Sam Rayburn Reservoir fishing conditions

Offshore grass edges in 12–18 ft hold the tournament-winning schools from June through September.

Active temp

58–82°F

Structure

Submerged grass edges, main-lake points, laydowns and dock lines

Technique

Texas rig / swimbait

Bait

Live shiners

Lure

4.5 in paddle-tail swimbait (3.5"–5")

Color

Green pumpkin / natural shad

Retrieve

Slow to moderate, bottom contact every few feet

Best time

First 3 hours after sunrise and the last 2 before dark

Stages from wintering creek channels to secondary points at 52–58°F, spawns on hard bottom at 62–68°F, then slides to grass edges and ledges once surface water passes 78°F.

Standing timber in 18–25 ft near the river channel; spring fish move to the Black Forest.

Active temp

50–72°F

Structure

Brush piles, standing timber, bridge pilings and creek-channel bends

Technique

Vertical jigging / live-scope casting

Bait

Minnows under a slip float

Lure

1/16 oz hair or plastic jig (1.5"–2")

Color

Chartreuse / black-blue in stained water

Retrieve

Hold still above the fish, tiny shakes

Best time

Late afternoon and full dark under lights

Moves to shallow wood at 56–62°F to spawn, then relates to 12–20 ft brush all summer, and follows shad into creek arms in fall.

Blue catfish drift the main-lake flats in 20–30 ft.

Active temp

60–85°F

Structure

River channels, holes below points, flats adjacent to deep water

Technique

Anchored cut bait / drifting flats

Bait

Cut shad, skipjack, chicken liver

Lure

Circle hook 6/0–8/0 on a Santee rig (Palm-size bait chunks)

Color

n/a — scent driven

Retrieve

Static or 0.5–0.8 mph controlled drift

Best time

Sunset to midnight; all day when water is stained

Pushes shallow to spawn in rock and bank holes at 70–78°F, then feeds on channel edges at night through summer and gorges on shad in the fall.

Bream beds on hard sand pockets from May through July are thick and easy to find.

Active temp

60–82°F

Structure

Beds on hard bottom, dock shade, inside weed lines

Technique

Small jig under a float

Bait

Red worms, crickets

Lure

1/32 oz jig (1")

Color

Black-chartreuse

Retrieve

Dead-stick with tiny twitches

Best time

Mid-morning to mid-afternoon

Beds through several moon cycles from 68°F on, then holds the inside weed edge.