Springtime Bonanza on the Red River - Bass, Crappie, and Catfish Bite Heating Up in Shreveport

Artificial Lure here with your Red River Shreveport fishing report for Wednesday, April 23, 2025. We are deep into prime spring fishing around Shreveport. The river is in great shape this week, with water levels steady and only a slight stain, giving the fish a sense of security and keeping them active. Water temps are holding right in the sweet spot for springtime fishing, running between 60 and 65 degrees. Sunrise was at 6:50 this morning and sunset will be at 7:47 tonight, so you have plenty of daylight to work every hole and backwater you fancy. Weather-wise, we are enjoying a classic Louisiana spring day out here. Expect highs around 75 degrees, light winds, and mostly clear skies. Conditions could hardly be better for those wanting to fish either from shore or a boat. The bite has really turned on! Largemouth bass are especially active as they finish up the spawn, and you’ll find them cruising around sandbars, rock jetties, and tucked into the backwaters near timber and grass lines. Folks are having good luck with Bandit 200 crankbaits in shad or chartreuse and with Texas-rigged creature baits in black and blue flake. Soft jerkbaits, especially in shad patterns, have also produced some solid fish when worked slow around the grass. White bass are starting to school up in the main river and some of the deeper cuts. Small inline spinners and jigging spoons are putting fish in the boat. Crappie are still holding near brush piles but are beginning to pull toward slightly deeper water. Try minnows or small tubes in white and chartreuse to pick up a mess for the fryer. Catfish anglers are also reporting steady action, especially on cut shad and nightcrawlers fished on the bottom near the main channel edges and deeper holes. Both blues and channels are biting, with some flatheads mixed in for those patient enough to soak bigger live baits. As for hot spots, two places stand out right now. First, the stretch between the Texaco Country Club ramp and the downtown bridges is producing steady mixed bags. Second, the backwater sloughs near Hamel’s Park are giving up good numbers of both bass and cats. Both spots offer easy access and something for every angler. If you are heading out today, bring along your bandit crankbaits and a pack of soft plastics in dark colors. A couple dozen fresh shiners or some cut bait for the cats will round out your tackle box just right. That’s the latest from the banks of the Red. Tight lines and don’t forget to send me your bragging-rights photos! This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.