Good morning from Lake Sam Rayburn—Artificial Lure here with your local fishing report for Saturday, August 16, 2025.

Sunrise broke at 7:11 AM and we'll see a sunset about 7:45 this evening, giving us over 12 and a half hours on the water. Expect August sizzle: the air is thick and the lake’s water temperature is running in the low 90s. Water level is a bit down—sitting at 6.41 feet low—but the clarity is holding up, so you’re not fighting mud soup, just some skinny banks.

Weather’s classic east Texas summer. We’re starting out with a mild morning, but you can bank on the sun heating things up quick. Not much wind till late afternoon—grab your SPF and a good hat. There’s no real tidal effect this deep in Texas, but the solunar tables give major fish activity windows this morning from 8:00 to 10:00 and another strong bite likely around sunset, roughly 8:20 to 10:20 tonight. If you can dodge the heat, those windows are your best bet. The moon’s waxing crescent, 24% visible, and will rise just after 10 AM—so those late morning bites might stay hot a little longer.

Now, on to the fish! Bass fishing has been downright sporty this week. According to Texas Parks and Wildlife’s latest update, anglers are catching good numbers, especially early and late. Tournament reports yesterday saw sacks over 16 pounds—pro angler c_lancleaux logged 16 pounds, 12 ounces in day-two weigh-in. Even wilder: apembertonfishing brought a whopping 23-pound, 3-ounce bag to the scales for Championship Saturday, losing 20 fish and still cracking solid weight after a slow start. Most boats aren’t pulling in giants every trip, but there have been 5+, 6+, and the occasional 7 or 8-pound kicker reported around the brushy points and creek ledges.

For lures, it’s summer patterns all the way. Crankbaits in shad or chartreuse tossed along main lake points and ledges are catching solid numbers. Black-blue jigs and Texas-rigged soft plastics—especially green pumpkin and watermelon red flake—are drawing bites from fish buried in the heavy hydrilla and brush piles. Carolina rigs with creature baits or ribbon-tail worms are working over humps in 15-25 foot depths. Shaky heads and drop shots with smaller finesse worms are catching finicky bass when the bite slows under harsh sun.

Don’t sleep on topwater while it’s calm: walking baits and poppers at first light have been producing strikes, especially on the inside edges of hydrilla or around the stumps in Five Fingers and Veach Basin. If you’re chasing crappie, local guide Blake Ostriech reports they’re stacking on brush in 20 feet and hitting live minnows and small shad-colored jigs.

Two hot spots that lit up this week: Veach Basin remains a tournament anchor—its offshore structure is holding quality largemouth early and deep crappie mid-morning. Need another hero’s haul? Try the mouth of Harvey Creek, where the deeper grass lines and scattered timber are drawing in busting bass, especially as shad schools stack up with the rising sun.

If you’re new to the lake or just want to maximize your morning, start at Veach with a walking bait or squarebill on the grass edge, then slide offshore with a Carolina rig when that sun gets higher. Switch to slow presentations around brush piles if the bite falls off. Crappie folks, focus on brush at 18-22 feet with live minnows for steady action.

Thanks for tuning in to your Sam Rayburn fishing fix—remember to subscribe and share to keep up with the latest local tips and reports. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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