet.

Catfish are good to three pounds on punch bait and cut shad fished in 12-20 feet of water, mostly in standing timber. Windy shorelines also have been productive at times.

PALESTINE — The lake is about three inches below full pool and clear. Water temp is in the upper 80s.

Not much has changed since last week, according to Greg Porter at Porter's Sporting Goods. A few bass taking topwaters and buzz frogs around shallow beds during low light conditions. Midday bite has been best on Carolina rigs dragged on main lake points with brush, along creek channels and a few deeper docks.

Crappie are ganged up around deep brush and taking minnows. White bass are fair on Rat-L-Traps and topwaters when schooling activity is in progress. Slabs and spoons are working best when the fish go to bottom on humps and points.

Catfish are fair on punch bait and frozen shad fished vertical in standing timber and along creek channels in 15-20 feet of water.

FORK — Lake Fork is about three inches high and clear. Water temp is in the mid-to-upper 80s.

Chris Parker at the Minnow Bucket said bass fishing has been good to 10 pounds on topwaters, light Texas rigs and Zoom Flukes fished along outside grass edges in 6-12 feet of water. Parker said there also has been a decent bite in 18-25 feet of water on watermelon red plastics rigged Texas or Carolina style.

Crappie fishing is improving. Best bite has been around main lake brush piles in 27 feet of water. A few fish reported around the bridges in 20-25 feet of water.

Catfish are good to 11 pounds on punch bait soaked in 20 feet of water.

TOLEDO BEND — T-Bend is about two feet low and clear. Water temp is in the upper 80s.

Charlie Shively at Bill's Landing said trotliners are making some decent hauls on blue cat. Cut bait is producing some quality cats up to 20 pounds. Gar are have been bad about stripping live bait off lines as of late. Rod and reelers are picking up channels and blues up to four pounds on cut bait, shad, night crawlers and shrimp. The bite has been best in 5-8 feet of water.

Bass fishing has been good to six pounds down south on jigs and Texas rig plastics flipped along outside grass edges in 16-18 feet of water. Light Texas rigs are working good from midlake north, mostly around structure in 16-20 feet of water.

Crappie are good down south. Fishing guide Stephen Johnston said minnows and jigs are producing quality keepers around deep brush piles

NACOGDOCHES — The lake is about 20 inches low and clear. Water temp is in the upper 80s, low 90s.

Bass fishing as been good to five pounds on light Texas rigs and drop shots fished along scattered grass in 6-12 feet of water. Night fishermen are reporting some quality fish using 10-inch worms on points, along creek bends and other main lake structure. A few bass taking topwaters and buzz frogs early and late, but the bite as been inconsistent for the most part.

SAM RAYBURN — The lake is about 2 1/2 feet low and clear. Water temp is in the upper 80s.

Bass are fair on topwaters and jigs fished in relation to outside grass edges in 6-10 feet of water. The better quality fish are coming on light Texas rigs in a junebug or redbug pattern.

Crappie fishing has been hit or miss around deep brush piles in 18-25 feet of water. Guides are reporting good numbers of channel cat on cut shad, minnows and punch bait. Best bite has been in relation to deep brush.

PINKSTON — Lake Pinkston is about two feet low and clear. Water temp is in the upper 80s.

Bass are good to six pounds on jigs and worms dropped along defined grass edges in 8-14 feet of water. Some schooling activity on the main lake near the dam, but the fish can be tough to fool. The night bite has been good using big worms and jigs on points and drops with brush.

— Matt Williams