Fishing on Lake Conroe is fair to good. The water temperature at the dam early in the morning has been running about 86 degrees and will warm up a little when the sun comes up. The level is 200.78 feet. The City of Houston Diversion (COH) is 0 CFS, the Ground Reduction Plan (GRP) is 31.87 CFS and the Lake release is 0 CFS according to the San Jacinto River Authority.
According to fishing guide Captain Bryan Brawner the lake is clear but there is still some trash floating in the lake such as tree limbs. He also saw a number of 2 by 6 and 2 by 8 timber floating, so watch your speed.
Black bass fishing is fair to good according to Brawner. He pointed out that he has had good luck on flats around small brush piles in 12 to 20 feet of water. Carolina rigged soft plastics and drop shots are producing some good action early 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 still scattered according to Brawner. Some can be found fishing down in the brush tops and other structure or crappie houses in water 12 to 20 feet deep. You may catch 1 or 2 in one spot and then have to move to the next spot. Some can be found in boat houses where the water is around 12 feet deep. He added that small, hair jigs are working well right now.
Hybrid Striped bass are good. Brawner said he has found hybrids in the Thermocline around 20-24 feet deep near the bottom after shad, around main lake flats near points. He said he has been using MT Pockets Tackle, Slab Spoons, worked slowly. 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 22 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 he has been catching them on minnows, chicken liver and Catfish Bubblegum.
Bream are good. Large bream are on brush with the crappie in 12 to 20 feet of water. 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.
