Rayburn Fishing Report: Bass Hug the Bottom, Catfish Biting Well, and Panfish Showing Up in Structure

Morning folks, Artificial Lure here with your up-to-the-minute Lake Sam Rayburn fishing report for August 8, 2025. Get your coffee ready and let’s dive in.

The sun rose today just before 6:40 a.m., painting a warm start to another classic East Texas morning. Daytime highs are sliding into the 90s, with humidity hanging on thick—so keep that sunscreen handy. Winds are calm, and there’s a touch of haze, but it’s mostly clear skies as the sun climbs. Sunset will come around 8:10 p.m. For you tidal watchers, Rayburn doesn’t have true tides, but with all this rain upstream and heavy water releases from the dam, you’ll notice the lake’s a solid 6 feet below pool, with fluctuating conditions and lots of exposed stumps and brush showing up all around the banks. That’s changing everyone’s game right now, and the fish have noticed.

Fishing’s been a mixed bag this week. According to local guides, largemouth bass are sticking to deeper structure—think deep points, humps, and those offshore brush piles. Heavy water releases have got those bass on the move, and the bite’s been tougher than usual, but a few teams in the recent Toyota tournament weighed in over 36 pounds, including a monster 10.6-pounder to anchor the bag. That’s proof there are giants, if you work for 'em.

Early in the morning, you’ll catch a flicker of topwater action in the shallows, especially around grass lines and creek mouths—but once that sun gets up, it’s a deep-water show. Carolina rigs with big worms and creature baits have been the ticket, and folks are getting bites dragging those baits slow over humps and channel swings. Don’t overlook a big deep-diving crankbait or a flutter spoon around the main-lake timber and brush piles—sometimes those big suspending bass want something ripped past their noses, even in August. Reports suggest the mid-lake area has a few schools up early, chasing shad to the surface—keep a small chrome spoon or topwater handy just in case.

Bluegill are plentiful around brush and docks, hitting nightcrawlers or small jigs. If you’ve got kids or want some quick action, this is your bet. Crappie are fair, concentrated over deeper brush piles, and best on white and chartreuse jigs. Catfish are good, especially in creek channels or on points—cut shad and live shiners are drawing the most bites.

As far as hot spots go, you can’t go wrong working Buck Bay and the Five Fingers area—both have deep water, good structure, and plenty of bait holding nearby. Need a bank option? The public fishing pier near Twin Dikes Marina is putting out a mess of bluegill and the occasional slab crappie. Just mind the shifting water levels around the shoreline—it’s a little treacherous this week.

Best lure choices today:
- Carolina rigs with 9-12 inch ribbon tail worms in plum or watermelon red
- Big crankbaits in shad or citrus colors for deep water
- Topwater poppers and walkers at first light
- Nickel or chartreuse flutter spoons for schooling fish

Live bait is always a winner for cats and panfish, but artificial has been key for bass. Don’t be afraid to fish slow and dig deep—those big Rayburn bass are hugging the bottom during midday heat.

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