Fishing on Lake Conroe is fair to good. The water temperature at the dam early in the morning has been running about 90.4 degrees and will warm up a little when the sun comes up. The level is 200.12 feet. The City of Houston Diversion (COH) is 0 CFS, the Ground Reduction Plan (GRP) is 38.42 CFS and the Lake release is 0 CFS according to the San Jacinto River Authority.
According to fishing guide Captain Bryan Brawner, the water in the lake is clear but there is still some trash occasionally seen floating such as tree limbs. He also has reported a few 2 by 6 and 2 by 8 timbers floating, so watch your speed.
Black bass fishing is slow according to Brawner. He pointed out that he has had some luck on brush piles in 19 to 23 feet of water. Carolina rigged soft plastics and drop shots are producing some action on main lake humps and around docks and bulkheads close to deep water. Darker color soft Plastics such as June Bug and Black/Blue or most any dark color with a flake in it seems to be working well as is vertical jigging.
Crappie are slow and scattered according to Brawner. Some can be found fishing down in the brush tops and other structure or crappie houses in water 10 to 20 feet deep. You may catch 1 or 2 in one spot and then have to move to the next spot. Some may be found in boat houses where the water is around 12 feet deep. He added that small, hair jigs are working well right now.
Hybrids Striped bass are scattered. Brawner said he has found hybrids in the Thermocline around 20-25 feet deep near main lake channels after shad, but they are slow to bite. He said he has been using MT Pockets Tackle, Slab Spoons, worked slowly. Some are being caught with chicken liver with the catfish. He also pointed out that the ratio between keeper to juvenile hybrids being caught right now is running about half and half.
White bass may be randomly mixed with the hybrids. It is important that juvenile hybrids not be mistaken for white bass, so if you catch one under 18 inches and aren’t sure which it is, throw it back.
Catfish are good on baited areas and structure near drop offs in water 12 to 25 feet deep. Brawner also said there are a lot of blues on deep flats in 18 to 22 feet. He said he has had good catches in the 3 to 4 pound range and some up to 5 pounds.  Brawner said they are being caught on minnows, chicken liver and Catfish Bubblegum.
Bream are good. Large bream are on brush in 12 to 20 feet of water. Some bream can still be found spawning in 6-8 feet and be caught under corks. They can be caught using minnows, meal worms, night crawlers, or small crappie jigs like Bass Assassins tiny shad. Â
Captain Bryan Brawner has been a full time fishing guide for over 25 years and owns Lake Conroe Charters. He can be reached at www.lakeconroecharters.com or phone (409) 256-1265.
