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Best flathead catfish lakes in Texas

82 Texas waters hold flathead catfish, 49 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.

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. Toledo Bend Reservoir — 110 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #2: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 58 public access sites
3. Amistad Reservoir — 217 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, CrappieWhy #3: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 15 public access sites
4. Lake Travis — 177 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 13 public access sites
5. Richland-Chambers Reservoir — 77 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 16 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 Livingston — 90 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #7: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 25 public access sites
8. Wright Patman Lake — 31 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites
9. Lake Meredith — 119 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White BassWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
10. Lake Whitney — 100 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, CrappieWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 22 public access sites
11. Lake Tawakoni — 63 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 23 public access sites
12. Ray Roberts Lake — 91 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 10 public access sites
13. Lake Palestine — 53 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 16 public access sites
14. Possum Kingdom Lake — 108 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, CrappieWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 27 public access sites
15. Lake O' the Pines — 51 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 14 public access sites
16. Lake Corpus Christi — 56 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites
17. Lewisville Lake — 69 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 21 public access sites
18. Belton Lake — 110 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, CrappieWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 19 public access sites
19. Lake Buchanan — 107 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites
20. Choke Canyon Reservoir — 85 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 6 public access sites
21. Hubbard Creek Reservoir — 63 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
22. Lake Granbury — 64 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 5 public access sites
23. Lake Limestone — 41 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
24. Lake Texana — 58 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 7 public access sites
25. Lake LBJ — 72 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #25: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 4 public access sites

…plus 57 more Texas waters holding flathead catfish.

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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 walleye 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 spotted bass lakes · best red drum (redfish) lakes · best spotted seatrout lakes · best southern flounder lakes

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