Rayburn Roundup: Autumn Bass, Crappie, Catfish & More in East Texas Pineywoods

It’s Artificial Lure with your Saturday morning fishing report for November 8, 2025, coming to you from Lake Sam Rayburn, deep in the Pineywoods of East Texas, where fall is settling in but the fish still have stories to tell. Sunrise hit this morning at 6:41 a.m., and you’ll see sunset around 5:24 p.m. Daylight’s burning fast, and the air’s got that cool snap we’ve been waiting for—low around 62 degrees, headed for a high of about 67. Winds are out of the north, making it crisp, and the humidity’ll keep you reaching for that coffee early. Water temperature is holding steady at 80 degrees, but the lake remains nearly 9 feet low, with water stained and grass beds really thinning out according to the Tyler Morning Telegraph’s latest East Texas Fishing Report. The drop’s got a lot of timber exposed and creeks running clear in the backs—watch your electronics and mind those stumps! Solunar activity’s decent today: major feeding times run 7:48 to 9:48 a.m. and again 8:13 to 10:13 p.m., so no need to rush breakfast—fish’ll be more active once the sun’s up a bit, and those last light hours could light up[solunarforecast.com]. Bass fishing’s been on the slow side, but with patience you can still find bites. Largemouth are pushing up on deeper points, especially where ditch channels meet the old river. Local sticks are having some luck on Carolina rigs tipped with green pumpkin or watermelon soft plastics—brush hogs and big Zoom worms are putting in work, especially with gold flake to stand out in stained water. If you find standing timber in 10-15 feet, try a medium-diving crankbait in shad or chartreuse. If it’s sunny, flip black and blue jigs tight to the cover. For numbers, no recent tournament sacks have hit the news this week, but late October saw several 4- to 6-pound fish reported by regulars at the Cassels-Boykin ramp. Don’t expect a big limit, but a couple of solid fish are in the cards if you grind. Bites pick up late in the afternoon—work channel swings and secondary points off the main lake. Crappie action’s decent where you can find brush piles in 16 to 24 feet. Use small jigs in ice blue or pink, and minnows are always a go-to. Most crappie are running in that 10- to 12-inch range, but you’ll bump into a slab or two at the public fish attractor sites around Needmore Point and the 147 bridge. Catfish remain steady, especially channel cats, which are hitting cut shad and chicken liver in 6-8 feet. Drift along sandy flats by Black Forest or the lower end for blues—fresh-cut bait is doing best per the recent TPWD fishing report. If you’re after bream, you’ll be happy to hear red worms are working well all over the lake, especially along rocky banks and the mouths of creeks. As far as hot spots, look to Harvey Creek—the timber along the creek channels is still holding bass, and the creek beds in Buck Bay are reliable after a cold snap. The Indian Creek area, with its deep water adjacent to points, deserves some casts, especially for big This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.