As spring gives way to summer the area fishermen and ladies look toward the Mississippi River oxbows for some great fishing.

Normally by mid to late June we would be enjoying some great fishing on the Old Rivers, the live oxbow lakes still connected to the river.

Everything was looking good last week with a forecast calling for a fast fall coming down river.

That has changed big time. A lot of rain fell up north over the past few days and that water is headed our way fast.

The river forecast has changed from a fall to a rise. The level at Vidalia today is 45.2 feet.

By Thursday of this coming week, if the forecast holds up, we’ll see a level of 45.9 feet.

The river is predicted to crest on June 30th at 46.6 feet but that could change as well. So we’ll just have to be content fishing the public landlocked lakes. You can tackle the acres and acres of backwaters and catch some nice bream and bass but you’ll have to do your homework.

The bream are back in the woods holding in 4 to 6 feet of water. If you find them you can load up on them.

The best reports on the bass fishing are coming from Bayou Louis.

They’re catching numbers of bass on spinnerbaits and Bandit crankbaits.

Target the cypress trees. You may pick up a few 3 to 4 pound fish on bottom lures like a Paca Jig or Net Baits Action Cat and Paca Craws.

Most people don’t think of the summer months as a time to catch trophy bass but you can if you choose the right lake and lures.

Lake Concordia may be buzzing with pleasure boat traffic but you can catch a few big fish.

Try pitching and flipping jigs and soft plastics to the cypress trees with overhanging limbs.

The trees that offer the most shade hold the larger bass.

It is hard to get a lure to the fish but when you do be ready for a strike from a big fish. This same pattern will work on lakes St. John and Bruin as well. Surface water temps have really warmed up this month. The average water temperature is about 90 degrees.

On the landlocked lakes the deep water is void of oxygen so stay shallow and fish in the shade of the cypress trees and boat docks with platforms built low to the water.

If the bottom bite is slow around the piers break out the crankbaits and small soft plastic worms. You can catch numbers with these lures but not many big fish.

The best thing we have to look forward to this summer is the Old Rivers. Just watch the river stage.

When we see a stage of 38 to 35 feet and falling the big bass, white perch and bream will start pulling out of the flooded woods.

We had a high water year for sure and every year we had high water it was followed by some great fishing on the Old Rivers, barrow pits and backwater lakes.

There is a lot of boat traffic on our lakes.

Wear your life jacket, practice safe boating and help us make this an accident-free boating season.