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Neches River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

East Texas blackwater: the Neches runs bass, catfish and cypress through the Big Thicket to Sabine Lake.

3/5
Fair. Fish early or late.Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.
Flow
5,040 cfs
Air / High
89 / 90 F
Wind
S 7 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 08041000, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 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.

3/5Fair. Fish early or late.Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.

Neches River locks in another hot, bright day: the fish know the drill and so should you. The river is running 5,040 cfs, on the rise. Today brings clear skies, wind S around 7 mph, steady pressure near 1014 hPa and a high of 90. Water sits around 84 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: plan around them and beat the heat.

The plan, species by species

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

Anchor on 20-30 ft baited holes with punch bait or cut shad. They keep biting through the heat when everything else quits.

Largemouth bassFair

Topwater at first light on points and seawalls, then slide out to 12-25 ft brush and points with a Carolina rig, deep crank or drop shot. The bite is dawn, dusk or deep.

White bassFair

Early schooling action over humps; slabs and small spinners under the birds.

CrappieSlow

Straight down on bridge pilings and deep brush at 15-25 ft. Minnows outfish jigs in hot water; move until the graph shows them stacked.

Tomorrow: Cooler at 83 F with a rain chance. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Neches River at Evadale.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 08041000.

1,6722,9994,3255,040 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp89 F
High / Low90 / 76 F
WindS 7-8 mph
Pressure1013.6 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain24% cloud, 28%
Sunrise / Sunset06:54 / 19:35
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~84 F est.

Bite planner

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

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Overcast, 90/76 F, wind 9 mph, rain 28%

Fair or better. A 9 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

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

Largemouth bass illustration

Largemouth bass

Best: spring and fall

The headline act on most American reservoirs. Relates to cover: docks, brush, grass edges and points. Topwater at first light on points and seawalls, then slide out to 12-25 ft brush and points with a Carolina rig, deep crank or drop shot. The bite is dawn, dusk or deep.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: Nov-Mar

Brush piles, bridge pilings and standing timber. The fish fry favorite. Straight down on bridge pilings and deep brush at 15-25 ft. Minnows outfish jigs in hot water; move until the graph shows them stacked.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Good year-round

The most reliable bite on most southern waters. Blues run big; channels fill the cooler. Anchor on 20-30 ft baited holes with punch bait or cut shad. They keep biting through the heat when everything else quits.

White bass illustration

White bass

Best: Mar-May run

River-run spawners and open-water schoolers. Fast limits when you find them. Early schooling action over humps; slabs and small spinners under the birds.

When to come: the Neches River 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 84 F (estimated, not a reading).

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~84 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 Neches River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 88 F, wind to 6 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 84 F, wind to 17 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

2/5 Slow. The wind owns today. 26 mph gusts make boat control the real battle. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 86 F, wind to 26 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 license, with coastal rules in the tidal reaches. Bass, crappie and catfish limits per current TPWD regulations.

Access

Road crossings, Big Thicket National Preserve units, and ramps at Evadale and Beaumont.

About this water

A 416-mile East Texas river through the Big Thicket to Sabine Lake, Jasper and Hardin counties.

Fishing Neches River: the full guide

A river through the Big Thicket

The Neches River flows about 416 miles through East Texas to Sabine Lake, running through pine forest, cypress swamp and the Big Thicket National Preserve. Tannin-stained and slow through much of its course, it holds largemouth and spotted bass, white bass, crappie, bream and catfish, with the lower tidal reaches adding coastal species.

Bass in the cypress

Largemouth relate to the cypress knees, log jams and oxbow lakes off the main channel: pitch jigs and plastics to the wood, work spinnerbaits along the edges and frogs over any vegetation in summer. The oxbows hold the best cover and often the best fishing, particularly when river levels are stable.

White bass and catfish

White bass run the river in spring from Sam Rayburn and B.A. Steinhagen, providing fast action on jigs and small spinners. Channel and flathead catfish are abundant throughout and grow large in the deeper holes. Below Steinhagen the river continues toward Beaumont and the tidal reaches, adding redfish and flounder near the mouth.

East Texas logistics

Access is via road crossings, public areas and the Big Thicket preserve units, with ramps at Evadale, Beaumont and along the lower river. Float trips through the preserve are a genuine wilderness experience by Texas standards. Water levels vary with rain and reservoir releases upstream.

Common questions

Where is the best bass cover?

The oxbow lakes and cypress off the main channel: they hold the best cover and often the best fishing.

When do white bass run?

Spring, moving up from the reservoirs: fast fishing on jigs and small spinners when you find them.

Is the Big Thicket worth seeing?

Yes: floating through the preserve is a genuine wilderness experience by Texas standards.

Is fishing good at Neches River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.

Nearby waters

Sabine Lake35 miSabine Pass45 miSam Rayburn Reservoir53 miCalcasieu Lake55 miLake Livingston70 miLake Houston70 mi
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