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Toledo Bend Reservoir Fishing Report

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

The biggest reservoir in the South: 185,000 acres of grass, timber and bass on the Texas-Louisiana line.

3/5
Fair. Fish early or late.Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.
Water temp
~84 F est.
Air / High
95 / 96 F
Wind
WSW 5 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 312914093422701, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Tap a marker for today's tip
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.

Toledo Bend Reservoir serves up more heat: the productive hours are the dim ones. Today brings a mixed sky, wind WSW around 5 mph, steady pressure near 1012 hPa and a high of 96. 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: Similar at 93 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 Toledo Bend Res nr Negreet, LA.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~84 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp95 F
High / Low96 / 73 F
WindWSW 5-7 mph
Pressure1012.4 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain28% cloud, 31%
Sunrise / Sunset06:52 / 19:34
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 · Showers, 96/73 F, wind 10 mph, rain 31%

Fair or better. A 10 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Toledo Bend Reservoir: 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 Toledo Bend Reservoir 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 Toledo Bend Reservoir 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 91 F, wind to 9 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 88 F, wind to 12 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

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 95 F, wind to 16 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

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

Largemouth bass: 14-inch minimum (TX) / no minimum (LA side), 8 per day under reciprocal agreement rules. Check both states' current regs: they differ in detail.

Access

Cypress Bend, San Miguel, Pendleton Bridge (LA) and Housen Bay, Fin & Feather (TX) are the workhorse launches. Marked boat lanes matter here: stay in them at speed.

About this water

185,000 acres on the Sabine River, Texas/Louisiana. Sabine River Authority, impounded 1967. The largest man-made lake in the South.

Fishing Toledo Bend Reservoir: the full guide

A sea of bass water

Toledo Bend backs the Sabine River up for 65 miles along the Texas-Louisiana border: 185,000 acres, 1,200 miles of shoreline, and so much fishable cover that entire tournaments are won without seeing another boat. Hydrilla flats, standing timber, creek channels, deep river bends: whatever pattern you like to fish, the Bend has miles of it. Bassmaster has ranked it the #1 bass lake in America more than once.

North, mid or south

The north end (above Pendleton bridge) is river-like, stained and full of timber: spinnerbaits and squarebills around wood. Mid-lake (Six Mile, Housen) mixes grass and timber: the storied Bend pattern of punching hydrilla or throwing frogs. The south end toward the dam runs clear and deep: offshore ledges, schooling fish, and a big-striper wildcard in the river channel.

The two-state practicality

Either state's license covers the whole lake for most anglers. Louisiana-side launches (Cypress Bend, San Miguel) put you on the grass fast; Texas-side (Housen Bay, Fin & Feather) reach mid-lake structure. Respect the timber: thousands of stumps sit a foot under the surface off the marked boat lanes.

Common questions

Do I need both Texas and Louisiana licenses?

No: a valid license from either state covers the whole lake for recreational fishing from a boat. Bank and tributary fishing follows the state you are standing in.

Is Toledo Bend dangerous to navigate?

It demands respect: standing timber sits just under the surface across huge areas. Run the marked boat lanes at speed and idle anywhere else. GPS lake maps are near-mandatory.

What makes Toledo Bend different from Rayburn?

Scale and wildness. Rayburn is more manicured grass fishing; the Bend adds endless timber, a river's length of water, and the feeling of fishing a lake that never ends.

Is fishing good at Toledo Bend Reservoir 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

Sam Rayburn Reservoir36 miBlack Lake50 miLake Nacogdoches62 miRed River69 miCaney Lake80 miNeches River82 mi
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