The East Texas Fishing Report for the week of Sept. 21:

ATHENS — Lake Athens is at normal level and clear. Water temp is in the mid-70s.

Charles Spearman at Lake Athens said bass fishing has been good to 6 1/2 pounds. Good numbers of slot fish are taking Texas rig grape Power Worms fished in eight feet of water. Key spots are outside grass edges near creek channels.

Crappie are fair. The fish are holding at 16-20 feet around brush. Live shiners are working best. Catfish are fair to eight pounds on jugs using frozen shad.

CEDAR CREEK — Cedar Creek is 18 inches low and and stained. Surface temp is ranging from the mid-to-upper-70s.

Fishing guide Jason Barber said the bass appear to to be making a strong move towards the shallows. Barber said shallow boat docks with brush are producing good numbers of keepers, mainly on plastics, jigs and crankbaits. Topwaters and cranks also are working around retaining wall points, particularly when the fish are chasing shad.

Barber suggests that crappie anglers key on "doctored" docks near deeper water and on brush piles situated on main lake points. Bridges are holding a few fish, as well. Hybrids and white bass are hanging out around the mainlake points and humps. Try slabs and swimbaits and live shad at 15-25 feet, or lipless cranks on nearby points.

Barber said catfish are feeding in skinny and deep water, alike. Try cut shad or punch bait for best results. 

PALESTINE — Lake Palestine is about seven inches high and clear down south, stained up north. Water temp is in the mid-70s.

Josh Meadows at Porter's Sporting Goods said the frog bite has turned on up north. Good numbers of solid fish up to six pounds are hammering Ribbits and Horny Toads worked in 2-3 feet of water.

Crappie fishing has been good beneath the Highway 155 bridge. The fish are suspended at 12 feet over 15 feet of water.

White bass are slow, but should be picking up. Catfish are good on punch bait and cut shad soaked in 12-15 of water. Stumps fields near the river channel have been especially productive.

RICHLAND CHAMBERS — RC is about 1 1/2 feet low and stained to clear. Water temp is in the mid-70s.

Larry Winters and Midway Landing said bass fishing has been fair to four pounds. Lot of small fish holding around hydrilla beds in 2-6 feet of water. Most of the better fish are coming on Carolina rigs dragged on main lake points in 8-15 feet of water.

Crappie fishing has been good. Winters is seeing a few limits on minnows. The bite is best in 15-28 feet of water when there is a little wind to put some chop on the surface.

 Rod and reelers are picking of limits of channel cat and an occasional blue up to 15 pounds in 10-16 feet of water around standing timber. Cut shad and punch bait are working best.

White bass are fair on spoons bounced on bottom in 20-28 feet of water, mostly on points. Winters said anglers are having to work to catch limits.

NACOGDOCHES — Lake Nacogdoches is about four feet low and fairly clear on the main lake. Surface temp is in the upper 70s.

Jerome Hale at Hale Tackle said bass fishing has been good to five pounds. Topwaters, buzz baits and Ribbit frogs are provoking some hits in shallow water during low light conditions and, occasionally, all day long. Light Texas rigs and finesse worms rigged on drop shot rigs are working fairly well around hydrilla beds near creek channel breaks and around the main lake hump.

Crappie fishermen are collecting partial limits around brush piles and creek breaks, mainly on minnows.

SAM RAYBURN — The lake is about 5 1/2 feet low and fairly clear. Water temp is in the upper 70s.

Fishing traffic has been very light since the hurricane, according to Ann Thomasson-Wilson at Ann's Tackle. Topwater action is been outstanding. The Super Spook Jr. in a baby bass and bone pattern and the Pop R are working real well along grass mats in 8-12 feet of water. Carolina rig plastics have been effective in the same areas.

Wilson said crappie fishing has been slow.

TOLEDO BEND — T-Bend is nearly four feet low and clear. Water temp is in the upper 70s.

Bass fishing has been tough, according fishing guide Harold Allen. Allen said the best bite up north has been shallow using light Texas rigs, crankbaits and topwaters. There are still quite a few fish holding deep, but they are not very active. Down south anglers are picking up some quality bass along outside grass edges using topwaters, Texas rigs and deep crankbaits.

Crappie are fair on minnows. Fishing guide Stephen Johnston said the fish are suspended at 15-20 feet around brush piles in about 30 feet of water.

Catfish are good on stump hooks and trotline sets near creek channel breaks. Charlie Shively at Bill's Landing said sseveral blues and op in the 30 pound range have been caught on live perch and cut bait. Shively said rod and reelers are picking up good numbers of blue cat on the edges of the river in 30 feet of water. The fish are suspended at 8-12 feet. Night crawlers and cut shad are working best.

FORK — Lake Fork is about three inches low and clear. Water temp is in the upper 70s.

Fishing guide Gary Paris said bass fishing has been slow; the lake appears to be turning over. Paris is picking up some decent slot fish using frogs, light Texas, topwaters and spinnerbaits. The fish appear to be on the move to the creeks.

Crappie fishing has been under the bridges and on main lake brush piles in 25 feet of water. Paris said catfish are beginning to stack beneath cormorant roosts over 20 feet of water.

PINKSTON — Lake Pinkston is about 18 inches low and very clear. Water temp is in the upper 70s.

Bass fishing has been good to eight pounds on Texas rigs, Carolina rigs and deep crankbaits fish around main lake structure with brush. A few fish busting topwaters and frogs worked in relation to grass mats.

Crappie fishing has been hit and miss around man made brush piles, mostly on minnows.

— Matt Williams