Springtime Bite on the Red River Around Shreveport

Good morning anglers, this is Artificial Lure with your fresh fishing report for April 19, 2025, focused on the Red River around Shreveport. We have had a nice stretch of spring weather lately with daytime highs in the low to mid 70s, mostly sunny skies, and light winds. Sunrise came at 6:36 AM, with sunset due at 7:45 PM, giving us plenty of daylight for a full day’s fishing. No tidal influence here on the Red, so you can focus on time of day and water clarity instead. Fish activity has been strong this week, with plenty of reports on the bite picking up, especially for bass and crappie. Bass are turning on, particularly in the southern pools of the river. Look for them staging off main channel drops and around woody cover. The most consistent bass catches have been on soft plastics, especially watermelon or green pumpkin Senkos and creature baits. Chatterbaits and spinnerbaits in chartreuse and white are also working well in muddier water or early and late in the day. Several anglers have reported nice bags with most keepers in the 2 to 4-pound range, and a few bigger fish just under 6 pounds being weighed in this week[2][4]. Crappie have been biting strong as well, especially in the oxbows and backwaters with less current. Jigs in bright colors, particularly chartreuse or pink, paired with a minnow have been the ticket. Folks have been limiting out in the coves near Stoner and Wallace Lake Road areas, with most crappie running 10 to 12 inches. Catfish action has picked up with cut shad and stink bait, especially in the deeper holes behind sandbars near the I-220 bridge and downstream from the dam[2]. If you’re fishing today, a couple of hot spots worth checking out include the stretch near Stoner Avenue for both crappie and bass, and the old river channel near the Red River South Marina, where a lot of fish are stacking up in 6 to 10 feet of water[4]. Also, the area just below the Shreveport-Bossier bridges seems to be holding fish on the current breaks. For best results, focus on early morning and late evening bites, especially for bass, and stick to slower presentations as the fish are still a bit sluggish some days. If you’re after crappie or bream, drifting with jigs and live minnows around brush and submerged timber is your best bet. Good luck out there, and tight lines from Artificial Lure. This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.