Sabine River Fishing Guides
The border river below Toledo Bend, running cypress-lined and current-driven through deep East Texas with catfish, bass and gar in every bend.
Guides on the Sabine River
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About the Sabine River
The lower Sabine is one of the least advertised big rivers in Texas, and that is most of its appeal. Below the Toledo Bend release it runs as a genuine flowing river rather than a reservoir arm, carrying the bottomland hardwood and cypress character of the Louisiana border country the whole way down. The reach around Bon Wier and Deweyville is wide, sandy-bottomed and full of structure – fallen timber, sand bars, outside bends scoured deep, and sloughs that open into backwater lakes when the river comes up.
Catfish carry the fishery. Channel cats are everywhere and willing, blue cats run heavy in the deeper holes below the bends, and flatheads hold tight to the log jams and get genuinely large. Largemouth and spotted bass work the timber and the slower sloughs, white bass push upriver in spring in schools that can be found by watching for surface activity, and both longnose and alligator gar cruise the flats through the warm months. Freshwater drum and crappie round out a list that rewards anglers who are not fussy about what bites.
Access is a mix of highway bridge crossings, county ramps and a handful of river parks on both the Texas and Louisiana banks, and because the river is the state line you should know which licence you are fishing under before you launch. A jon boat is the right tool here; the river is big enough that bank fishing only reaches a fraction of it. Current below the dam changes with generation, so the flow reading matters more than it does on a free-flowing river.
Guided trips exist but are thin on the Texas side and mostly catfish focused. Summer heat is real and the mosquitoes are worse, so early mornings and late evenings are the humane way to fish it.
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Access
Bon Wier - the gauge crossing and the most convenient upper access on the Texas bank.
Deweyville - ramp and river park access on the lower reach.
Highway 12 crossing near Starks - Louisiana-side access to the lower river.
Toledo Bend tailrace area - the top of the flowing reach below the dam.
Burkeville area crossings - upper river bridge access above Bon Wier.
Orange - lower river and tidal reach access toward Sabine Lake.
Sabine River Authority ramps - scattered public launches along both banks.
Seasons
Spring: high water, white bass running and the best catfish feeding of the year.
Summer: low clear flows, night fishing for flatheads and gar on the sand flats.
Fall: falling temperatures pull bass onto the timber and concentrate catfish in the holes.
Winter: slow but steady blue catfish in the deep bends, with very little pressure.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Sabine River?
As of Sep 17, 6:15 am, the USGS gauge Sabine Rv nr Bon Wier, TX reads 1,430 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Sabine River?
Anglers target Alligator Gar, Black Crappie, Blue Catfish, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Freshwater Drum, Largemouth Bass, Longnose Gar, Spotted Bass, White Bass on the Sabine River in Texas.
Where can you access the Sabine River?
Bon Wier - the gauge crossing and the most convenient upper access on the Texas bank. Deweyville - ramp and river park access on the lower reach. Highway 12 crossing near Starks - Louisiana-side access to the lower river. Toledo Bend tailrace area - the top of the flowing reach below the dam. Burkeville area crossings - upper river bridge access above Bon Wier. Orange - lower river and tidal reach access toward Sabine Lake. Sabine River Authority ramps - scattered public launches along both banks.
When is the best time to fish the Sabine River?
Spring: high water, white bass running and the best catfish feeding of the year. Summer: low clear flows, night fishing for flatheads and gar on the sand flats. Fall: falling temperatures pull bass onto the timber and concentrate catfish in the holes. Winter: slow but steady blue catfish in the deep bends, with very little pressure.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Sabine River?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Texas agency site: https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/fishing