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Lake Tyler Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Oct 23, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Lake Tyler and Lake Tyler East: twin city reservoirs southeast of Tyler, joined by a canal and known for consistent largemouth bass.

4/5
Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.
Lake level
372.65 ft
Air / High
72 / 85 F
Wind
ENE 3 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 08034000, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
23
October 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

4/5Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Lake Tyler sits in the sweet spot of the season: active fish and workable weather. The gauge reads 372.65 ft, easing 0.16 over the week. Today brings clear skies, wind ENE around 3 mph, falling pressure near 1020 hPa and a high of 85. Water sits around 74 F for the season (estimated). With the waxing gibbous, the solunar majors run 9:57 AM-11:57 AM and 10:25 PM-12:25 AM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Largemouth bassExcellent

The main feeding season after the spawn: work moving baits along weed edges, points and wood, and follow up with a soft plastic where a fish swirls.

Catfish (blue, channel)Excellent

Spawning season from late May into summer: Iowa DNR suggests drifting bait under a float along riprap and snags where males guard nests in cavities.

CrappieGood

Early in this band crappie are spawning in protected coves; afterward they move to docks, brush piles and standing timber near deeper water.

White bassGood

Summer and early fall schooling season over open water; follow the shad, and try live bait on the bottom at night.

Tomorrow: Similar at 84 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Oct 24, 6:30 AMHow this report is made β†’

Before you go

Texas requires a fishing licence from age 17, from $30.00 for residents. What a Texas licence costs and where to buy it β†’

Chasing largemouth bass here? Check the size and bag limits with TPWD before you keep anything. The season dates for Texas, read off the agency, are on the Texas seasons page.

Water and weather

Live readings from Lk Tyler nr Whitehouse, TX.

Water level, last 30 days

USGS gauge 08034000.

372.70372.95373.21372.65 ft09/2310/0310/1310/23

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp72 F
High / Low85 / 49 F
WindENE 3-5 mph
Pressure1020.4 hPa, falling
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 0%
Sunrise / Sunset07:30 / 18:38
MoonWaxing Gibbous, 91%
Water temp (seasonal)~74 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Which day to fish Lake Tyler this week

The best day on Lake Tyler this week looks like Sunday Oct 25, at 5 out of 5, against 4 today.

Best day this week: Sunday, Oct 25 β€” excellent at 5/5, falling pressure, usually the best window of a week.

Today, Oct 23 β€” Good

Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Solunar majors
9:57 AM-11:57 AM and 10:25 PM-12:25 AM
Minor period
4:19 AM-5:19 AM
Sun
07:30 to 18:38
Moon
Waxing Gibbous, 91% lit
Sky and wind
Clear, 6 mph
Rain chance
0%

Forecast-based scores, less reliable further out: how the score is built.

Species guide

The species that matter on Lake Tyler: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Largemouth bass illustration

Largemouth bass

Best: the spring pre-spawn and the fall feed

A warm-water sunfish of lakes, reservoirs, ponds and slow river backwaters that holds tight to cover: weeds, logs, rock ledges and docks. In Texas, TPWD surveys rank it "by far" the freshwater fish anglers most want to catch. The main feeding season after the spawn: work moving baits along weed edges, points and wood, and follow up with a soft plastic where a fish swirls.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: the spring spawn; summer around docks, brush and the thermocline

Two slab-sided panfish, the white crappie and the black crappie, that gather around submerged timber, brush piles, docks and bridge pilings in lakes, reservoirs and slow river backwaters. Texas Parks and Wildlife counts crappie as the state's most popular panfish. Early in this band crappie are spawning in protected coves; afterward they move to docks, brush piles and standing timber near deeper water.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Year-round, best at dusk and after dark

Three big catfish share most of the country's rivers and reservoirs: the channel catfish, the most widespread; the blue catfish, the largest; and the flathead, which hunts live fish. All feed mostly on or near the bottom. Spawning season from late May into summer: Iowa DNR suggests drifting bait under a float along riprap and snags where males guard nests in cavities.

White bass illustration

White bass

Best: the spring run up the tributaries, then summer surface schools

A silvery temperate bass of rivers and large reservoirs, also called sand bass, that schools in open water after shad and runs up tributaries to spawn in early spring. Summer and early fall schooling season over open water; follow the shad, and try live bait on the bottom at night.

When to come: the Lake Tyler calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Largemouth bass
Crappie
Catfish (blue, channel)
White bass
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 74 F (estimated, not a reading).

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~74 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Lake Tyler today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Oct 22

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Largemouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 85 F, wind to 7 mph.

Wed, Oct 21

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Largemouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 82 F, wind to 4 mph.

Tue, Oct 20

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Largemouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 79 F, wind to 7 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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Before you go

License

Texas requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Texas fishing license. All species follow TPWD statewide regulations (valid Sept. 1, 2026-Aug. 31, 2027): 5 black bass a day in any combination, largemouth 14-inch minimum, no minimum on spotted bass; crappie 10-inch minimum, 25 a day. A City of Tyler ordinance prohibits bowfishing on both lakes.

Access

Free City of Tyler ramps at Hill Creek Park, Old #2/Chapman Park, Old Omen Road (west) and the Highway 64 ramp; Smith County maintains the Old Omen Road ramp on the east side. Lake Tyler Marina (Concession #1, Tyler West) charges a launch fee. Bank access at East Side Park #4; fee fishing at Fritz & Opal's Barge near Old #2. Primitive camping is allowed in city parks, first come, first served.

About this water

Lake Tyler (Tyler West, 2,224 acres) and Lake Tyler East (2,276 acres), City of Tyler reservoirs in Smith County, Texas.

Fishing Lake Tyler: the full guide

Two lakes and a canal

TPWD lists Tyler West at 2,224 acres (impounded in 1949) and Tyler East at 2,276 acres (1966), on Mud and Prairie creeks southeast of Tyler off Texas 64, with a maximum depth of 40 feet. A canal connects them, and the City of Tyler Water Utility controls both.

What TPWD says about the fishing

Both lakes have a reputation as consistent largemouth bass fisheries, according to TPWD, and are popular with tournament anglers, with frequent night tournaments in summer; most bass weigh 2 to 8 pounds and a few top 10. Crappie are less abundant than in some lakes, but few need to be released for size. Bluegill, redear and redbreast sunfish give bait and fly anglers excellent opportunity, and spotted bass and catfish are also present. Chain pickerel and white bass are recent additions; white bass, introduced from Lake Tawakoni in the 1990s, became abundant after heavy rains in 2007.

Cover and traffic

Aquatic vegetation is abundant in the upper ends of both lakes; Tyler East has good stands of native plants and abundant hydrilla. TPWD warns that boating and personal watercraft traffic can become very intense in summer, and suggests early morning and late evening for quieter fishing.

Common questions

Does Lake Tyler produce big bass?

TPWD says most bass are in the 2- to 8-pound class, with a few over 10 pounds, and both lakes are popular for tournaments.

Can I bowfish here?

No. A City of Tyler ordinance prohibits bowfishing on both lakes.

Which ramps are free?

TPWD says every ramp on the two lakes is free except the privately run Lake Tyler Marina at Concession #1, which charges a launch fee.

Is fishing good at Lake Tyler right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Nearby waters

Lake Palestine20 miLake Athens36 miLake Nacogdoches45 miLake Fork47 miLake O' the Pines50 miLake Bob Sandlin58 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

River and reservoir readings
USGS 08034000 β€” Lk Tyler nr Whitehouse, TX
Read from the USGS Water Data API (api.waterdata.usgs.gov). Latest value timestamped 2026-10-23 at 15:30 UTC.
Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 32.2230, -95.1270 in this water's own timezone. A model, not an observation.
Moon and solunar windows
Calculated on this site
Astronomical calculation from these coordinates and the date, not a third-party feed. How much weight it deserves.
Pages checked
The facts in the written guide were checked against these pages, from the agencies and operators that manage the water, on October 8, 2026. Anything we could not verify was taken out.
The written guide on this page
Pablo Ruiz Quintero
How this page was made. The daily report is computed by our scoring engine from live readings; nobody types it. The written text was drafted with AI assistance from the official pages listed above, and its facts were checked against those pages by automated verification on October 8, 2026; anything that could not be verified was taken out. Pablo Ruiz Quintero sets every guideline, the data-verification system and the minimum standards a page must meet to be published, reviews page structure and approves what goes live; the responsibility is his, and the AI carries out the work. We work this way because it is how one person can keep every page current with named sources. Errors are published in the verification log; the full policy is in the editorial policy.

Readings refresh on a 30-minute window. The full method, with every figure and its source, is on how our reports are made. Something wrong here? Tell us and it goes in the log with the date.