When the redbuds bloom, head to the river!
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March 2026
Article and photos by Jimmy Jacobs.
In the Lone Star State, you hear an old maxim that echoes true throughout the South. “When the redbuds are blooming, the white bass are running.” If the area has proper water conditions based on recent rain and the water temperature is right, those vegetarian prognosticators won’t be wrong.
The white bass run is a rite of spring that can start as early the end of February and ordinarily runs into early May, depending on how long the ideal conditions continue. Once the time is right, white bass schools start their spawn by migrating up rivers and feeder streams from reservoirs. Those schools may range from a pod of a few bass, to veritable herds of the fish. The smaller males move first, with the larger females following shortly behind.
Males generally weigh in at 1 to 2 pounds, with the females hitting and surpassing the 3-pound mark. Best of all, the fish put up a good fight on light fly-casting gear and are not shy about hitting a fly. As a bonus, white bass are quite tasty on the dinner plate and such prolific spawners that taking some home for a meal doesn’t deplete their numbers. Fried, baked, broiled or grilled, these fish won’t disappoint most palates.
One tip regarding preparing whites for the table is to always fillet the fish and cut out the dark reddish strip of meat that runs down the side. Leaving it in adds a “fishy” taste to the cooked meal. That’s a trait common to all the Morone family of true bass to which whites belong. That classification includes striped, hybrid and yellow bass as well.
White bass are often found along sandbars next to deeper water.
But we are getting ahead of ourselves. You have to catch the fish first! The key to that is targeting the locations where these fish hang out as they move upstream. White bass are sometimes referred to as sand bass. That’s probably because they have an affinity for being found along the edges of sand bars that have deeper water abutting in the sand.
Other places to look for them are around the mouths of smaller feeder streams entering the larger flow. Also, any woody debris in the water can attract them.
As for gear, rod and reel combinations in the 3- to 5-weight range are best. When it comes to the flies to present to white bass, at least from my personal experience, another adage comes to mind. “Any color will work, as long as it’s white.” One of the tried-and-true patterns is a white beadhead Wooly Bugger.
A white beadhead Wooly Bugger is a good option for this fishing.
There are a number of reservoir-and-river combinations in Texas that support white bass runs in the spring.
In east Texas, the Neches River above Lake Palestine hosts a run, while a similar run occurs in the North Central area on the East Fork of the Trinity River that feeds into Lake Lavon. Another option in this area is the Elm Fork of Trinity upstream of Lake Roy Roberts.
In the central region, the options are even more numerous. Runs occur on the Colorado River above Lake Buchanan, the Brazos River above Lake Granbury, the South Bosque River upstream of Lake Waco and the Leon River into Lake Belton. Additionally, the same kind of action is available on the Lampasas River above Stillhouse Hollow Lake and the Llano River upstream of Lake Lyndon B. Johnson.
What can be problematic on any of these rivers is that the bulk of the land along their shores is in private property. It doesn’t matter how good the fishing is, if you can’t get access to it. Fortunately, the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department has a program that facilitates such access.
The department’s River Access and Conservation Areas program leases tracts of private land along waterways that are then open to public use. These contain bank access, boat launch sites and parking areas. Five of those provide ideal opportunities for intercepting the white bass run on the Neches, Brazos and Llano Rivers.
Located on the west bank of the Neches River in eastern Henderson County, the area consists of roughly a mile of the shoreline providing bank-fishing access. There’s a put-in for the Chandler Upper Neches Paddling Trail, as well as a boat ramp and large paved parking area.
Thiis site is on the east shore of the Llano River at Kingsland in Llano County. The river access consists of 750 feet of the river bank within the RV park. The area is open to the public from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.
Bank fishing is permitted, along with kayak, canoe and boat launch facilities.
Bank access is available through the River Access and Conservation Areas.
Fuller’s Folly is the uppermost of two accesses on Brazos River upstream of Lake Granbury, just west of Fort Worth. Positioned on the north bank in Parker County, it is near the town of Dennis.
This site offers a parking area, bank access for fishing, as well as a good wading area. There’s also the option for launching paddle craft for a 4.1 mile run downstream to the next access point at Sandy Bottoms River Company.
This site is open to the public from 30 minutes before sunrise until 30 minutes after sunset. There are some special rules in effect here, so visit the Fuller’s Folly River Ranch web page for full details.
Sandy Bottoms is also in Parker County on the north side of the Brazos. There is parking provided, plus bank fishing and excellent wade-fishing access. As noted, this also is the take-out point for a float downstream from Fuller’s Folly.
This site also has special regulations similar to those at Fuller’s Folly, so visit the Sandy Bottoms River Company web page when planning a visit.
Although also on the Brazos River, the Rio Libros Access is farther downstream and above Lake Pat Cleburne. This is in Somerville County on the east back of the river near the town of Rainbow.
Parking and paddle craft launching, along with bank and wade fishing access are available here.
Special regulations do apply, so visit the Rio Libros web page for details.
