Artificial Lure here with your Sunday fishing report for Lake Fork, Texas, April 20, 2025.
What a spring week we’ve had out here on Lake Fork. Local weather is classic April—starting cool in the mornings around 55 degrees, warming up into the low 70s by afternoon, with partly cloudy skies and a steady southeast breeze running 5 to 10 mph. Sunrise hit around 7:12 a.m. and sunset’s going to stretch out till about 7:47 p.m., giving you plenty of daylight to chase those big ones. The water’s a little stained and temperatures are ranging from 60 to 66 degrees, just about perfect for this time of year[2][5].
Bass action is hot, with largemouths shallow and spawning in full swing. You’ll find them stacked up in 1 to 4 feet of water, especially along those warm, windy banks and grass edges. Chatterbaits and spinnerbaits are catching fish all day, but don’t overlook Texas-rigged soft plastics—flukes, creature baits, and beaver styles are all pulling their weight. Topwater bite is really going, especially first thing in the morning around weed patches; smaller baitfish patterns and frogs are getting big blowups. If you’re swinging for the fence and looking for a trophy, hit the staging areas near spawning flats with slow presentations like wacky-rigged Senkos or walk a frog over matted grass[2][3][5].
Crappie fishing has been up and down, with the fish moving shallow at times, then right back out depending on the weather. When you find them, the bite is good, especially using small clouser minnows around shallow cover, timber, or brush piles. Some days folks are loading the boat, but you’ve got to keep moving to stay on the bite[5].
Catfish are cruising 2 to 4 feet of water and biting on clouser minnows. Big bream have also moved shallow, with wooly buggers producing steady action for those targeting panfish[5].
For lure selection, stick with bold colors and lures that throw off plenty of vibration and flash—think white, chartreuse, and black for stained water. Chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, and topwater frogs or poppers early all shine. For crappie, go with small jigs in natural colors or your favorite shad imitations.
Local hot spots right now include the mid-lake creek arms and the backs of Little Caney and Birch Creek, where bass and panfish are both shallow and active. The main lake grass edges on the north end near the 515 bridge are also producing well, especially in low-light or windy conditions.
That’s your Lake Fork report for today. Stay safe, dodge that wind when you can, and tight lines from Artificial Lure.