Muddy Mess Up North, Clear Water Bass Down South - Lake Sam Rayburn Fishing Report

Howdy folks, this is Artificial Lure with your boots-on-the-ground fishing report for Thursday, November 6th, 2025, straight from Lake Sam Rayburn, Texas. After a wild run of rain, ol’ Big Sam is sitting up higher than usual and lookin’ muddy, especially up north. Locals are saying it’s the dirtiest water they’ve seen in years. Word around the ramp is, that mess up north is just about unfishable—blown out mud, not just a little dingy, but orange and thick. The Angelina and Neches are both pumping water, and the flood gates are closed to hold it all in for control, so we’re sitting with rising water and new cover[Major League Fishing, practice update]. Now, don’t let that scare you off—there’s plenty of clean, fishable water down lake. That’s where everyone’s focusing, especially the main lake south and the big southern coves. The hydrilla edges in these cleaner sections are the talk of the morning. Sunrise was at 6:43 AM and you can squeeze fishing all the way to a 5:25 PM sunset. We had a slightly cool start this morning, with temps around 62°F, but they’ll hit the upper 70s later—feels like an early fall warm-up. Winds are light, but keep an eye for a southern breeze come midday, which ought to help push bait up on the windy banks[Solunar Forecast]. Fish activity is good today, but not on fire. According to the solunar tables for the area, today’s peak fishing times are running from about 6:55 to 8:55 AM and again from 7:22 to 9:22 PM, with a solid minor window over lunch from 12:27 to 1:27 PM. That means right now, till about nine o’clock, is your best shot for a kicker. As for what’s biting—bass are moving up with the new water. Plenty of solid numbers, but finding those big girls takes work. Shallow is key. Anglers are still debating, but most of the bigger tournament fish these last few days have come on traps—yep, lipless crankbaits—and ChatterBaits along the hydrilla in about 8 to 12 feet. Jerkbaits are putting numbers in the boat, and a few old boys still swear by a white spinnerbait slow-rolled through the grass if the wind picks up[Major League Fishing, bait report]. But if you want a bite in all this dirty water, you need some vibration and a bold color—reds, chartreuse, and gold have been best. Live bait isn’t as popular here this time of year—most folks are chunkin’ lures—but a live shad free-lined along the outside grass could set you up for a bonus. If you’re after crappie, brush piles just off the river channel in cleaner pockets on the south end are putting out decent slabs on small jigs and minnows, especially mid-morning. On the numbers, local guides as of yesterday have been boating limits of keeper bass with a couple of kickers over five pounds. The average is running about 2 to 3 pounds, but folks are hopeful—rising warm water always draws a few lunkers shallow this time of year. Now for the hot spots: - Five Fingers Cove (down south) – Clearer water, loads of grass, and bait pods stacking up. - Veach Basin – Hydr This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.