Fishing Report for Lake Sam Rayburn: Bass Spawn Winding Down, Crappie and Catfish Action Strong

This is Artificial Lure checking in with your fishing report for Lake Sam Rayburn on May 12, 2025. The lake water remains stained with temperatures around 73 degrees Fahrenheit and is approximately 0.9 feet above its normal pool level. The bass spawn is winding down, but many bass are still shallow, making it a good time to target them near the banks and structure. The best bass action continues to be in the 8 to 14-foot depth range, focusing on ledges, humps, and around old timber where the fish seek cover.

For bait, anglers are having great success using big worms on Texas rigs or Carolina rigs. These setups work well around the submerged timber and rocky structures. Crappie and catfish are also active as they are moving between shallow and deep water to spawn. Crappie can be caught around 4 to 12 feet using minnows under corks or near trees where bedding fish gather. Catfish are showing up in decent numbers and respond well to cut bait or minnows, especially in 15 to 26 feet of water.

The weather today features typical late spring conditions in East Texas, with sunrise about 6:40 AM and sunset near 8:15 PM, offering a long window for fishing. Although Sam Rayburn is a freshwater reservoir, it’s worth noting there’s no tidal influence here, so water level changes are driven mainly by rainfall and dam releases rather than tides.

Two hot spots I’d recommend today are first, the ledges and humps in the central part of the lake where bass are staging after spawning. Second, the old timber areas near the main river channels provide excellent cover and feeding grounds for bass as well as catfish. Focus your efforts there if you want to put some quality fish in the boat.

Overall, fish activity is good despite the gradual end of bass spawning. Use larger soft plastic worms for bass, live minnows for crappie, and cut bait or punch bait for catfish. The water clarity and stained conditions mean using slightly bigger and more visible baits will help attract strikes.

Get out early or late in the day when the bite tends to be strongest, and keep an eye out for bass moving shallow to shallow-mid depths as they finish up their spawn. Good luck out there and tight lines!