Red River Shreveport Fishing Report Today

It’s Artificial Lure here with your Red River fishing report out of Shreveport for Saturday, September 20th, 2025. Folks got out early this morning with a *cool starry dawn at 6:57 a.m.* and you can expect sunset tonight at *7:09 p.m.*. That earlier fall sunrise is giving anglers a good jump on the bite before temperatures climb. *Weather’s promising today*, with the forecast calling for *temperatures rising from the low 60s at dawn into the mid-80s by afternoon.* Skies should stay mostly clear with just a slight southern breeze—*ideal conditions for both boat and bank anglers.*

*Recent rains upstream nudged river levels slightly higher,* bringing a little color to the water without making it unsafe or too muddy. Local anglers report the water temp hanging in the upper 70s, perfect for a transition bite as bass and crappie move toward their fall patterns.

**Fish activity’s been picking up:**

- *Largemouth bass*: Best action has come early and late in the day, with buzzbaits, spinnerbaits, and shallow-diving crankbaits pulling plenty of hits around grass edges and main channel structure. Chartreuse and white have been the hot colors this week.

- *Catfish*: Channel and blue cats have been biting steady, especially off the flats and at creek mouths. Most folks have found success with cut shad and nightcrawlers. Some nice fish to 15 pounds were caught in the last few days by locals around the old railroad bridge and near the port channel.

- *Crappie*: Slabs have started schooling tight around brush piles, especially early. Best results are coming on small jigs in blue/white and with live minnows—expect 10-12 inch fish, healthy for late summer.

- *White bass*: Still chasing shad in the current, with small chrome spoons and roostertails getting bites, especially mid-morning when bait’s active.

*Amounts and types?:* A handful of groups checked at the launch reported:

- Up to two dozen bass (biggest near 4 lbs, most averaging 2 lbs),

- Stringers of five to eight channel cats per boat,

- 20+ crappie per angler, and

- A few white bass mixed in around the rocky points.

**Best lures and bait today:**

- *Largemouth*: Shallow crankbaits (KVD Squarebill, Bomber Fat Free Shad), Zoom Super Flukes, black/blue jigs.

- *Crappie*: Bobby Garland Baby Shad jigs, 1/16 oz, tipped with a minnow.

- *Catfish*: Cut bait and fresh nightcrawlers.

- *White bass*: Chrome spoons, white or chartreuse roostertails.

**Recommended hot spots:**

- *North Caddo Lake Cutoff*: Bass working grass and brush—get there before sunrise for your best chance.

- *The old railroad bridge riprap*: Cats and crappie stacking up—fish tight to cover.

- *Port channel pilings*: Bass and white bass favor the deeper rip at mid morning.

- *Stoner Avenue Ramp area*: Bank access with plenty of panfish and the occasional big cat.

Teal hunters have been seen out this morning in adjacent marshes—September teal season is in full swing, and the early push of birds has folks excited according to local guides

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Hey folks, it's Artificial Lure bringing you your Red River fishing report, live from right here in Shreveport on this crisp September morning. Sunrise hit us at 6:56 AM with sunset rolling in tonight at 7:16 PM, giving anglers a solid window to work the water. The cool pre-fall air greeted us around 65°F at dawn, climbing up near 80°F by afternoon with a light north breeze—just enough to keep those bugs off and make the fish a little friskier. Skies started off clear, but a few high clouds should drift by midday; there’s nothing brewing up for rain, so grab your hat and your best sunglasses.

Now, Red River ain’t tidal, but that flow’s been decent after recent local rains—waters are slightly high but steady, with a little stain from upstream mud. Bass have gotten active again in these cooler temps. Local chatter and reports from bait shops west of Clyde Fant Parkway say largemouth bass are chasing shad early, especially around submerged wood and the river bends. The best action hit right at first light, with several decent keepers going into the live wells just north of Stoner Boat Launch.

Catfish are still biting strong—channel cats and a handful of blues showing up around bridge pilings and deeper holes, especially under the I-220 span. The regulars using cut shad and stinkbaits have been putting up solid numbers: twenty to thirty fish a trip is not uncommon. Most are eating size, with a couple pushing eight pounds if you set your lines right.

Crappie are still tricky but worth chasing. Folks jigging deep brush along the bank near Hamel’s Memorial Park have reported fair catches on both live minnows and chartreuse tube jigs. Expect to find them hugging tight to structure as the water’s murky and they’re seeking cover till the light changes. A brown or purple jig tipped with a minnow has got bites when the sun pops through the trees.

Let’s talk lures—if you’re after bass, white or chrome lipless crankbaits that mimic shad have been top picks. Spinnerbaits with gold blades are moving fish in shallow backwaters, especially mid-morning as that water warms just enough. Old school Texas rigs with dark green pumpkin worms also picked up a couple of solid fish below the main dam.

For catfish, stick to fresh-cut shad or chicken livers. The stinkier, the better. If you’re patient and drift your baits slowly through the deeper holes, you’ll get your stringer filled. And if you’re after crappie, don’t overlook a bright Bobby Garland jig, paired with a little scent for good measure.

Hot spots? Try Amiss Park for bank fishing, especially early evenings when the sun’s low and bait is up. For boaters, the deep ledge right below the Highway 71 bridge has been producing bass and channel cats reliably this week, especially at dawn. And don’t forget the oxbows off Monkey Trail Road—they’re loaded with submerged trees, perfect for pitching jigs and spinnerbaits.

Big thanks to the regulars sharing their fish tallies. Charters and locals have seen a mixed bag

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Artificial Lure here, bringing you the Red River fishing report straight from Shreveport for Wednesday, September 17, 2025. If you’re headed out this morning, sunrise hit at 6:54 AM and we’re looking at a sunset around 7:16 PM. You’ll have nearly 12.5 hours of daylight to wet a line, and with early fall creeping in, you can bet the fish are beginning to shift patterns.

Weather’s humid and muggy with temps in the high 70s before dawn, climbing into the mid-80s by midday. Expect a light southeast breeze and partly cloudy skies, with a stray shower possible this afternoon according to KMSS FOX 33. Red River’s running steady—no major rain upstream the past week—so water clarity is typical for late September; stained but not blown out. Tidal impact is negligible up here, but don’t overlook minor river current adjustments especially near the locks and oxbows.

Fishing action’s been hearty! Local guides and regulars reeled in healthy bags of largemouths the past few days, with bass hugging current breaks, rip rap and eddy lines near the I-220 bridge and Stoner Boat Launch. Most catches ranged from 1½ to 3 pounds, with a few pushing 4, especially during morning topwater flurries. Crappie have been fair to good under the Highway 1 bridge pilings and sunken brush piles near the new John Franks Wildlife Management Area, where slab-sized fish over 1 pound hit shiners and jigs.

Catfish are active along sandbars—several stringers reported near Bishop Point. Folks picking up channel cats and blues with cut bait and nightcrawlers, and one group last night pulled a nearly 12-pound blue from a river bend using stinkbait. White bass and hybrid stripes flashed up at the mouth of Twelve Mile Bayou, chasing shad around noon. For panfish, bream bite is on around grassy edges and willow thickets—red wigglers and small crickets are dynamite.

Best lures for bass this week? Locals swear by **chartreuse/white spinnerbaits**, black buzzbaits at first light, and if the sun pokes out, flip a watermelon-red creature bait into laydowns. Crappie anglers prefer single 1/16 oz. **blue/white tube jigs**, sometimes tipped with a minnow. For catfish, your best bets remain chicken liver and fresh cut perch—don’t bother with fancy stuff, just keep it stinky and simple.

Hot spots today:

- **Stoner Boat Launch**: Early topwater bite and mid-day spinnerbait crawl for bass.

- **John Franks WMA Cut**: Newly flooded timber attracting both crappie and largemouths.

- **Twelve Mile Bayou mouth**: Midday white bass blitz if you’re after stripes and hybrids.

Red River District stays lively, and if crowds get thick, slip down to Bishop Point sandbar or the oxbow near Hamel’s Park for quieter water. Folks, always check boat ramps for updates—construction can close a few during the week, so hop on the Caddo Parish Parks map before rolling out.

It’s almost teal season and deer season is opening soon per LDWF, so expect more activity on the banks—be courteous and keep an eye on traffic at ramps

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Artificial Lure here with your Red River Shreveport fishing report for Sunday, September 14, 2025. Folks, we’re headed into prime fall fishing, and the river is alive and kicking.

First thing to note this morning—**sunrise hit at 6:51 AM**, and we’re looking at a sunset right at 7:24 PM. Weather’s mild to warm; expect upper 60s at dawn, climbing into the mid 80s by afternoon with light breezes—ideal for all-day fishing.

The **solunar tables out of Central Louisiana** call today an “average” day, but with minor feeding activity around 9:14 to 10:14 AM and a major stretch lighting up the action from 4:13 to 6:13 PM. That means the bite should pick up late morning and get real good as you head toward supper time. No tides, but river current is pulling steady and just a touch stained—classic Red River conditions, perfect for working those breaks, dropoffs, and rock piles.

This past week’s catch reports have had anglers bringing in plenty of **channel cats, blue cats, and eater-size flatheads**. Cut shad and live crawfish have been red hot. Over by Stoner Avenue and the old barge tie-ups, folks are limiting out pitching Carolina-rigged stinkbaits. If you want to tangle with a **trophy blue**, try drifting those deeper holes south of the Bossier City boat ramp with big chunks of skipjack.

**Largemouth bass** are active early and late—look for them busting shad along the riprap banks at Hamel's Park and in the backwaters near Cross Bayou. Frogs and buzzbaits over grass first thing, then switch to Texas rigs or chartreuse crankbaits once the sun gets up. A couple of locals just weighed in a 5+ pound bass near Shreve City on a black/blue jig with a craw trailer, so don’t be shy about flipping heavy cover.

**Crappie** are starting to stack up bridge pilings and submerged brush around Lock & Dam 5. Best bites have been coming with **live minnows**, though jig fishermen using electric chicken and monkey milk plastics are catching slabs after the morning cool-off.

**Hot spots today:**

- The old concrete wing dam just downstream of the Market Street bridge—awesome for bass and cats.

- Backwater pockets off Ford Park—prime for crappie, with the added bonus of occasional white bass blowing up on baitfish.

- Don’t ignore the mouth of Twelve Mile Bayou; hybrids and stripers have surprised a few folks chunking spoons mid-morning.

**Bait and lure tip of the day:** For cats, stick with **fresh cutbait** or punch bait on a slip sinker rig. For bass, try a 1/4-oz white spinnerbait around current seams. Crappie are still loving small tube jigs under a slip float, set about 3 to 5 feet down.

If you’re in town early for the Red River Revel, swing by and check out the action—word has it you might catch a few festival folks down at the riverbank wetting a line before heading to enjoy Shreveport’s best margaritas.

That wraps it up for today’s Red River fishing. Thanks for tuning in to your local report—this is Artificial Lure, reminding you to subscribe so you neve

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It’s your angling expert Artificial Lure with the Red River Shreveport fishing report for Saturday, September 13, 2025. We’re off to a muggy start this morning with temps already pushing the low 70s before sunrise, which hit Shreveport right at 6:55 AM, and sunset coming at about 7:20 PM. Skies are mostly clear, humidity’s up, and there’s a light south breeze—classic late summer conditions with no sign of rain. Water temps remain warm and steady, right in the upper 70s and low 80s. If you’re out early, you’ll beat the heat and catch the river at its calmest.

According to NOAA and Louisiana Sportsman, we’re at the statistical peak of Gulf hurricane season, but right now, that Bermuda high’s keeping major weather at bay for the Red River corridor, so boating and bank fishing look safe today. No tidal influence in these fast stretches, and flows have held stable this past week—good news for setting patterns.

Fish activity’s picked up; locals report active largemouth and spotted bass, with crappie schooling tighter around structure as water clarity holds at fair. Channel and blue cats are biting steady in deeper holes wherever there’s some current. White bass are running in packs near the mouth of smaller creeks.

A round of nighttime and early morning catches this week saw solid numbers. Bass anglers landed multiple limits—fish ranged 2 to 4 pounds—with most hits on shad-colored crankbaits, black/blue jigs, and Texas-rigged plastic worms. Crappie were plentiful on chartreuse or pink jigs tipped with minnows, pulled from brush piles and dock pilings. Catfish action’s been strong on cut shad and chicken liver, and several folks filled coolers below the lock and dam on the south end.

Best lures today are:

- **Plastic worms** (junebug, redbug, and green pumpkin)

- **Shad crankbaits** and chrome lipless cranks for bass

- **Chartreuse tube jigs** and pink or blue hair jigs for crappie

- **Cut shad, nightcrawlers, chicken liver** for cats

River conditions favor casting tight to riprap, submerged timber, and near sandbars. Low-flow means fish are holding close to shade and deeper pockets; a slow retrieve or vertical jig will get the bite.

Hotspots to hit:

- **Stoner Boat Launch**: a classic spot west of downtown Shreveport; look for bass early around the rocky banks.

- **North Caddo Boat Launch**: excellent for crappie and catfish, especially dock fishing mid-morning.

- Down by **Lock and Dam #5**, the tailrace is loaded with active cats and white bass when the gates run.

- For some quieter bank action, scout the **Hamels Park stretch** east of the city—crappie and bream have been snappy around brush and eddies.

Be mindful: LDWF agents have focused enforcement in Red River Parish recently, so stay legal with gear and limits, and watch for updated advisories before hitting the river.

We’ve seen some good fish come up—no trophies yet, but plenty of “keeper” catches in the 2–5 pound range for bass and cats, and slabs for crappie up to 1½ pounds. Most su

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Artificial Lure here, coming to you with the Red River Shreveport fishing report for Friday, September 12, 2025!

It’s a steamy late-summer morning on the Red—temps at sunrise were right around 73°F with humidity thick and the air dead-calm. We’re headed for a high near 92°F before some clouds build in later. According to the National Weather Service, you can expect breezy conditions and a slight southerly wind to pick up later in the day, which always helps keep the bugs at bay and sometimes gets the fish moving up shallow. Sunrise hit at 6:53AM this morning, and sunset tonight will be at 7:23PM.

Now, for the tidal news: While the Red River isn’t tidal this far north, water levels are up just a hair from last week’s rain, so there’s a bit of healthy current in the main channel and a little murk in the water—you’ll want to adjust your lure color to suit.

Fish activity is peaking early and again just before sunset, as usual for late summer. Locals have been talking up the strong largemouth bite, especially from Pool 5 down toward Bishop Point. In the last few days, several anglers reported limits of keeper bass, with the biggest just topping 6 pounds. White bass and stripers have been busting shad in open water mid-morning, particularly near the mouth of Twelve Mile Bayou. Blue cats and channel cats are active around structure and outside bends, with fish up to 25 pounds caught on juglines and rod and reel.

Crappie should start getting fired up as water temperatures cool, but this week’s been all about tightlining minnows and shad-colored jigs in submerged brush between the 6- to 12-foot depths—bring plenty of patience, the bite has been spotty with a few nice slabs mixed in.

For lures: With the water a touch stained, go bold and noisy. Top pick is a dark chatterbait or black/blue jig for largemouth against the laydowns and riprap. Squarebill crankbaits in firetiger or red have been doing work in the pockets. On the finesse side, green pumpkin soft plastics always produce, but don’t be shy with chartreuse tail dips. For cats, the old standbys—cut shad and chicken liver—are outperforming stinkbait right now.

Best bait for bream and panfish is still a plain worm under a slip cork around the cypress knees and docks early in the morning.

Hot spots you won’t want to miss today:

- Bishop Point: The rocky ledges and docks are holding bass and blues if you can dodge the weekend crowd.

- Twelve Mile Bayou mouth: Busting hybrids and whites chasing shad have made for fast action on small crankbaits and spoons.

A heads-up: Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries is keeping an eye out for license checks and safe boating, especially after some recent incidents in the area. So make sure your paperwork’s in order and wear those PFDs.

That about wraps it up. If you’re in from out of town, swing by the Shreveport Festival Plaza after your trip—always some good eats and live music to round out a solid day on the water.

Thanks for tuning in to your local Red River

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Artificial Lure here with your Red River, Shreveport fishing report, bringing you the latest bites, conditions, and hot tips for Wednesday, September 10, 2025.

It was a warm and muggy start this morning with sunrise sliding in at 7:07 AM and sunset coming up at 7:36 PM. The day’s going to stretch just over 10 and a half hours, classic early September light. Weather-wise, we’re looking at high humidity holding steady, with light winds out of the south and clouds built up in the afternoon—classic late summer stuff for northwestern Louisiana. While Bob Rose at LCRA is reporting cooler temps and some scattered showers for the broader region due to lingering tropical moisture from the Gulf, most of that rain looks to skirt south of us, so expect an overcast, fishy day with just a slight chance of an afternoon sprinkle.

Solunar tables show peak feeding times at 6:13 to 8:13 this morning and again from 6:37 to 8:37 this evening, so if you can steal some early or late bank time, those are the magic hours. The moon's in a waning crescent, sitting at around 32%, so that low light should keep predator fish active and up in the water column.

Fish activity’s been solid this week. Local anglers on the Red, along with its oxbows and backwaters near Shreveport, are reporting steady action on largemouth bass, plenty of feisty spotted bass, and good numbers of channel catfish. There’s even been a few nice blue catfish caught just downstream from Stoner Avenue boat ramp. The old river bends are still producing, especially first light, with cooler overnight temps helping move shad up shallow and into ambush range.

Numbers wise: the average bass trip is seeing 4–8 keepers in the 1- to 3-pound range. Catfish hauls are better at night, but daytime tightliners are still pulling in half dozen solid eaters here and there. Folks drifting cut shad below the bridges have been rewarded with occasional 10-pound blues.

For the bass bite, your best lures right now are **chartreuse or blue-black spinnerbaits**, **Texas-rigged green pumpkin worms**, and **shad-patterned crankbaits** thrown up near submerged timber or along riprap. Early morning topwater action is still on—try a **bone or frog-colored popper** or buzzbait as the sun cracks the cypress line. Don’t overlook creature baits pitched into the laydowns and bank grass.

Catfishers are doing best with fresh-cut shad and nightcrawlers on drop lines. If you’re bank fishing, a simple slip sinker rig with chicken liver remains the go-to setup here; just stick to outside bends or deeper holes behind sandbars.

A couple of hot spots worth your time:

- **Stoner Avenue boat launch**: Both sides of the ramp see early morning bass busting shad, and catfish stack in the deeper current breaks just downstream.

- **Crescent Landing area**: This oxbow south of town is holding bass and bream, and boats have been pulling drum and cats from the channel edges.

- If you’re after panfish, try the coves near Ford Park—pop a red worm or cri

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This is Artificial Lure, back at it with your morning fishing report for the Red River around Shreveport, September 7th, 2025. Sunrise cracked the horizon at 6:48 a.m. and we’re working with an early morning temp near 73°, climbing to the mid-to-upper-80s by this afternoon under mostly sunny skies with a gentle south wind. That’s prime comfort for both angler and fish. Sunset tonight will be at 7:28 p.m.

Now, the Red River might not be tidal like our big salt neighbors, but water levels are a touch on the low side this week and clarity is decent, so work those mid-channel ledges and shady boat docks. If you’re floating out early, don’t be shy about heading up around the Stoner Boat Launch—locals have been nabbing solid bags of largemouth bass and some chunky spotted bass just downstream in the old oxbows.

Fish activity is hot shortly after sunrise, tapering off as the sun gets higher. The bite picks back up as dusk rolls in, so stick around if you’ve got the time. Reports from last night show good numbers of keeper-sized catfish, especially blues, coming off cut bait and nightcrawlers near the main river bends. If it’s crappie you’re after, a few limits have trickled in from Tieback Slough, mostly hitting jigs in black and chartreuse.

Bass are feeding aggressive on shad schools, so throw a chrome or sexy shad-colored crankbait along the riprap, or try a white spinnerbait if the wind picks up a bit. Locals swear by a trusty Texas-rigged soft plastic worm in junebug or watermelon red flake—pitch it up under brush piles and dock pilings.

If you’re after numbers, don’t overlook a drop-shot with a small finesse worm, especially up around the C. Bickham Dickson Park stretch. The sandbar by the highway bridges is also coughing up some decent white bass—that’s a fun fight on ultralight tackle and they’re hitting small swimbaits and spoons.

Recent catches include:

- Catfish in the 3–8 pound range, mostly blues and a few flatheads, mostly after dark on cut bream and shad.

- Good crappie slabs near brush, mostly early and just before dark, with black/chartreuse and monkey milk jigs being hot right now.

- A couple 4-5 pound largemouth landed Wednesday morning at the Red River South Marina, both caught on a black buzzbait as the sun was just peeking up.

- White bass blitzing shad below the dams—a small silver spoon is all you need.

If you’re new to the area or don’t want to burn gas hunting, hot spots today include Stoner Boat Launch downstream to the Long-Allen Bridge, and Tieback Slough for the panfish crowd. Don’t forget the rippin’ current below the Pine Island dam—the stripers and cats love it when gates are pushing a bit more water, especially after these summer storms upstream.

Best bait right now?

- **Catfish:** fresh cut shad or bream, chicken livers if you’re desperate.

- **Crappie:** live minnows, but plastics will work if you jig slow.

- **Bass:** shad-imitating crankbaits in low light, then slow plastics as the sun climbs.

- **White bass:*

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This is Artificial Lure, your local source for everything fishin’ along the Red River in Shreveport, comin’ to you with your Saturday morning update. It’s September 6th, 2025—sun’s risin’ at 6:51 AM, and she’ll set at 7:27 PM tonight. Air’s sittin’ around the low 80s this mornin’, climbin’ to the mid-90s come afternoon, keepin’ it toasty and the water temps right where our southern bass like it. Wind’s light outta the south at five, maybe ten miles per hour, not much chop to worry about today. No rain in the forecast, so you can expect clear, steady river levels, good visibility along most major channels, and steady flow through the oxbows.

Now, tides don’t do much up this far on the Red River—a folksy reminder, it’s mostly rain flow and lock-and-dam up here, so tidal swings hardly register. The current, though, keeps fish active at dawn and dusk, especially round the edges of the main river and the mouths of backwater creeks.

Word around Bossier Slough and the ramps at Stoner Avenue: the largemouth bass bite’s been strong this week, especially early before the sun gets high. According to several local anglers, black and blue jigs pitched around laydowns and rocky rip-raps have hammered some nice two- to four-pound fish at first light. If you’re after numbers, a 7-inch plum or red shad ribbon tail worm Texas-rigged’s hard to beat—work that slow along shady banks and bulrushes. Once that sun starts peeking, a white or chartreuse spinnerbait with gold willow blades’s been pulling reaction strikes on muddy windblown edges.

Crappie are scattered but catchable—folks using chartreuse tube jigs and live minnows under slip floats say you’ll find ‘em tight to submerged brush and bridge pilings, six to ten feet down, especially near the I-220 crossing and downstream at the old railroad trestle.

Catfish action’s steady. Blues and channels have been hitting cut shad and stinkbait in deeper holes behind Wing Dam near the downtown launches and up at Hamel’s Park. Several reports this week of stringers of eating-size channels, one or two blues pushing ten pounds. Cast upcurrent, let your bait settle, and mind your rod—these cats are hungry right now.

Hot spots for the weekend:

- Bossier Slough: consistent bass early, good access, plenty of cover.

- The oxbows just north of the Shreveport-Barksdale Bridge: great for both crappie and bream, lots of submerged timber.

- Hamel’s Park: easy shore access, solid for catfish with cut bait or worms.

Best baits and lures today:

- Black/blue jigs and ribbon tail worms for bass.

- Chartreuse tube jigs and live minnows for crappie.

- Cut shad, chicken livers, and commercial stinkbait for catfish.

Sunrise and sunset windows are still your best windows—try to plan your sets and retrieves right as the day begins or winds down for the liveliest action. Folks on the river this week have reported several limits of crappie, lots of solid keeper bass, and enough fat cats to keep the fryers going.

Thanks for tuning in to yo

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Good morning from Red River, Shreveport—Artificial Lure here with your local fishing report for Friday, September 5, 2025. Shreveport’s waking up to mild, soupy late-summer weather. As of sunrise at 6:49 a.m., temperatures are starting out around 74 degrees, climbing to a humid high near 89 by late afternoon, with light southern breeze and a mix of sun and cloud. It won’t be the coolest day on the water, but that humidity promises good fish activity as we ease into fall.

Tidal influence on the Red River itself is slight, but September flow rates should be steady—expect good clarity, especially at pools near the main channel and bayou mouths. Recent scattered showers have kept backwater and oxbow lakes healthy, so those coves are holding plenty of baitfish and cooling off just enough to wake up the big bass bite.

The best fishing action lately has come from the early morning and just before sunset, which is at 7:38 p.m. today. Water temps are holding upper 70s to low 80s. The moving dawn light is seeing schoolie bass busting on shad, with plenty of action from drum, white bass, and the occasional big cat on deeper runs.

Word from the launch is folks have been hauling in good numbers of largemouth—ranges of 2 to 4 pounds are common, but a couple of hawgs up to 6 pounds were weighed near the Stoner Avenue boat ramp. Local anglers are also reporting healthy strings of channel catfish upriver around the Lock and Dam #5 as well as wandering blue cat caught on cut shad and crawfish tails.

Best lures this week: topwaters like Zara Spooks and Whopper Ploppers just after sunrise have been producing smashing strikes in shallow grass beds, especially close to sandbars around Hamel’s Park and the river islands. As the sun gets higher, switch to soft plastic flukes in pearl and watermelon red, or pitch a 3/8 oz black-and-blue jig into the brushpiles. Crankbaits in sexy shad or chartreuse blue-back are ideal when schools push out to midriver ledges—work it slow around channel swings.

If cats are on your list, fresh chicken liver or cut shad on a Carolina rig has been the local favorite. Folks targeting crappie in the backwaters are switching up with live minnows or chartreuse tube jigs, vertical jigging next to submerged timber.

Hot spots: Don’t overlook the pocket just upriver of Bossier City’s CenturyLink Center; schooling white bass and the occasional hybrid have been crashing bait at first light. The long oxbow near Charles and Marie Hamel Memorial Park is holding both bass and panfish among the cypress knees. Late in the afternoon, locals have found it worth working jigs around the submerged rocks below the downtown Shreveport boat ramp.

With the Red River Revel arts and music fest coming up at the end of the month, expect some company on the downtown stretches soon, but for now the fish are biting and crowds are light. Plenty of parking, easy ramps, and the bite is on.

Thanks for tuning in to this Red River fishing update, folks. Don’t forget to s

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