Fishing on Lake Conroe - Guides and Bass

Darrell Taylor's Fishin' Report - This report is updated during the summer when conditions change. If the report is a week or more old then conditions and patterns are the same.

The water temperature is running 83 degrees and the water is clear. Water level is a little below pool at 200.83 feet.

Black bass fishing has been good and they can be found in shallow water early and late using small trick worms or Brush Hogs in watermelon or plum. Later in the day they move to deeper water on brush from 10 to 16 feet deep. Carolina rigged soft plastics and deep running crank baits are all working well.

Crappie fishing is fair to good right now. They are back on brush at different depths and you have to look for them. Minnows seem to be working best.

Catfishing is good right now. They can be caught in 18 feet to 25 feet of water on the edge of the river channels and on the creek edges, outer edge of submerged pond dams, brush and baited holes. Also the rocks along the dam and the 1097 bridge are producing well. Catfish Killer Cheese Dip Bait on a #8 treble hook with sponge fished 2 to 3 inches off the bottom is working well. Also, little pieces of peeled shrimp, beef heart or shad on a regular catfish hook dipped in Catfish Killer Cheese Baits in the Original, Blood or Shad Scent are working best for catfish from 1 1/2 to around 5 lbs. Chicken livers are also catching some catfish.

Bream are down deep with the catfish. The best baits are Nightcrawlers, Glow Worms or Mighty Mealy worms on a very small hook.

For information on planning a rod and reel catfishing trip or a Catfish Killer Jug catfishing trip or for Information, Accommodations and Services on Lake Conroe go to www.lakeconroefishing.com or www.catfishkiller.com or call me at 936-788-4413.

The more abundant channel catfish and bluegill are also highly sought after by anglers. Channel catfish are by far the most abundant sportfish in the lake, offering most any angler a good opportunity for good catches. Bluegill on Lake Conroe grow to enormous sizes. We have interviewed anglers with 12-inch bluegills in their creels. and black crappie are also very popular and offer good opportunity for anglers seeking table fare. White crappie have made a comeback in the lake with the efforts of the Lake Conroe Restocking Association's spring stockings of advance juvenile crappie. Crappie over two pounds are fairly common occurrences now. The introduction of hybrid striped bass in 1995 has added another dimension to the sport fishery at Lake Conroe, offering open-water opportunities for anglers who enjoy trolling or vertical jigging spoons for these hefty fighters.

FISHING COVER/STRUCTURE
Lake Conroe is dominated by open water in the lower two-thirds of the reservoir, with some standing timber still present along the river channel in the upper reaches. Most of the standing timber is slightly submerged when the lake is at conservation pool, making navigation hazardous in these areas. The shoreline is predominantly composed of bulkheads with boat docks in the lower reservoir; the upper reservoir (the portion lying within the Sam Houston National Forest) is primarily featureless shoreline. Substrates range from sandy to silty. A few aquatic plants dot shoreline areas, primarily in areas being planted with native aquatic plants by TPWD and the US Army Corps of Engineers as part of an ongoing Aquatic Habitat Enhancement Initiative. The lake has had past heavy infestations of hydrilla, but no vegetation is currently present in quantities that would be considered a nuisance. The only fish-attracting structures in the reservoir are rip rap along bridge approaches and the dam, as well as submersed Christmas tree reefs.

FISHING TIPS AND TACTICS
Largemouth bass anglers can expect to take bass in shallow water, particularly around marinas and boat docks, during the early spring and mid-to-late fall. During most of the remaining seasons, bass are taken around deeper cover. Anglers are most successful with a variety of shad imitation lures as well as soft plastic baits. Hybrid striped bass are growing in popularity among Lake Conroe bass fishing anglers and can be taken most any time of year. Most fish are taken by anglers trolling in open water areas or vertically jigging spoons or live shad. They can occasionally be found running up the river channel during the early spring spawning run or foraging beneath schools of white bass in summer.

Channel catfish are caught year-round in good numbers on Lake Conroe. Most successful anglers use smelly baits or cut shad. Rod-and-reel anglers do just about as well as trotline anglers on the reservoir. Bluegills of gigantic proportions can be had by the angler who wants to be patient and target them. They can be caught along rip rap fishing deep near the toe of the slope (sometimes 8 feet or more). Baits must be gotten near the bottom quickly to avoid the small bait-stealers that inhabit the shallower water. Live worms or crickets are the best producers. Some good fly rod action can also be had using sinking, insect imitation flies and sinking fly line.