← Texas fishing maps

Best bluegill lakes in Texas

94 Texas waters hold bluegill, 35 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. The classic panfish. Shallow cover in summer, deeper weed edges otherwise.

1. Lake Texoma — 96 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, CrappieWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 32 public access sites
2. Sam Rayburn Reservoir — 74 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 32 public access sites
3. Toledo Bend Reservoir — 110 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #3: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 58 public access sites
4. Amistad Reservoir — 217 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, CrappieWhy #4: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 15 public access sites
5. Lake Travis — 177 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 13 public access sites
6. Cedar Creek Reservoir — 64 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 12 public access sites
7. Lake Fork — 73 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 28 public access sites
8. Lake Meredith — 119 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
9. Ray Roberts Lake — 91 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 10 public access sites
10. Lake Palestine — 53 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 16 public access sites
11. Lake Corpus Christi — 56 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites
12. Lewisville Lake — 69 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 21 public access sites
13. Lake Conroe — 61 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 16 public access sites
14. Lake Houston — 43 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
15. Choke Canyon Reservoir — 85 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 6 public access sites
16. Lake LBJ — 72 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
17. Falcon International Reservoir — 110 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #17: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 3 public access sites
18. Lake Austin — 52 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Flathead CatfishWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 7 public access sites
19. Lake Bob Sandlin — 55 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 10 public access sites
20. Somerville Lake — 29 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 11 public access sites
21. B.A. Steinhagen Lake — 43 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
22. Canyon Lake — 147 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, CrappieWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 19 public access sites
23. O.H. Ivie Reservoir — 119 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #23: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 4 public access sites
24. Stillhouse Hollow Lake — 117 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, CrappieWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites
25. Lake Alan Henry — 75 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #25: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites

…plus 69 more Texas waters holding bluegill.

Find the closest bluegill waters to you →

When to fish bluegill in Texas

• Spring 1–6 ft — Bedding colonies on sandy shallow flats — sight-fish the light spots.
• Summer 4–15 ft — Weed edges and dock shade; bigger 'gills hold slightly deeper.
• Fall 6–18 ft — Schools tighten on remaining green weeds and first drops.
• Winter 10–25 ft — Soft-bottom basins with invertebrates; finesse presentations.

Also in Texas: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best white bass lakes · best crappie lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best striped bass lakes · best white bass & hybrids lakes · best flathead catfish lakes · best blue catfish lakes · best freshwater drum lakes · best common carp lakes · best longnose gar lakes · best spotted bass lakes · best red drum (redfish) lakes · best spotted seatrout lakes · best southern flounder lakes

Bluegill elsewhere: Ontario · Wisconsin · Minnesota · Québec · Michigan · New Hampshire · Montana · New York · Wyoming · Massachusetts · Washington · Florida · Indiana · North Dakota · Iowa · Ohio · Connecticut · Nebraska · Missouri · Vermont · California · Oklahoma · South Dakota · Utah · Arizona · Colorado · Illinois · New Mexico · Kansas · West Virginia · Mississippi · Idaho · New Jersey · Kentucky · Alabama · Tennessee · Puerto Rico · Georgia · North Carolina · Delaware · Virginia · Rhode Island · Louisiana · South Carolina · Pennsylvania · Arkansas · Maryland · Hawaii