Fall Fishing Frenzy on Lake Sam Rayburn - Largemouth, Crappie, and Catfish Bites Heating Up

Artificial Lure here, reporting from Lake Sam Rayburn on this crisp Wednesday morning, September 24, 2025. Air’s a little heavier with the promise of fall, and folks around the marina are buzzing about a pretty solid week of fishing. Weather kicked off cool and clear today, just a hair under 60 at dawn. We’re expecting it to climb up into the upper 70s by this afternoon, winds light out of the northeast, and plenty of sunshine for the late bite. Sunrise hit at 6:51 AM, and we’ll see it dip out at 6:29 PM, so there’s a good stretch for all-day anglers. Those looking for a night bite may have to wrap up early as things cool off quick after dark. Reports from the water put the solunar major fishing window between about 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM, with minor bursts of activity from 8:00 to 9:00 AM and again just after 9:00 PM, according to regional solunar forecasts. While tides aren’t a major factor this far inland, that waxing crescent moon should keep those big girls active a little longer into the morning. As for what’s biting—let’s just say Lake Sam Rayburn is keeping her title as bass capital of Texas. Several catches of largemouth over 6 pounds were weighed in this week, and the word is a couple of 8-pounders were caught and released around Five Fingers and the Black Forest on swim jigs and dark-colored Senkos. Tournament regulars are favoring bladed jigs and chatterbaits, especially near submerged grass and old stump fields—September’s always prime for covering water with moving baits. Anglers out early worked topwater poppers and Zara Spooks in shad patterns up shallow with daylight and had solid action before the sun got high. Once things warm up, Texas-rigged worms, brush hogs, and creature baits in green pumpkin and junebug, fished along the first drop-off, have produced consistent strikes. White bass are schooling up in the river arms, and anglers trolling small crankbaits or slab spoons off Mud Creek are finding generous limits. Crappie action is getting better around main-lake brush piles in 12–18 feet. Folks dipping minnows or 1/16-ounce jigs in chartreuse and black are pulling up some slabs, with a few near the 2-pound range, based on photos passed around at the bait shop. If you’re chasing catfish, the main-lake flats have been solid for blues and channels. Shad and cut bait are tough to beat—especially overnight around the mouth of Ayish Bayou and the Beach area. Jugliners and rod-and-reel folks alike are boasting stringers of blues up to 20 pounds. In terms of best baits: - **Largemouth bass:** swim jigs, chatterbaits, dark worms, topwater spooks - **Crappie:** live minnows, 1/16-ounce jigs in chartreuse/black - **White bass:** small crankbaits, silver slab spoons - **Catfish:** fresh cut shad, punch bait A couple of hotspots worth hitting: the grass beds north of Harvey Creek turn up quality bass all day, and mid-lake brush piles near Veach Basin are another crappie gold mine when the sun’s strong. Early risers should try Five Fi This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.