Lake Conroe Fishing Report
Fishing on Lake Conroe has been good though working around the wind can be challeging at times. The water temperature at the dam early in the morning has been running 80 degrees according to the SJRA. The water at this time is clear in the main lake, stained in the back of creeks and the level is 201.09 feet.
The City of Houston Diversion (COH) is 0 CFS, the Ground Reduction Plan (GRP) is 15.87 CFS and 350 CFS is being released from the Lake according to the San Jacinto River Authority.
Black bass fishing has been good. Fishing guide Butch Terpe said he has been fishing the shallows in six feet and less of water and recently caught 8 in about an hour up to 2½ pounds. He has been using 6 inch soft plastics in Junebug or Watermelon colors because he like to fish worms. Terpe said the larger bass can be found on submerged roadbeds, docks, brush piles and other deeper structure. Crankbait and Carolina rigged soft plastics will work for the deeper bass.
Crappie fishing is fair to good with catches being reported in the shallows and also around the FM 1097 Bridge pylons and in boat stalls at some of the marinas. Minnows are a good bait and if the wind lays down jigs work well if you know how to fish them.
Catfish are good on baited areas at 18 to 22 feet on creek edges and humps. Terpe said they are averaging one and one-half to two pounds with an occasional three pound catfish, which are good eating size. Cheese bait, or punch baits on sponge hooks are working well. If you get out early you may find some under corks along the bulkheads chasing shad.
Hybrid stripers and white bass are fair to good. Terpe said the best chance for them right now is trolling along points and humps which will produce white bass and hybrids when you locate them. He said he was out recently and caught 8 hybrids 16-17 inches in length and 4 white bass in 20 to 25 feet. Juvenile hybrids and white bass look very similar, so if you are not sure which you catch and they are under 18 inches long put them back in the lake.
Bream can be found along shore beds, riprap and grass beds in water 3 to 5 feet deep. Terpe caught 12 large bream in abiout an hour one morning recently. Meal worms and night crawlers are good baits.
Butch Terpe, who works out of Stow-A-Way Marina, has made the information for this fishing report available. Terpe has been a full time guide for over 30 years. For information about his services, he can be reached at (936) 856-7080. For information about Stow-A-Way Marina call (936) 856-4531.