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Best striped bass lakes in Texas

10 Texas waters hold striped bass, 7 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. Open-water nomad that follows shad and herring schools; loves current, points and cool depths.

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. Amistad Reservoir — 217 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie
4. Lake Whitney — 100 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie
5. Lake Tawakoni — 63 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
6. Possum Kingdom Lake — 108 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie
7. Lake Buchanan — 107 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
8. Canyon Lake — 147 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie
9. Sabine River — 10 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
10. Brazos River (John Graves Reach) — 9 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Channel Catfish, Striped Bass

When to fish striped bass in Texas

• Spring 5–20 ft — Fish push up creeks and rivers; chase the bait to moving water.
• Summer 25–60 ft — Stripers hold in the cool deep layer — live bait or trolling over the thermocline.
• Fall 10–35 ft — Fall blitz season — follow the birds and breaking fish.
• Winter 20–50 ft — Big schools stack on channel bends with bait; slow presentations.

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

Striped Bass elsewhere: Arizona · Mississippi · Tennessee · Georgia · California · South Carolina