Lake Fork Fishing Report June 2024

June has arrived… And it’s my absolute favorite month of the year for trophy bass fishing on Lake Fork! The weather is warming, and early summer patterns are starting to take shape. The kids are out of school, and you have the opportunity to spend some quality time with them out on the lake. You can catch fish just about any way you want to right now which gives many anglers the opportunity to catch fish using their favorite baits. Whether its shallow water top waters, or deep structure Carolina rigs, you’ll have fun catching big bass on Lake Fork right now.

The water levels are in great shape right now going into summer with all the heavy rainfall this year. We are currently at 403.69, which is about 9 inches over full pool. Water temperatures are ranging from 75-80 degrees. The water clarity is clear to about 3 feet on the south end with stained areas in the backs of some of the creeks and on the north end. There is a lot of new vegetation growing all over the lake with the high water levels and this has provided us with another very successful spring spawn.

The top water action has been great lately and what a way to start the day off with some big bass surface explosions. Yellow magic’s, Berkley Bullet Pop, J-Walker or zara spooks in shad colors have been best in 2-6 feet depths. The frog bite has also been fierce! With all the freshly flooded grass and new vegetation growing the bass are way up in it. Hollow frogs like the new Berkley Swamp Lord fished in lily pads, hydrilla, and flooded grass in the pockets and creeks has been very productive. I like to use natural colors like greens, blacks, and white or a combination of these colors. Having the right equipment with a frog is crucial in landing these bass from heavy cover. I am using the New Abu Garcia Rocket with 50 lb. Trilene Braid on an Abu Garcia Veritas tournament series 7’ 3’” med heavy rod. The gear ratio on the Rocket is 10:1 and will bring em out of the heavy stuff quick. Square bill crank baits like the Berkley Pitbull have also been great in the same areas if the fish are reluctant to hit the top but they are chasing shad in the area.

I have also been finding a large number of big fish in mid depths this year. The bass have been feeding early and late on shad around 12-16 feet of water. My go to bait for these bass have been a 10” Texas rigged worm in blue fleck, tequila sunrise, and plum or watermelon candy. There’s nothing like the scent of a Powerbait worm to attract the bite of a monster bass. I am using a 3/8 oz. Elite Tungsten weight and a 5/0 hook for these worms and fishing it slowly around the trees on points, humps, road beds, and creek bends. You can also catch some fish in the same areas on deep diving crank bait like a Berkley Dredger. Any shad pattern will work fine. I prefer a little bit of chartreuse color on the bait.

Most of the best action will be out deep this month and into the summer. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a big deep structure fisherman and what better time of year to have a blast catching numbers of big ole bass than on Lake Fork in June. On a lot of days that the sun comes up right away and it gets hot I will start my days out in deep water. Your electronics are a vital component to locating active fish in deep water. I really like my new Garmin units for showing me accurate information about the areas that I am fishing. If you haven’t seen their new freshwater fishing electronics line up, you’ll want to check them out. These units are very fast and precise. They really add a new dimension to fishing and reveal some amazing images that have helped me start catching more fish.

These deep bass will be in 16-24 feet of water usually holding around points, roadbeds, humps, and ridges. The fish can be hard to locate and are often times moving around a lot but if you stick with it, it can really pay off. I rely on my Garmin GPS Map units to show me where the bass are. Once I determine where they are and what they are relating to I will select a presentation that best suits the situation. A lot of these post spawn bass will be suspended so deep diving crank baits are a great choice. I also like to throw a deep swim bait at them like the Berkley Swim Shad. This bait can be worked at any depth in the water column so you can reach the bass wherever they are. When the fish get on the bottom I will target them with a big Texas rig and a 1/2 oz. weight with a 5/0 hook. I like to put a Berkley 10” or 12” Powerworm on and give them a big meal offering. Most of these bass are very hungry so a big bait is appealing to them. I also like to employ the Carolina rig into the arsenal of post spawn techniques. I like to use a long leader (5ft.) and a big heavy 1 oz. weight to drag the bottom. Trilene 20 lb. test Fluorocarbon is a must with a 2/0 or 3/0 wide gap hook. Best baits on the c-rig are Berkley Powerbait 7” or 10” Power Worms, Power Lizards, Power Hawg and Bottom Hopper in blue fleck, watermelon red, chartreuse pepper, green pumpkin, and watermelon candy. You can also catch a lot of these hungry post spawn bass on a football head jig. Santone Lures makes one of the best football head jigs on the market and I catch a lot of bass on it this time of year. I usually opt for the 5/8 or 3/4oz model and the best colors are PB&J, Bass Candy, Mexican Heather and my signature “JC’s Spicy Craw”. I’m rigging these with a matching trailer in a Berkley Pit Boss and dragging them around out in the same areas that I am the Carolina rig.

Well, I hope this helps anyone that’s coming out this month to chase some big bass or fish a tournament. If you would like to fish with me this year, I still have just a few dates available. My 2024 schedule is filling fast though so contact me as soon as possible if you are just now beginning to plan your trip. I also have gift certificates available for those of you that are interested in purchasing a friend or loved one a guided trip on Lake Fork. You can contact me to make your reservation at 903-736-9888 or send me an email at lakeforktrophybass@yahoo.com You can also visit my website for more information about Lake Fork and my guide service at www.officiallakeforktrophybass.com You can find me on Facebook and follow my official Lake Fork Trophy Bass Guide page at https://www.facebook.com/lakeforktrophybassguide
I have really enjoyed my Bass Cat boats the past few years and am enjoying my new 2024 Puma STS for the this season. I couldn’t be happier to be serving my customers on Lake Fork as part of the Bass Cat Team and am looking forward to providing more great trips this year out of my new boat! If you’re interested in checking out any of the Bass Cat models, be sure to reach out to R & R Marine in Pittsburg, Texas. They have the all-new Puma and Caracal STS that everyone is raving about so go by and check it out! Steven Stroman and his crew have amazing sales and service as well as a complete tackle shop with just about anything you need. I would like to thank all my sponsors that are continuing to support me in 2024. I am looking forward to representing them again this year on the major tournament trails. I appreciate all their support as I serve all my great guide clients throughout the year on Lake Fork as well! Sponsors: Toyota, AFTCO, Bass Cat Boats, Mercury, I Am Second, Omnia Fishing, Berkley, Abu Garcia, Garmin, Santone Lures, Costa Sunglasses, Power Pole, Elite Tungsten, Johnson Communications, EVOLV and Bass Boat Technologies.

Romans 8:28 - And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.

Tight Lines & God Bless,
James Caldemeyer

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