Fishing on Lake Conroe has been pretty good for the past week. Main lake water is clear but muddy in creeks and areas of runoff from recent rains. The level is 200.74 feet above mean sea level. The water temperature in the dam is about 57 degrees during daylight hours. Lake release is 0 CFS, City of Houston Diversion (COH) is 0 CFS, and Ground Reduction Plan (GRP) is 0 CFS according to the San Jacinto River Authority.
Black bass fishing is good. Many of them are back in spots near drop-offs and brush, docks and other structure at various depths around the lake. Carolina rigged soft plastics in pumpkin seed and motor oil color are good starters. At first some can be found in the shallows. Crankbaits are also a good starting bait, but your choice of bait will depend on how deep you are fishing.
Crappies remain fair according to the Carl Bostic Fishing Guide. He said he’s caught a few in submerged treetops, but just one here and there. Some can be found in the brush in 10 to 30 feet of water and other structure like the pylons on the FM 1097 bridge. Bostic told me we don’t have the numbers for good catches yet.
Catfish are good, and Bostic said he has had good results fishing for boxfish in baited holes in the main lake 10 to 30 feet deep. He said if you hook an area on the main lake points and ridges, you’ll catch keepers between 1 and 3 pounds. Blue cats can be found on flats or drift cut baits in tributaries.
Hybrids are being caught while people fish catfish with chicken liver. If you see some schooling, it’s time to drop a spoon or Rat-L-Trap in the middle. Trolling pet spoons behind deep baits along humps and ridges can produce some action. It’s important not to confuse juvenile-sized hybrids with white bass, so if you catch one under 18 inches and aren’t sure, throw it away.
The bream is on deep brush. Big size bream are being caught in 10-20 feet on any brush piles as well as on rocks.
The information in this fishing report has been made available by fishing guide Carl Bostic, who works at Seven Coves. For information about their services, visit their website at www.wethook.com