Weekly Fishing Report Week of July 30, 2025
Sam Rayburn
SLOW. Water stained; 90 degrees; 5.3 feet below pool. The water is low with large stumps exposed and fish moving back to deeper water. Conditions are changing quickly with bass moving to points, humps and offshore structure due to water releases. Carolina rigs and big baits are working for the deep bite. There’s some topwater action in the shallows early in places, but fishing is mainly focused on deep structure. With all the water being released, the bite has been challenging. Bluegill are abundant on brush piles. Crappie are fair. Catfish are good in creek channels and off points. Lots of freshwater is still coming in from recent rains, but heavy water releases are making fishing difficult. Report by Captain Lynn Atkinson, Reel Um N Guide Service.
Toledo Bend
FAIR. Water stained; low 90s degrees; 1.3 feet below pool. Bass fishing is fair. Very little action for the hour of sunlight on topwaters. Some good bass can be caught in 10-14 feet on Texas rig worms and shallow running crankbaits. Some deeper fish coming on football jigs and big crankbaits with a few fish this week in the 8-pound range. Just not many bites out deep, but when you get a few, they’re good ones. Few school fish showing up in the mid lake area. These calm, no wind days help get the shad up to the surface with spoons, small topwater and shallow running crankbaits being best. Crappie fishing is just tough. Report by Stephen Johnston, Johnston Fishing.
SALTWATER
Sabine Lake
GOOD. 82 degrees. Fishing has been very good this week with light north winds allowing fishing for about four days. Early morning fishing at the jetties or at the rigs in 18-35 feet of water. Catching speckled trout on quarter ounce jig heads with 5-inch glo chartreuse tails, letting it go all the way down to the bottom and then reel up about five turns and jigs. Limiting out early in the morning. Fishing the birds early in the morning using topwater, and as the sun comes up, switching to the same bait and rig. Catching a few tripletails. When running back to the jetties, finishing limiting out on trout. In Sabine Channel, finishing limits on points and drop-offs and on shell patches using live shrimp with popping corks, catching redfish and nice slot reds. On the grass shorelines catching some nice flounder on popping corks with live mullet. Best bite on the outgoing tide. Report by Captain Randy Foreman, Captain Randy’s Guide Service Sabine Lake.
Bolivar
GOOD. Water temperatures are hanging in the 80s. Water levels are slow-moving back and forth with a moderate amount of sargassum washing in on the surf. People are catching plenty of redfish, gafftop, and black drum everywhere. There’s plenty of keeper speckled trout being caught along with sand trout, sheepshead, and crabs caught along the jetty. The bigger stingrays and sharks are definitely in full swing, and a few close to state records have been landed. Report by Captain Shane Rilat, North Jetty Bait Camp.
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