This is Artificial Lure with your fresh-off-the-water fishing report for Lake Fork, Texas, on November 17, 2025. If you’re thinking about wetting a line this week, listen up—fall patterns are in full swing, and the big girls are on the chew.

Weather at sunrise was a brisk 48°, warming up to the low 60s by late morning. The sky's mostly clear, and light north winds are keeping things comfortable out there. Sunrise hit at 6:53 a.m., with sunset coming up at 5:23 p.m.—plenty of daylight for long casts and new stories. According to NOAA, there’s no major precipitation on tap, and water temps have cooled into the upper 50s, making baitfish and bass alike a bit more predictable.

Lake Fork is a reservoir, so we don’t get true coastal tides, but our version—the drawdowns and inflow patterns—has the shad pushing into coves and bass hanging by those drop-offs. On neighboring Houston reservoirs, major feeding periods align with early morning and late evening, and you’ll notice similar windows of increased activity here on Lake Fork. The moon’s in its first quarter phase, which usually means a pretty solid daytime bite as predator fish use the extra light at night and feed more during those low-light periods. Peak times right now are running about 6:00–8:00 a.m. and again 5:30–7:30 p.m., so start early or hang around till dusk.

We'll start with the big news: Bass bite is hot. According to the most recent Lake Fork, Texas Fishing Report Today podcast, there’s been consistent action in the main lake—especially around points and timber. Just this week, folks have been reporting multiple fish over 5 pounds, with a few lunkers over 8 pounds caught and released. The best stringers have come from 8–15 feet of water, especially near deeper creek bends.

Crappie are showing up heavy around bridges and deep brush piles. A couple locals limited out yesterday using small jigs in 18 to 22 feet. Channel cats and blue cats are picking up in the upper reaches and coves—cut bait and punch bait are putting numbers in the box.

This week, best lures for bass have been a mix:
- **Shad-colored squarebill crankbaits** banging cover
- **Green pumpkin or watermelon red soft plastics**—Texas rigs and Carolina rigs doing the work
- **White or chartreuse spinnerbaits** in windblown pockets when the chop’s right
- On cloudy mornings, don’t forget to toss a **topwater walking bait** near grass edges—the explosion bite is real

For crappie, the ticket has been:
- **Chartreuse and electric chicken soft jigs**
- Small live minnows fished vertical over brush or under the bridge pylons

Best bait for catfish remains **fresh cut shad** or commercial stinkbait. Fish deep holes early, and move shallow as water warms toward noon.

Hotspots you should not miss:
- **The SRA Point:** Consistently holding big bass, with good structure close to deep water.
- **Little Caney Creek bridge:** This is crappie central right now, and you might even find bonus white bass moving through.

For those curious about lake conditions—water clarity is holding moderately stained but clearing up in protected coves. That’s perfect for bold-colored lures and some shallow action as the sun gets higher.

Before heading out, remember to check your gear, and, with the holiday traffic, be patient at the ramps—folks are out and about. For more timely info, tune in to the daily Lake Fork, Texas Fishing Report Today podcast.

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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI