Artificial Lure here with your Lake Sam Rayburn fishing report.

Rayburn’s settled into that early winter groove. According to the National Weather Service out of Shreveport, mornings are starting off cool in the upper 40s to low 50s, warming into the low to mid‑60s by afternoon with a light north to northeast breeze and mostly cloudy skies. That cloud cover’s been holding all week and it’s keeping the bite steady instead of boom‑or‑bust. Sunrise is right around 7 a.m. with sunset about 5:15 p.m., so you’ve got a tight feeding window early and late.

This is a reservoir, so no tide to worry about, but the solunar tables from SolunarForecast show the stronger activity from late morning into early afternoon, with a minor bump again right before dark. That lines up with what local guides have been seeing the last few days.

Texas Parks and Wildlife’s region reports and the Beaumont Enterprise’s East Texas roundup both note Rayburn still several feet low, roughly in that eight‑ to nine‑feet‑down range, with coves running stained to flat‑out dirty. Water temps are hanging in the low to mid‑60s. Bass have slid off the real skinny stuff and are camping on the first break: stumps, old drains, and brush just outside those dead grass lines.

Largemouth numbers have been solid. Local guides are boating good counts of 2‑ to 4‑pound fish, with a few in that 6‑plus range when the wind pushes shad into the pockets, according to recent East Texas guide reports. Best pattern has been main‑lake points and creek mouths in 8–18 feet, and brush piles or timber edges in 15–25.

On the moving‑bait side, it’s hard to beat a 1/2‑ounce chrome or shad‑pattern lipless crankbait ticked over those drains, or a white/chartreuse spinnerbait slow‑rolled through the scattered timber. When they quit chasing, folks are cleaning up with green pumpkin or watermelon‑red finesse worms on a Carolina rig, and black/blue or green pumpkin jigs with a craw trailer. Drag ’em slow, feel every stump, and let it soak on the hard spots.

Crappie have been decent on brush in 18–25 feet near the river channel and bigger creek bends; minnows and small shad‑ or chartreuse‑colored tubes are getting it done, based on reports from local crappie guides. Catfish anglers working the river ledges with cut shad and punch bait are bringing in good eaters and an occasional blue into the teens.

Live‑bait folks, a lively shiner on a split‑shot rig around those same drains and points is still putting fish in the boat, but with the stained water and low light, artificials are really shining right now.

Couple of hot spots to key on if you’re heading out:

Veach Basin – Shad have been stacking up on those old ditches and drains on overcast days. Work Carolina‑rigged worms and lipless cranks along the ditches and out across the flat.

Five Fingers and Harvey Creek – With the lake low, bass are pulled out to the outside timber lines and channel swings. A big worm or a jig pitched around that heavier wood is your best shot at a kicker bite.

That’s the rundown from Sam Rayburn. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report.

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