Late Fall Fishing on the Red River in Shreveport

This is Artificial Lure comin’ to you with your Red River, Shreveport fishing report. We’re sittin’ on a cool, stable late‑fall pattern. Morning temps are starting out chilly, climbing into the upper 50s to low 60s by afternoon with light north to northeast breeze and mostly clear skies. Local weather outlets have the barometer on the rise after a weak front, which usually perks the bite up in this part of the river. Sunrise is right around 7:05 a.m. with sunset near 5:10 p.m., so your prime windows are first light to about 9:30, then again from 2:30 to dark when that water’s had a chance to warm a touch. With no real tide to speak of up here, treat the **current** like your tide: generation and any bump from upstream rain will position fish on the front edges of wood and rock. Recent reports from local anglers and regional sites like Louisiana Sportsman say the Red has been giving up decent numbers of **largemouth**, plenty of **white bass**, some **stripers/hybrids**, and a good mess of **catfish** for folks soaking bait. Tournament guys out of Shreveport have been weighing solid 12–16 pound five‑fish bags, mostly on reaction baits worked around ledges and backwater cuts off the main river. Bass activity has been best in 4–10 feet on outside bends with laydowns, plus the mouths of oxbows. Look for shad flickering on your electronics or dimpling the surface; once you see that bait, you’re in the right zip code. White bass have been schooling on the main‑river breaks—if you see birds working or surface busting, get there quick. Best producers right now: - **Lures for bass**: • 3/8 oz white or shad‑pattern **spinnerbaits** slow‑rolled around wood. • Squarebill **crankbaits** in sexy shad or chartreuse/black back banging off stumps. • Green pumpkin or black/blue **Texas‑rigged creature baits** and jigs for the slower, midday bite. • Small **swimbaits** and Alabama rigs for schooling fish when they push shad to the surface. - **Bait for cats and drum**: • Fresh **shad cut bait**, **chicken liver**, and **nightcrawlers** on Carolina rigs in 15–25 feet along channel edges and below any current breaks. • For a kid‑friendly bite, a simple cork and worm around riprap will still put perch and the occasional drum in the bucket. Couple of local hot spots to try: - **Red River South Marina area**: Work the main‑river ledge just upstream and downstream of the launch, keying on brush, barge ties, and any current seams. Great for bass early, then cats when the sun gets high. - **Caddo Lake Cutoff / backwater sloughs off Pool 5**: Hit those secondary drains and ditches with spinnerbaits and squarebills. When the current ticks up, fish stack on the first hard cover inside those cuts. Water’s got that typical Red River stain but clarity is decent in the backwaters, so lean a little brighter—chartreuse, white, and black/blue—on your baits. Downsizing to smaller profiles has helped when the sun gets high and the wind lays down. That’ This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.