LAKE FORK FISHING GUIDE
GARY JOHNSON
Lake Fork Fishing Report - 02/19/2022
Lake Fork is about 6 1/2 feet low with water temperatures ranging from the low 50’s to mid 50’s on sunny afternoons. The main structure on Fork right now is timber and this is where many of the fish are beginning to stage for the spawn. Best targets are the stumps in two to ten feet of water. The bigger stumps with limbs seem to be the best. The best baits seem to be jigs or Texas rigged creature baits fished as close as possible to the stumps. As the day progresses and the water warms up, shallow running crank baits like a 1.5 and suspending jerk baits begin to come into play. For those who are good with forward facing technology, the suspending jerk bait works great. There’s not a lot of bites out there, but most of the bites are pretty good fish so capitalizing on every bite is important. We are expecting a couple of warm days this week followed by a major cold front at the end of the week. I’m hoping that the fish that begin coming up in the next couple of days will stay in the area and stay committed after the front and these patterns hold up.
Lake Fork Fishing Report - 03/01/2021
The water temperature is 47-51 degrees on Lake Fork. The north end of the lake is stained and the south end is less stained. Fishing has been slow since the big cold front has passed through. However, with warmer weather on the way and spring almost here, Lake Fork is about to turn on. With the big females coming shallow, the next two months is the opportunity to catch the fish of a lifetime. As far as lures we are using baby brush hogs on Carolina Rigs fished on road beds and extended points in 6-12 feet of water. Another pattern we will be using in the next few weeks is a chatter bait or spinner bait fished in very shallow water from the mouths of the creeks to about half way back and concentrating on any secondary points which may be staging areas for the spawn. When the spawn begins and fish get on the beds we will begin throwing flukes and weightless soft plastics in the very back of the creeks around any vegetation or timber in the area searching for those big females.
Lake Fork Fishing Report - 06/01/2020
The water temperature on Lake Fork is in the low 80’s and the lake is full. There is a good morning bite on topwaters such as a yellow magic or Zara spook. There continues to be a good frog bite early also. There are a lot of blow ups on the frog but we are hooking up only about half the time. As the day progresses we are fishing with a Carolina Rig and a drop shot. On the Carolina Rig we are using a 5 foot leader and using a baby brush hog. On the drop shot we are using about a one foot leader and using Zoom finesse worms. We are catching pretty good numbers however no real big fish lately.
Lake Fork Fishing Report - 05/12/2020
The water temperature on Lake Fork is in the high 70’s and the lake is full. We are catching our fish on several different patterns. We are throwing a split shot rig in shallow water with a watermelon Senko or V &M chopstick on the outside edges of flooded grass lines. We have been using this technique off and on all day long. Another pattern we are fishing is the frog fished over all kinds of grass. We are using the Stanley hollow belly frog along with a Spro frog. Once again we are fishing this from time to time all day long. Some of our blow ups are in less than a foot of water so throw it all the way to the bank and work it back from there.
Our final technique is the Carolina Rig with a baby brush hog. We are still in water less than 8 feet and fishing small underwater rock piles. We are dragging our bait through the rocks and this is usually when we get bit
Lake Fork Fishing Report - 02/26/2020
After all the rain Lake Fork is at full pool. The north end of the lake is stained but still fishable. The south end of the lake is in good shape. Water temperature is in the low 50’s.
Well it is that time of the year to begin fishing shallow as the spawn is just around the corner. The fish are beginning to stage on points in 6-12 feet of water. There are already a few fish shallow and we are catching those on bladed jigs. Chartreuse and white have been our best colors. We begin on main lake points and work our way to secondary points and then all the way to the back of coves. As the days get warmer we will begin throwing flukes and Senkos in watermelon and pumpkin colors. I would also suggest having a Carolina Rig handy to fish on every point that you come to. The Carolina Rig catches a lot of big fish this time of year so if the shallow bite slows down then back off and fish a little deeper with the Carolina Rig and you might just catch a big one.
Lake Fork Fishing Report - 02/04/2020
​The water temperature on Lake Fork is in the low 50’s and the lake is about two feet low. We have been fishing both deep and shallow. When fishing deep, we are using our Lowrance graphs and looking for schools of bait fish with bass lurking nearby. This takes quite a bit of time looking for these areas. I begin with roadbeds, deep water humps and old pond dams. Best baits have been jigging spoons and drop shots. When fishing shallow we are using what I call a baby Carolina Rig. It’s a small bullet weight pegged about 18 inches above a Texas rigged Baby Brush Hog. We throw this all the way to the bank and drag it back as you would a Carolina Rig. You need to keep in mind when fishing in February you probably won’t get a bunch of bites but the ones you get could be really nice ones. Keep this in mind as you head out each day.
Lake Fork Fishing Report - 03/30/19
The water temperature on Lake Fork is in the upper 50’s to low 60’s in the backs of the creeks. Warm nights greatly increase the warm water temperatures in the spring so watch night time temperatures closely. The spawn is under way as many fish have pulled up shallow. We are throwing lizards and Senkos on small 1/8 oz bullet weights and throwing as shallow as possible and working them all the way back to the boat. Some of the bites come early on the retrieve while others come very close to the boat. Working the baits slowly will enhance your chances of getting a bite. If you find the grass your chances of getting bit increase greatly.
If we are struggling getting bites while fishing shallow then we move out to main lake and secondary points fishing Carolina rigs with lizards and baby brush hogs. Any of the watermelon or green pumpkin colors will work.