July can be a good month here on Lake Fork. I enjoy fishing this time of year because I don’t mind the heat so much, and the lake is not quite as crowded. Keep in mind we have a strong Florida strain influence in our bass population, and Florida bass seem to like hot weather.

The fishing has been pretty good so far this summer. It was excellent leading up to the Skeeter Owners Tournament, a little tougher afterwards, but still not too bad. Size has been better than numbers for me.

The water temperature is in the mid 80’s, and that is where it usually is heading into July. The water level is 1.25’ below full pool, but will likely drop throughout the month. We need a full lake to maintain a healthy fishery, but it sure seems to “fish” better during the summer when it’s a couple feet low. 

I’m fishing a variety of depths from shallow as deep as 25’ deep. I have some areas that tend to hold them shallow in the summer, and a lot of deep offshore spots where they congregate deeper. 

On the deeper spots I normally rely on my electronics to see if they’re home before we stop. However, sometimes I’ll just go ahead and fish the area for a few minutes with my graphs turned off and then check the spot before I leave it. As we get into July there has been so much pressure from anglers on the deep holes, the fish seem to pick up on the boat and sonar noise. I’ll notice this when we graph a school, and the fish move before we can get a cast to them.

There are a lot of lure options that could work on any given day. Football jigs, Carolina rigs, spoons, crankbaits (if they’re the right depth), etc. I usually try a couple presentations on a given spot.

Hopefully this report helps you for your next fishing trip. As always feel free to contact me if I can be of any assistance. I’ll leave you with one of my favorite Bible verses from a fellow fisherman. “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” John 1:12