Lake Hodges Fishing Report

Hodges reopened Feb 4, and the bass bite had been tough overall, which is pretty typical early in the season. But the recent warm weather has sparked some better action over the last week. Water temps are now in the low to mid 60s, though clarity still isn’t great. More fish are starting to show up shallow, holding near cover or along transition zones.

Shad-colored rattle traps and crankbaits are getting the occasional reaction bite, but dark colored crawdad soft plastics and small jigs seem to be producing more and better fish.

Crappie action has been very good on jigs and small crankbaits, with quite a few fish running 2 to 3 pounds. Look for Hodges to improve substantially over the next week or two.

Hodges is in full summer mode with surface temps around 82°F. The early bite has been key... bass are pushing tight to shore at first light to ambush shad, then pulling back once the sun climbs. Small jerkbaits like the Megabass 70 are scoring along the bank with a slow reel-pause cadence. Squarebills still draw reaction bites, but finesse rigs are doing most of the work, especially after sun up. Thin Senkos, and reapers on light Texas rigs are working well, typically fished near shallow cover. Most fish are in the 1–2 lb range.

A few better fish are showing on glide baits near deeper structure. Topwater’s hit or miss, but poppers are getting a few fish in the early mornings. Shore anglers are finding fish, too, flipping tight into brush pockets.

Catfish are hitting cut bait and occasionally swiping bass gear. Carp are everywhere but more of a side note unless you’re targeting them.

Lake Hodges opened for the season on February 7, drawing a big crowd despite low water and murky conditions.

Bass have been sticking close to the shoreline, and some quality fish are already being caught. 4+ pounders have been common, and one angler landed a 10+ pounder last week. Crankbaits and rattletraps have been getting bites, especially when worked close to shore along shallow structure. Jigs have also been producing... green pumpkin and red trailers.

The crappie bite has been quite good for some, and catfish are biting as well. WONews reports one angler landed a 51-pound cat last week.

The lake is extremely low, sitting around 14% capacity, and some channels are barely 4-5 feet deep. While it makes boat navigation tricky, it also exposes more structure, giving anglers a clear view of points, rock piles, and drop-offs that will hold fish later in the season.

The lake is only open Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, except for the third Wednesday of the month when it’s closed. Fishing should only improve as water temps rise and fish settle into more predictable patterns.