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Best freshwater drum lakes in Texas

21 Texas waters hold freshwater drum, 13 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 hardest-pulling fish nobody brags about. Roams current seams and mussel beds — bites all day.

1. Lake Texoma — 96 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie
2. Lake Livingston — 90 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
3. Toledo Bend Reservoir — 110 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
4. Amistad Reservoir — 217 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie
5. Richland-Chambers Reservoir — 77 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
6. Cedar Creek Reservoir — 64 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
7. Lake Whitney — 100 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie
8. Lake Tawakoni — 63 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
9. Possum Kingdom Lake — 108 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie
10. Ray Roberts Lake — 91 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
11. Lewisville Lake — 69 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
12. Belton Lake — 110 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie
13. Lake Buchanan — 107 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
14. Choke Canyon Reservoir — 85 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
15. Lake Ray Hubbard — 47 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
16. Falcon International Reservoir — 110 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
17. O.H. Ivie Reservoir — 119 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
18. Llano River — 7 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
19. Sabine River — 10 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
20. Brazos River (John Graves Reach) — 9 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Channel Catfish, Striped Bass
21. Colorado River (Austin) — 10 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Bluegill, Channel Catfish

When to fish freshwater drum in Texas

• Spring 5–20 ft — Big spring runs into current — gravel bars and creek mouths.
• Summer 8–30 ft — Channel edges and mussel beds; drum feed by ear — a dragging bait gets found.
• Fall 10–35 ft — Schools slide toward deep holes; slow bottom presentations.
• Winter 15–45 ft — Deep and slow.

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 flathead catfish lakes · best blue catfish lakes · best common carp lakes · best longnose gar lakes · best red drum (redfish) lakes · best spotted seatrout lakes · best southern flounder lakes

Freshwater Drum elsewhere: Minnesota · Iowa · Indiana · Nebraska · Ohio · Wisconsin · Kentucky · Illinois · Kansas · Tennessee · Missouri