Lake Sam Rayburn Fishing Report: Summer Patterns, Ledges, and Schooling White Bass

This is Artificial Lure with your up-to-the-minute fishing report for Lake Sam Rayburn and the surrounding Angelina National Forest waters on Wednesday, June 11th, 2025. Lake Sam Rayburn’s water sits stained and about half a foot above pool, holding steady at 80 degrees. The Corps has been releasing water, so the level is slowly dropping — that’s helping to pile up those fish just where you want ’em. Expect a mild southeast breeze this morning, with highs pushing into the upper 80s and plenty of muggy Texas sunshine. Sunrise hit at 6:13 AM sharp, and you can cast ‘til sunset at 8:26 PM. Bass fishing is classic summer pattern right now. Most of the spawners have finished up and are stacking up on ledges, humps, and creek channels. Early birds are catching ‘em in 8-14 feet of water, working Texas rigs or Carolina rigs rigged with big worms. Watermelon red or plum is the go-to right now. If you’re out in the low light, try throwing topwater frogs or poppers in and around the pencil grass and hay grass, especially at dawn — that’s when the blowups have been wild, particularly around Veach Basin and Harvey Creek. According to recent local reports and guides like Captain Lynn Atkinson of Reel Um N Guide Service, the numbers of bass shallow in the buckbrush are still good, and flipping soft plastics or jigs is pulling in quality keepers. For the crappie crowd, the bite is moving deeper as those slabs edge out to the brush piles and timber. Best depths have been 4 to 12 feet, but look for that to drop a bit deeper as the lake heats up through the day. Both jigs and minnows are producing — try hitting brush in the Black Forest or around the 147 bridge. If you’re after catfish, now’s the time to be working cut shad in the deeper creek channels and along ledges. Early mornings have been especially productive, with several locals hauling in excellent stringers this week. White bass are still schooling off points, busting shad — so tie on a jigging spoon or small swimbait and cast around Five Fingers or Caney Creek for a shot at fast limits. Best bets for lures: - Bass: Big worms (watermelon red, plum) on Texas/Carolina rigs, topwater frogs, and poppers - Crappie: Jigs and live minnows - Catfish: Fresh cut shad or cut bait Hot spots to check today: - Veach Basin and Harvey Creek for early morning bass action - Black Forest and the timber around 147 bridge for crappie - Five Fingers and Caney Creek for schooling white bass That wraps up today’s fishing action here on Big Sam. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe for your daily dose of East Texas fishing info. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease dot ai. This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.