Rayburn Rebounds - Bass Bite Blows Up in East Texas

Artificial Lure here with your November 21st, 2025 fishing report for Lake Sam Rayburn and the surrounding East Texas waters. Let’s get right to it—conditions are prime, and the bass are biting for those who put in the time. Sunrise slid in at 6:48 AM, with sunset falling just after 6:32 PM tonight. The major bite windows today line up from 6:18 AM to 8:18 AM and 6:48 PM to 8:48 PM, so plan your casts with that solunar timing in mind for maximum action, especially around dawn when Texas lakes come alive according to SolunarForecast. Water level’s low—down more than 9 feet—and holding fairly clear. That means fish are hanging tighter to structure and deeper holes, so take it slow when you work offshore brush piles and main lake points. Surface temps are running in the mid-60s, and with the forecast calling for stable, cool mornings and a slight breeze, you’ll want to bring layers as the bite heats up when the sun climbs. Recent weeks have seen some big sacks come out of Rayburn. Keith Combs, a local legend out of Huntington, Texas, just walked away with a three-day total of fifteen bass for 63 pounds—plenty of 4- to 7-pound fish, so the bigger bites are there if you target them right. Winning bags came from both offshore crankbaiting and shallow spinnerbait action, with bonus fish pulled from isolated stumps and hard gravel bars according to Major League Fishing press releases. Bass are the star, but the crappie bite has ticked up on deep timber and bridge pilings—mostly on small jigs and live minnows. Catfish are steady on cut shad fished in the river channels after those recent cold fronts. Top lures today: - Big single swimbaits - 1-ounce Strike King Bottom Dweller Spinnerbaits in blue glimmer - Magnum Squarebill crankbaits (Tennessee shad or chartreuse/blue) - Football jigs trailed with creature baits - Bladed jigs in chartreuse/white, especially if the wind picks up by afternoon Local guides say you want to focus efforts on two tried-and-true hot spots. First up, the five fingers off Harvey Creek, where those schooling fish will push shad to the surface at sunrise. Second, fishing the old 147 bridge pilings and adjacent humps—prime area for deep fish stacking in low water. If you’re after numbers instead of size, pack up a finesse rig and head to the gravel bars on the southern end, where 2- to 3-pound fish are biting in schools. For those targeting trophies, stay patient and hit deep brush piles from 12 to 16 feet—use your electronics to scan for arcs, then drop a jig or big crankbait through the zone. Live bait’s always a safe bet—shiners and big nightcrawlers are putting cats and crappie on the stringer, but for heavy bass, stay with big, bold artificial presentations. Fish activity overall is rated “better” than average today, with a waxing crescent moon adding to the daytime bite. Remember, low lake levels mean some boat ramps are tricky—stick to well-marked launches, and be wary of underwater hazards, especially out past the cr This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.