Fall Bite Peaking at Lake Sam Rayburn: Bass, Crappie, and Catfish Bonanza

Artificial Lure here with your Lake Sam Rayburn fishing report for Sunday, October 26th, 2025. We kicked things off this morning with sunrise at 7:18AM, and you can count on a sunset right around 6:39PM. Weather’s seasonal with a lingering cool front—overnight temps dropped into the upper 50s and we’re climbing to a high near 80 by late afternoon. Winds have been light out of the northwest, making for calm water and a perfect fall bite. Fish activity is peaking with this stretch of cool mornings and warm afternoons. Bass are really spreading out: some are still shallow, hanging tight to the edges of hydrilla and coontail, while others are starting to group up on deeper drains and brush piles preparing for late fall patterns. Word from local tourney regulars and guides is that you’re seeing winning tournament bags right around that 28–30 pound mark for five fish, and it’s been anyone’s game as far as shallow-versus-deep tactics. Plenty of quality largemouths reported in the six- to eight-pound range, especially for folks keying on the transitional zones near main-lake drains and the mouths of creeks. Crappie have been reliable as well, with limits coming from brush piles in 18 to 25 feet of water—most slabs running 11–13 inches. Catfish action is another highlight. The blue cat bite is already in fall mode with eater-class fish (4–12 pounds) stacking up around river channels and flooded timber. Local anglers are icing coolers full using fresh-cut shad on Santee Cooper rigs fished near drop-offs and channel bends, especially right after a breezy front like this one. For big blues, some are switching to larger chunks of shad or carp, rigged on hefty circle hooks—don’t be surprised if you tangle with a 20-plus-pound trophy over the next few weeks. Today’s solunar charts show peak fishing windows around 8–10 AM and again 2–4 PM, with a minor uptick just after sunrise. The water’s got a nice light stain and temps have settled into the low 70s through most of the main lake. For lure selection, that classic Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap in chrome/blue or red craw is still catching ‘em, especially burned just above submerged grass on flats. Also hard to beat are Carolina-rigged soft plastics—try a green pumpkin Brush Hog or a watermelon-red lizard—along outside grass lines and secondary points. When the sun’s high, a deep-diving 6th Sense crankbait in shad pattern fished off main lake structure has been a ticket for those kicker fish. If you’re pitching cover, look to a Strike King Rage Bug or a Texas-rigged creature bait. Crappie are hammering on live minnows or chartreuse jigs, especially when you can locate that “magic brush pile.” Top hot spots: check the Five Fingers creek arm for schools of shad and active bass, particularly around the humps at the creek mouth. Harvey Creek has been excellent for both numbers and size, especially for those working main channel breaks early, then shifting into the scattered shallow grass as the day warms up. Not to ment This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.