Best flathead catfish lakes in Texas
25 Texas waters hold flathead catfish, 16 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. Solitary giant that lairs in log jams and deep holes by day and prowls at night — live bait only.
- Lake Texoma — 96 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie
- Lake Livingston — 90 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
- Toledo Bend Reservoir — 110 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
- Amistad Reservoir — 217 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie
- Lake Travis — 177 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
- Richland-Chambers Reservoir — 77 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
- Cedar Creek Reservoir — 64 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
- Lake Whitney — 100 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie
- Lake Tawakoni — 63 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
- Lake Palestine — 53 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
- Possum Kingdom Lake — 108 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie
- Ray Roberts Lake — 91 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
- Lewisville Lake — 69 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
- Belton Lake — 110 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie
- Lake Buchanan — 107 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
- Choke Canyon Reservoir — 85 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
- Lake LBJ — 72 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
- Falcon International Reservoir — 110 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
- Canyon Lake — 147 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie
- O.H. Ivie Reservoir — 119 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
- Caddo Lake — 27 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
- Llano River — 7 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
- Sabine River — 10 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
- Brazos River (John Graves Reach) — 9 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Channel Catfish, Striped Bass
- Colorado River (Austin) — 10 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
When to fish flathead catfish in Texas
- Spring 5–20 ft — Pre-spawn fish feed hard near wood cover and hole edges.
- Summer 8–30 ft — Day = log-jam lairs and deep holes. Night = shallow flats and bar edges with big live bait.
- Fall 10–35 ft — Fish concentrate near wintering holes — the year's best big-fish window.
- Winter 20–45 ft — Stacked and sluggish in the deepest holes.
Also in Texas: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best white bass lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best striped bass lakes · best white bass & hybrids lakes · best blue catfish lakes · best freshwater drum lakes · best common carp lakes · best longnose gar lakes · best red drum (redfish) lakes · best spotted seatrout lakes · best southern flounder lakes
Flathead Catfish elsewhere: Minnesota · Iowa · Indiana · Nebraska · Ohio · Wisconsin · Kentucky · Arizona · Mississippi · Illinois · Kansas · Oklahoma · Tennessee · Missouri · Georgia · West Virginia · South Carolina