SAN ANGELO, TX — Here is the area fishing report for the week of Feb. 25, 2026, from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department:
GOOD. 53 degrees; 5.81 feet below pool. Crappie are good in 15-30 feet on minnows and jigs over trees. Look for the warmer nights to heat the water up and fish moving shallow to spawn in the next couple of months. Report by Randy Britton, The Bait Shop, Post, Texas.
SLOW. Water stained 65 degrees; 65.52 feet below pool. Conditions at Lake Amistad continue to transition into a classic spring bass pattern, with water temperatures ranging from the high 50s to mid 60s. River areas are warming faster than the main lake. Many buck bass and some females are moving shallow into spawning areas, and bass are being caught in 0-10 feet of water. Moving baits such as bladed jigs and crankbaits are effective for pre-spawn fish. Slower presentations like lizards and creature baits are producing bites around beds. With a warming trend in the long-range forecast, bass fishing should remain strong over the next 8-12 weeks as fish progress from pre-spawn to spawn and post-spawn in shallow areas–making it an excellent time to be on the lake. Report by Kurt Dove, Amistad Bass Guide.
FAIR. Water stained; 50 degrees; 0.59 feet below pool. Crappie should be transitioning towards coves. Bass should be in a pre-spawn with fish shallow on beds or staging on points to move shallow. Bladed jigs and rattletraps are good for shallow fish.
SLOW. Water stained; 58 degrees; 3.22 feet below pool. Black bass to 8.23 pounds are excellent on soft plastic finesse lure in Lone Star Disco color scoping around docks and jigs in 10-12 feet, or jerkbaits in 3-8 feet on the rocks around main lake pockets and points. Crappie are fair to 10 inches on minnows in the main lake scattered brush piles and on docks 15-18 feet. White bass are slow to 1.25 pounds with fish scattered around the main lake. Catfish are good to 10 pounds on jug lines with cut carp from Little Jim Ned to the Christian retreat.
GOOD. Water normal stain; 63 degrees; 2.38 feet below pool. Surface water temperatures are ranging from 57-65. Water is murky in most areas from recent high winds. Stripers are biting on live bait from 12-45 feet of water, however they have been finicky after these small fronts. Right place, right time and a little luck after the fronts has been the key, but stable winds patterns should get the bite more predictable. White bass are thick from high line to Bend with big catches trolling crankbaits. Fish are also piled in the main body 20-42 feet of water biting jigging spoons. Report by Travis Holland, TH Fishing. Crappie are fair in 10-15 feet of water on brush with chartreuse jigs or minnows. Blue and channel catfish are fair in 15-25 feet of water with cut shad. Report by Jess Rotherham, Texas Crappie Fishing Service. Patterns will remain consistent until the water temperature rises into the 60s. Stripers continue to be good trolling umbrella rigs and downriggers with bucktails in 15-35 feet of water on main lake points and humps, and major creek channels. Live shad and jigging spoons are fair to good along the river channel and main lake points and humps. White bass are good from Garrett Island to the river trolling crankbaits. Stop on the main points and humps with jigging spoons and smaller shad or jumbo minnows in 28-45 feet of water. Reports of white bass being caught up river. Report by Captain Aaron Dick, One Up Fishing Guide Service.
GOOD. Water normal stain; 62 degrees; 16.78 feet above pool. Cooler weather and passing fronts have brought north winds and occasional light rain to Lake Cisco, making conditions a bit tougher but still producing fish. Catfish remain the most consistent bite, with anglers catching good numbers on cut shad and punch bait around creek channels. Crappie action is slowly improving on brush and timber in 12-20 feet using minnows. Bass reports are light, but a few are moving shallow on warmer afternoons and hitting spinnerbaits and squarebills around rocks. Wind can make the lake choppy, so use caution.
SLOW. Water stained; 52 degrees; 3.52 feet below pool. Target bass on the points with red crankbait or lipless crankbaits.
GOOD. Water stained; 55 degrees; 5.67 feet below pool. Hybrids are great trolling with jigs in 25-35 feet of water. Crappie are good on deep structure with minnows and jigs. Catfish are good for anglers drifting or anchored up in the shallows. Crappie should spawn by the end of March, if the weather stays warm. Report by Big Country Guide Service. Reports of a 14 pound bass. Target bass on the points with red crankbait or lipless crankbaits.
GOOD. Water stained; 60 degrees; 1.04 feet below pool. Bass are in a mix of late pre-spawn and early spawning phases, though reduced water clarity has made sight-fishing more challenging. Crankbaits, finesse jigs, umbrella rigs, Neko-rigged finesse worms, and compact soft plastic stick baits will all produce catches. Fishing docks and rocky structure has been the most consistent pattern, with some fish still relating to remaining submerged vegetation. Most bites are coming from less than 15 feet of water as bass continue transitioning shallow. Report by Ander Meine, Bassquatch Fishing. Bass are good in 8-15 feet of water with deep diving jerkbaits around submerged trees or rockpiles was very productive. The white, hybrid, and striped bass are also very active around the river channel edge on the main lake. Report by Tyler Torwick, Torwick’s Guiding Service.
FAIR. Water stained; 60 degrees; 0.24 feet below pool. Crappie are good in 15 feet of water on brush with jigs. Male crappie are on spawning nests. Channel and blue catfish are fair in 20 feet of water on cut shad. Report by Jess Rotherham, Texas Crappie Fishing Service. Bass are in all stages of the spawns. Spawning bass can be caught with weightless plastics up shallow. Prespawn and post spawn can be caught over shallow rock piles and rocky banks with Texas rig. Report by Evan Coleman, Big Bassin Fishing Tours.
FAIR. Water slightly stained; 61 degrees; 0.97 feet below pool. Bass are fair flipping soft plastics around reed bases and laydowns in 1-3 feet of water. The key is to cover water until you find a good stretch that holds multiple bass. Bass are transitioning into spawning areas. Docks leading into spawning pockets are going to be key for staging females. You should also focus your efforts around flat, shallow, protected bedding areas for early spawners. Crappie are fair around main lake boat docks on chartreuse jigs. Catfish were fair on cut bait and stink bait around river channel bends. Report by the Angelo State Fishing Team.
SLOW. Water stained; 55 degrees; 32.24 feet below pool. Few reports and anglers fishing due to low lake levels.
FAIR. Water stained; 56 degrees; 19.94 feet below pool. Largemouth bass are good for catches up to 6 pounds, a few up to 9 pounds, and one over 13 pounds. There are a lot of fish moving shallow in 3-6feet of water biting swim jigs, weightless flukes, and bladed jigs. Deeper fish are still being caught on umbrella rigs with small swimming minnows and larger swimbaits scoping a little deeper 15- 25 feet. Crappie fishing is starting to improve in 20-30 feet of water with fish suspended 10 feet into the treetops. Minnows working best. White bass are good with a few reports of them moving up rivers. Rattletraps are working best suspended in the river channels or in the mouth of small creeks. Catfish are slow. Report by Wendell Ramsey, Ramsey Fishing.
SLOW. Water lightly stained; 55 degrees; 23.09 feet below pool. Crappie are on brush and roaming open water with jigs or minnows. Bass are slow with soft plastics in deeper water.
GOOD. Water stained; 57 degrees; 2.78 feet below pool. Stripers are fair in 30-40 feet of water. Live bait is out performing artificials by a long shot, but some catches are being made, deadsticking red head jigs with a lime green fluke tail. Sand bass are fair to good in 30-40 feet of water in the main river channel. Live bait has been out performing artificials. As the temperatures rise the deadstick bite is tapering off. A red head with a green or pink split tail fluke seems to be the best colors for deadsticking. Catfish are still fair to good with cut or live shad in 2-5 feet of water, or in 30-40 feet fished on or near the bottom. Bass have started to move up shallow in 10 feet or less water using crankbaits and swimbaits. Water clarity is 8-12 feet of visibility and steady. Rainbow trout can be caught below Possum Kingdom Lake Dam at the Hwy 16 Bridge. This is a light tackle fishery so bring your extra light tackle or flies for best results. Use baits like Powerbait in orange or chartreuse colors or whole kernel corn hooked on a very small hook with a light pinch weight 12-18 inches above the bait. They will also sometimes hit small jerky baits but Powerbait seem to be the best bet. Cast them out and let them sit for best results. Powerbait and corn is a more productive method. Report by TJ Ranft, Ranft Guide Service.
FAIR. Water stained; 59 degrees; 51.94 feet below pool. Channel and blue catfish are fair on cut bait and punch bait on shallow water flats. Catfish are being caught with eggs inside so the spawn is soon. No signs or reports of crappie. Report by Captain Michael Peterson, 4 Reel Fun Guide Service.
FAIR. Water normal stain; 54 degrees; 1.73 feet above pool. High winds in the forecast will create tough conditions. The bite is sensitive to the changing weather patterns, but improves as conditions stabilize. Crappie and bass are in a prespawn and the spawn should fire up any day. Crappie are good at the crappie house and concrete structures with jigs and minnows. Catfish are fair. Bass are fair with red crankbaits or lipless crankbaits in 5-8 feet of water on points, or on steep rocky banks.
FAIR. Water stained; 60 degrees; 35.83 feet below pool. Channel and blue catfish are fair on cut bait and punch bait on shallow water flats. Catfish are being caught with eggs inside so the spawn is soon. Crappie are in the creeks and rivers gearing up for the spawn. Report by Captain Michael Peterson, 4 Reel Fun Guide Service.
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