Late Summer Lure Up on Lake Fork - Topwaters, Soft Plastics, and Crankbaits Crushing the Bite

August 27, 2025, Lake Fork waking up at 6:47 a.m. under a muggy sky, with the sun set to tuck away at 8:04 p.m. This morning’s low rolled in around 78°F, and we’ll ramp up to a sweat-soaked high near 99°F later by afternoon—classic Northeast Texas late summer, heavy air, and glassy water unless a pop-up thunderstorm crops up after lunch. No tidal swings to watch here, but steady southern breezes are expected to keep the surface ruffled just enough for topwater play according to local weather forecasts.

Fish activity’s high at dawn and dusk, with those big Lake Fork bass moving shallow early then slipping offshore by midday. If you can handle the heat, stick it out past sunset—night fishing’s been producing quality bites lately. Reports from the past couple days say the bite slowed midday, but ramped up again as evening cooled things off.

Recent catches include a strong parade of largemouth bass, with several 5-to-8 pounders landed near the dam and midlake points. The Toyota ShareLunker crowd’s still chasing double digits, but most action sits between 2 and 6 pounds. Word is, white bass and crappie are showing up in numbers too—especially around brush piles in Little Caney and Mustang. Flyfishingwithdanny mentioned big longnose gar, drum, white bass, crappie, and a few slab bluegill, with gar chasing shallow bait in coves late in the day.

Best lures this week:

- **Soft plastic shad-shaped swimbaits**: That 3.5" Magic Shad V-tail Watermelon Red Pearl from Lake Fork Lure Co. is cash—rig it weightless over grass or throw it Texas-rigged in deeper timber, as Jeff Sprague’s IG demo shows.
- **Flatsided crankbaits**: Strike King Hardliner is tricking bites off rocky points and stumps; run it parallel to drop-offs for reaction hits.
- **Big handmade topwaters**: Banderoula Designs’ local bait is putting up big bass in the calm water before sunrise.
- **White or chartreuse jigs**: For crappie and drum around submerged brush, downsize and watch for thumps.
- **Live shad or bluegill**: The old school way is still hot if you want leg-thumping gar or larger cats.

Hot spots to hit:

- **Mustang Creek**: Active bass in weed beds early; white bass and crappie tight to brush midmorning.
- **Little Caney**: Dusk brings in slab crappie and bluegill around boat docks; big bass tracked deep by timber and points.
- **Dam area**: Consistent for heavy largemouth—work ledges with soft plastics or deep-diving crankbaits.
- **Glory Hole**: Early bites from bass and drum off the timber; this spot’s been a local’s secret for decades.

Grass is thick along the edges, so braid’s your friend. The zebra mussels haven’t hit Fork like some other lakes, but keep up the Clean, Drain, Dry routine for conservation. Water’s about 85°F, stained green, and holding steady.

If you’re chasing numbers, aim for evenings—the big girls always seem to chew best after the heat breaks. For your next trip, stock up at Lake Fork Lure Co. or BandE Bait for local magic. And remember: catch, photo, release those giants so future generations get their shot.

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