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East Texas Fishing Report — August 13, 2026

Go Deep or Go Early

August has settled into East Texas, and the summer fishing pattern is in full swing.

This week, anglers should keep one simple idea in mind: go deep or go early.

The first few hours of daylight continue to provide an opportunity to find fish feeding around shallower cover, vegetation, docks and points. As the East Texas sun gets higher and water temperatures climb, many of those fish aren't necessarily quitting—they're simply repositioning toward deeper water.

Points, creek-channel edges, submerged timber, brush piles, deeper vegetation and offshore structure should all be part of the game plan.

We're also expanding the Sandy Creek Outdoors fishing report this week. After receiving requests from local anglers, Lake Striker and Lake Jacksonville have officially been added to our weekly coverage.

Here's what anglers should be watching around East Texas this week.

Lake Fork

Water temperatures are running in the low-to-mid 90s, and the deeper summer pattern is firmly established.

Bass are being found in approximately 15 to 26 feet of water around long points, humps and bridge structure. Carolina rigs, Texas rigs and drop shots are all producing.

There can still be opportunities to catch bass shallower during the early-morning feeding window. Once that bite slows, start backing away from the bank and following the structure toward deeper water.

Crappie are holding around deeper brush in approximately 20 to 25 feet, with minnows and jigs remaining good options.

Best bet: Take advantage of the early bass bite before moving toward deeper points, humps and bridge structure.

Lake O' the Pines

Water temperatures are running in the mid-to-upper 80s.

Crappie continue to be one of the better opportunities, with fish relating to brush and structure in approximately 18 to 20 feet of water. Minnows and small jigs worked vertically around productive cover are good choices.

Bass anglers should concentrate on main-lake points and creek-channel edges, especially after the morning bite begins to slow.

Best bet: Locate brush or submerged structure in the 18-to-20-foot range and spend some time determining whether fish are holding on it before moving.

Lake Hawkins

The August heat has Lake Hawkins firmly in its summer pattern.

Bass anglers should start around vegetation and shoreline cover during the early-morning hours. As the sun gets higher, work toward the outside edges of vegetation and nearby deeper structure.

Bluegill are an important part of the forage base in Lake Hawkins, making green pumpkin, bluegill and other natural-colored presentations worth throwing.

Crappie anglers should concentrate on deeper brush and submerged structure.

Best bet: Start around vegetation early and follow its outside edge toward deeper water as the morning progresses.

Lake Gilmer

Bass should be relating to timber, vegetation and shallow cover during the early-morning feeding period.

As the day warms, move toward deeper structure and the outside edges of cover.

Lake Gilmer has plenty of bluegill, redear sunfish and threadfin shad available as forage, making natural baitfish and green-pumpkin presentations good choices.

Crappie anglers should concentrate on submerged timber and brush, particularly where cover sits close to deeper water.

Best bet: Look for the deeper edge of cover rather than abandoning an area when the shallow bite slows.

Gladewater City Lake

Start around shoreline cover and isolated vegetation during the first part of the morning.

Once the sun gets overhead, begin working toward deeper structure.

Crappie should be relating to deeper brush and submerged cover, while catfish remain an option around deeper flats and creek channels.

Best bet: Pay particular attention to isolated cover. A single piece of brush or vegetation separated from everything around it can concentrate fish.

Lake Winnsboro

Bass anglers should start around points and shallow structure during the early-morning hours before following those same points toward deeper water.

As the day progresses, concentrate on the deeper ends of points and nearby creek-channel structure.

Crappie anglers should search deeper timber and brush with minnows or small jigs.

Catfish anglers can concentrate on deeper flats and channel edges.

Best bet: Follow productive points toward the first significant depth change.

Lake Holbrook

Surface temperatures have recently been running in the low-to-mid 80s.

Fish shoreline cover early before transitioning toward deeper water as the morning progresses.

Crappie should be relating to deeper brush and timber.

Bass anglers should slow down around deeper structure, and Lake Holbrook is one place where this week's Bait of the Week deserves some time.

Best bet: Work deeper structure slowly once the early shallow bite begins to fade.

Bob Sandlin

Bass are relating to deeper points, humps, bridge structure and areas providing quick access to deeper water.

Texas rigs, Carolina rigs, drop shots and jigs are all worth throwing.

We're also continuing to include firsthand information shared with Sandy Creek Outdoors by local guide Ronny Moss. Don't overlook the bridge, and for crappie, brush piles worked with a jig tipped with a minnow can be productive.

We appreciate Ronny sharing some local knowledge with fellow East Texas anglers.

Best bet: Work bridge structure and brush piles for crappie while concentrating bass efforts around deeper points and humps.

Lake Cypress Springs

The crappie bite has been one of the more encouraging stories around Cypress Springs.

Fish have recently been reported around 19 feet of water, with minnows and small jigs around brush and submerged structure being good options.

Bass anglers should start around shoreline cover during the early-morning feeding window before moving toward deeper points and structure.

Best bet: Crappie anglers should begin around the 19-foot range and adjust shallower or deeper depending on where fish are showing up.

Lake Tyler

Start around docks, shoreline cover and points during the early-morning hours.

As the sun gets higher, move toward deeper points, creek-channel edges and submerged structure.

Crappie anglers should search deeper brush and timber with minnows or small jigs.

Catfish remain an option along deeper flats and creek-channel areas.

Best bet: Fish docks and shallow cover early before following nearby structure toward deeper water.

Wright Patman Lake

Wright Patman's abundance of submerged timber gives anglers plenty of places to search during the summer.

Crappie anglers should concentrate on timber and brush with minnows or small jigs.

Bass anglers should work creek-channel edges, points and offshore structure, paying particular attention to areas where submerged timber intersects with a significant depth change.

Best bet: Look for timber positioned close to a creek channel, drop or other change in depth.

Lake Striker

Lake Striker joins the Sandy Creek Outdoors weekly report this week after being specifically requested by a local angler.

With August heat dominating the pattern, bass anglers should start early around points, timber and shallow cover.

As the sun gets higher, move toward deeper points, creek channels and submerged structure.

Texas rigs, Carolina rigs and football jigs are all good options for working those deeper areas.

Crappie anglers should search timber and brush with minnows or small jigs.

Best bet: Get on the water early and follow productive structure toward deeper water as the morning progresses.

And if you're regularly fishing Striker, we'd love to hear what you're seeing.

Lake Jacksonville

Our second reader-requested addition this week is Lake Jacksonville.

Bass anglers should start around docks, shoreline cover and points during the early feeding window before following those areas toward deeper structure as the sun rises.

Texas rigs, Carolina rigs, shaky heads and football jigs are all worth trying.

Crappie anglers should concentrate on deeper brush and submerged structure.

Best bet: Look for docks and points providing immediate access to deeper water.

If you're fishing Jacksonville regularly, send Sandy Creek Outdoors a report and help us continue improving our coverage of the lake.

Lake Athens

Bass anglers should concentrate on vegetation, shoreline cover and points during the first few hours of daylight.

Later in the morning, move toward outside grass edges, deeper points and offshore structure.

Slower presentations become increasingly important as the day progresses.

Crappie anglers should concentrate on brush and submerged structure in deeper water.

Best bet: Look for outside vegetation edges positioned close to deeper water.

Lake Nacogdoches

Vegetation remains an important part of the Lake Nacogdoches bass pattern.

Start around shallow vegetation and cover during low-light periods before moving toward outside grass edges, deeper timber and creek-channel structure.

Texas rigs and jigs are both good choices once fish move deeper.

Anglers should remember to check the current special bass regulations for Lake Nacogdoches before keeping fish.

Best bet: Find an outside grass edge with immediate access to deeper water.

Toledo Bend

The summer pattern continues on Toledo Bend.

Bass anglers should concentrate on points, ledges, creek channels and deeper timber after the morning feeding period begins to slow.

Deep-diving crankbaits, Carolina rigs, Texas rigs and jigs can all produce around offshore structure.

Crappie should be relating to deeper timber and brush, while catfish can be targeted along creek channels and deeper flats.

Best bet: Find baitfish around deeper structure before spending too much time fishing an area.

Tip of the Week: Follow the Fish Deeper

Here's a situation almost every bass fisherman has experienced.

You pull onto a point at daylight and catch two or three fish.

Then 8:30 rolls around and suddenly you can't buy a bite.

Before firing up the outboard and running across the lake, back the boat off.

Those fish may not have stopped feeding. They may have simply moved.

Follow the point toward deeper water and look for the first significant drop, creek-channel edge, brush pile, timber line or change in bottom composition.

Pay attention to what your electronics are showing you.

The fish you caught shallow at daylight may only be a short distance away.

August fishing isn't always about finding an entirely different group of fish.

Sometimes it's about following the fish you already found.

Go deep or go early.

Bait of the Week: Football Jig + Craw Trailer

This week's Bait of the Week fits perfectly with the deeper summer pattern we're seeing across East Texas.

We're going with a 3/4-ounce football jig paired with a craw-style soft-plastic trailer.

Green pumpkin, PB&J and natural craw patterns are all good color choices.

For the setup, try approximately 15-to-17-pound fluorocarbon on a 7'2" to 7'6" medium-heavy or heavy casting rod.

The football jig isn't something you need to rush.

Cast beyond your target and allow the jig to reach bottom.

Then drag it slowly.

Pay attention to everything the jig tells you through the rod.

Rock.

Shell.

Timber.

A ledge.

A drop.

A change from soft bottom to hard bottom.

Those little differences can be exactly where bass are positioned.

If simply dragging the jig isn't producing, give it a couple of sharp hops and allow it to fall back to the bottom. That sudden fall can trigger a reaction bite from a fish that wouldn't commit to the slower presentation.

Find the depth. Feel the bottom. Catch more fish.

Help Us Build Next Week's Report

Something we're excited to see happening is more East Texas anglers getting involved with these reports.

Lake Striker and Lake Jacksonville were added this week because readers asked us to cover them.

That's exactly how we want Sandy Creek Outdoors to grow.

If you've been fishing one of the lakes we cover, send us what you're seeing. You don't have to give away your honey hole or GPS coordinates.

Just send us:

Lake • Approximate Depth • Species • Bait • General Pattern

Guide reports and firsthand information from local anglers can help us make each Thursday's report more useful for everybody fishing East Texas.

Be careful with the August heat, take plenty of water and get on the lake early when you can.

And remember this week's theme:

GO DEEP OR GO EARLY.

Until next Thursday, tight lines from Sandy Creek Outdoors.

SandyCreekOutdoors.com