Intro

August has arrived and we’re in the hottest month of the year. While most of our friends are visiting the mountains, the fishing around Dallas is still going strong. The random cool fronts have kept the water temps in check and the local fishing is still good. Most of the local lakes have re-opened and the Brazos and Paluxy are still producing!

August Guide trip Special

Paluxy River Half Day Trips, 2 people , 4 Hours - $350

Cedar Creek Night Trips, 2 people, 4 Hours - $400

Don’t forget to renew your license before September 1st!

Visit Texas Parks & Wildlife Website

What’s hot

Nighttime Dock Fishing

Once the sun sets and the lake gets quiet, the docks become a hot spot for a quick fishing trip. Sunken green lights and white dock lights are a beacon for bait and the bigger fish that feed on them. Arm yourself with some baitfish flies and follow these tips to get on the action!

What to look for:

Green lights - These submerged lights give off a glow that cuts through the water and brings in the bait. Most often associated with saltwater docks, they can work equally well in freshwater lakes. 

Bright overhead lights - Shining over the water’s surface, these lights pierce the night and act like a beacon for fish and fishermen. Lights with a white hue tend to fish better than the yellowish or orange lights and act as beacons across the water.

Schools of bait - After an hour of darkness, the lights tend to get active with baitfish. This is a sure sign you need to fish this spot. The bigger fish will hang on the edge of the lights and corral the small bait into tight groups. Bait that is acting nervous or breaking the surface is a sure sign bigger fish are hanging below.

Where to cast

Concentrate on the edges of the lights. Imagine the light creating a circle. The bigger fish hang on the edge of the circle and will make quick trips into the light to grab bait. Sandbass love this area and will school on the edges in deeper water away from  the docks. 

Dock posts are a great spot to pick up a big hybrid or bass. Fish will hang out on these spots and wait to ambush bait. Drop a heavy fly and wait for it to sink. The take is usually pretty aggressive!

Rock piles and dams are another great spot to go if you’re a shorebound angler and need a place you can walk into. Most of the dams have bright lights that light up the river and provide a nice spot to walk in a target fish.

Lake and river reports

Private Water Fishing Properties

The local Bass lakes are still fishing well and should be in great shape for the fall. Water levels have remained consistent throughout the year and there is lots of flooded grass. The topwater bite has slowed some, but if you can fish on a cloudy day, you still find plenty of fish looking up.

Recommended flies: Meat Whistle, Clouser, Chuckwagon, Posidon’s Pet, Diving Frog

Lake Fork

• 81 degrees 
• .11 feet above

Lake Fork is still fishing well with a good summertime frog bite. Lots of flooded grass to target in the mornings. Use electronics to find schooling fish offshore.

Lake Texoma

• 75 degrees
• 1.76 feet above 

The topwater striper bite is good and lots of fish hanging around Striper Alley. The Bass bite is still good on the Texas shoreline. This is a great lake to dial in your sinking line game.

Lake Whitney

• 88 Degrees
• .09 feet above

The striper bite has been slow. Schooling action has been slow, but will hopefully improve as the lake settles down from all the rains this year. Carp fishing is still good, just be prepared to bushwack in heavy grass.

Cedar Creek

• 87 Degrees
• .37 feet below

Hybrids and sandies are schooling at sunrise near the dam. Lots of fish on humps during the day. Bring a sinking line and drift through schools.  Night fishing is excellent and your best bet to escape crowds and the heat.

Brazos River

• 60-200 CFS

After all the rain this spring, the river is in good shape and the bass are hungry. Flows have returned to normal, and expect to drag canoes and kayaks through shallow sections. 

Paluxy River

• 25-30 CFS

The river is running clear and a good bet for people looking to wet wade. The springs have been recharged and we should see good flows all month. Spotted bass and panfish have been good on topwaters

Gear spotlight - Flies

Bass

Sizes 6- 2/0, Best colors are olive, black, white, chartreuse, and rust

Bass feed on a variety of bait. Shad, panfish, frogs, crayfish, even other bass. Stock your box with a variety of colors to imitate the local forage. If you are fishing a lake with lots of shad (think Texoma) then load up on whites and chartreuse. If your pond is full of bluegill, olive is a must have. Black is always good in dark, stained water. Bright sunny days call for something with some flash. 

• Barr’s Meat Whistle
• Chuckwagon
• Bennet’s Lunch Money
• Hud’s Bushwacker
• Rio’s Turn up da Bass
• Lefty’s Deceiver
• Rio’s Flash Dance
• Cousin It Sculpin
• Bead Head Krystal Bugger
• Joom Diver
• Popper
• Whitlock’s Diving Frog
• Rainy’s Pot Belly Frog

Stripers and White Bass

Sizes 4 - 1/0, Best colors are white, chartreuse, sexy shad

Stripers and sand bass thrive on shad. Whites, gray, and silvers are always good choices. Add a hint of pink to outfish your buddy. If the fish are schooling on the surface, try a popper with a clouser tied on the rear for a chance at a double. 

• Clousers
• Robertson’s Good Friday Shad
• Lefty’s Deceiver
• Rio’s Flash Dance
• Rio Flash Drive
• Rainy’s Bubblehead Popper

Carp

Size 8-2, Best colors are olive, rust, and tan

Carp love to root on the bottom for food. Try using flies that are drab and muted with lots of movement. You’ll need a mix of heavy and light weighted flies to cover all the places you find them.

• Carp-it Bomb
• Egan’s Head Stand
• Drewster
• Carp’n Crunch
• Carp Tease
• Bonefish Bitters

"Locals Only" - Building a fly box for area lakes and rivers

Looking for a local fly selection? Curious as to what works best for the waters around Dallas? We’ve put together a selection of flies that are proven winners for north Texas. Here are our best recommendations for bass, sandies, stripers, and carp.

If you want to hit the easy button, here’s a custom box you can purchase with two dozen flies selected for fishing north Texas.

"Locals Only" North Texas Fly Assortment

Fly of the Month

Ol' Mr. Wiggly

This was the fly of the month for the Dallas Tyers Club in July. This fly was originally tied for northern smallmouth, but has worked well for largemouth in Texas. It’s a little bit terrestrial, a little bit gurgler, and a whole bunch of fish catcher. Fish it on a floating line or try it on a full sink line for a leggy fly that hovers in the water!

Join us for our next Dallas Tyers Club on August 15 at 6:30 PM.