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Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
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556-acre reservoir near Balmorhea. Far-West Texas desert lake near the Davis Mountains. The lake tops out around 25 ft. Contours on this water are modeled from its actual shoreline and max depth. Good for finding likely water, never for navigation. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
Balmorhea Lake maps at 565 acres behind 5.1 miles of shoreline. A middling shoreline index (1.5) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. Roughly 73% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. Call it 1.4 mi long by 1.1 mi wide at the broadest reach. It sits in Reeves County. If the bite dies, Jal Lake is 85 mi to the north.
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Summer is an 8 to 20 ft game here, winter an 8 to 25 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 3 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (11 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Break off the point (11 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring crappie on Balmorhea Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 10 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 8 to 25 ft. Put Old creek channel first on the milk run — a creek channel near 13 ft that grades prime for fall. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Old creek channel (13 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Old creek channel (13 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (21 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Early season channel catfish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Summer is an 8 to 25 ft game here, winter an 8 to 25 ft one. The chart's best answer is Kountz Draw inflow — inflow / creek mouth, 4 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Kountz Draw inflow (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Old creek channel (13 ft) | |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | dusk | Old creek channel (13 ft) | |
| Winter | 8 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (21 ft) |
8 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 21 ft, is the deepest of them.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Texas waters are set by the Texas Parks & Wildlife — and special regulations can apply to Balmorhea Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Texas fishing regulations →
Balmorhea Lake is about 25 ft (8 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, channel catfish on Balmorhea Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For largemouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Balmorhea Lake is regulated by the Texas Parks & Wildlife. Check the official Texas regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Jal Lake 85 mi, NM · Eunice Lake 108 mi, NM · Brantley Lake 118 mi, NM · Conoco Lake (Loco Lagoon) 128 mi, NM · Green Meadow Lake 128 mi, NM · Lake Van 159 mi, NM · Lea Lake 167 mi, NM · Amistad Reservoir 174 mi · Devils River 181 mi · Lake J.B. Thomas 186 mi · Twin Buttes Reservoir 189 mi · Lake Colorado City 190 mi
See how Balmorhea Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Texas · best crappie lakes in Texas · best channel catfish lakes in Texas
Browse all Texas fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.