🎣 NOEoutdoors Fishing Report

West Point Lake | May 1 – May 15

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West Point is in that stretch where you can catch them a lot of different ways, but if you don’t adjust through the day, it’ll feel like it shuts off on you.

• Water temps: upper 60s to low 70s

• Water color: stained to slightly muddy in some areas, cleaner toward the lower lake

• Lake level: usually near full pool or slightly above this time of year

This is a post-spawn and early summer transition. Fish are feeding, but they’re pulling off the bank and starting to group up.

 

🐟 BASS

What they’re doing

Most bass are post-spawn and feeding.

Early:

• shallow bite around banks, seawalls, and cover

Midday:

• sliding to points, ledges, and brush

West Point has a strong offshore setup once that sun gets up.

 

Where to fish

• Riprap and seawalls early

• Main lake and secondary points

• Brush piles in 8–15 ft

• Ledges and channel swings later

If there’s wind or current, focus on those areas first.

 

What to throw

• Buzzbait early

• Spinnerbait or chatterbait in stained water

• Squarebill crankbait

• Deep-diving crankbait later

• Texas rig or shaky head

• Jig around cover

This is a lake where power fishing works early, then you slow down.

 

3 Bass tips

1. Start shallow, but plan to move offshore
   That’s the transition happening right now.

2. Find brush and fish it thoroughly
   A lot of fish are stacking up there.

3. Use moving baits in stained water
   They react better to it than finesse baits early.

 

🐟 STRIPER / HYBRID

What they’re doing

Hybrids are the main target here, and they’re feeding right now.

• Early: active and roaming

• Midday: suspending deeper

They follow bait and respond to current.

 

Where to look

• Main lake humps

• River channel edges

• Creek mouths

• Open water with bait activity

Watch for surface activity and birds.

 

What to use

• Live bait (shad)

• Downlines

• Jigging spoons

• Swimbaits

 

3 Hybrid/Striper tips

1. Find bait schools first
   That’s where the fish will be.

2. Adjust depth through the day
   They won’t stay shallow once the sun gets up.

3. Stay mobile
   These fish move constantly.

 

🐟 CRAPPIE

What they’re doing

Spawn is over, and crappie are grouping up on structure.

This is a consistent bite if you locate the right cover.

 

Where to fish

• Brush piles

• Docks

• Timber

• 8–15 ft range

They’re holding tight to structure.

 

What to use

• Minnows

• Jigs (chartreuse, white, darker colors in stained water)

• Light line

 

3 Crappie tips

1. Target brush piles and stay on them
   That’s where the fish are holding.

2. Fish slightly deeper than the banks
   They’ve moved off.

3. Slow presentation is key
   Rushing through spots costs you fish.

 

⚡ Overall

West Point is in a good feeding window right now.

• Bass are transitioning from shallow to offshore

• Hybrids are active but moving

• Crappie are stacking on structure

The difference right now is simple:

The guys catching them are:

• fishing early

• moving with the fish

• adjusting depth

If you try to fish one pattern all day, it’s going to be inconsistent.

Stay flexible, and you’ll stay on them.