Red River Fishing Report - Cool Temps, Steady Bites, and Top Spots to Hit

Good morning, anglers, this is Artificial Lure reporting for Red River and Shreveport waters on Tuesday, November 4th, 2025. It’s a cool one out here, with temps hovering in the upper 50s early and a high near the mid-70s expected. Winds are light out of the northeast at about 5 mph. Skies are mostly clear and pretty as a picture, but keep an eye out — come afternoon, clouds might creep in ahead of another weak front, but no real rain chances until later in the week, according to the National Weather Service. Sunrise hit us at 6:32 a.m. and set’s coming at 5:21 p.m. We’re just past the first quarter moon, so fish activity should stay steady, especially around those moon-driven major bite windows. Best times today: 5:31 to 7:31 a.m. for the early-risers, and again from 5:50 to 7:50 p.m. — perfect for a little after-work casting. Minor feeding activity also picks up around lunchtime, from about 12:48 to 2:48 p.m., if you’re playing hooky or taking that lunch break on the water, per FishingReminder. The Red River has been running a tad stained with all the fall brush and runoff, but clarity is decent enough in the main channels and backwater pockets. Water temps are running in the high 60s to low 70s — ideal for fall transitions as baitfish bunch up and both bass and catfish go on the feed. Recent catch reports show solid numbers of largemouth bass from the backwaters and creek mouths around McCain Creek, Cross Bayou, and Benoit Bayou. Most folks are picking off fish in the 1.5-3 pound range, but there have been scattered reports of four and five-pounders biting up shallow, especially where there’s structure and shade. Some crappie anglers have been hauling in stringers of slabs, mostly jigging brush piles near Wright Island and even up into Bickham Bayou. Catfish action has been steady near the Cross Lake Dam and up around the deeper bends, with several blue cats in the 8–15 pound range brought in on cut shad and chicken livers, according to old-timers along the bank. As for the best baits, now’s the time to throw medium-diving crankbaits in shad or chartreuse, squarebills up in the timber, and bladed jigs along the grass lines. Early or late, topwaters like walking baits and buzzbaits are calling up some aggressive blowups. For the plastics crowd, go with black and blue or green pumpkin soft stickbaits and creature baits pitched into the thick stuff. Crappie are biting best on pink or chartreuse jigs, and live minnows aren’t getting turned down either. Catfish are all about the fresh cut bait right now, but a messy gob of stink bait off the rocks is worth a shot for channel cats. Two hot spots to check out: McCain Creek for bass and crappie — the deeper timber is holding good schools, and the edges are prime for that afternoon bass bite. And if you’re after blues or a mixed bag, give Cross Bayou a try, particularly in those outside bends and deep log jams. That’s your Red River rundown for November 4th from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tunin This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.