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12,300-acre reservoir near Belton. The lake tops out around 110 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
On the chart, Belton Lake draws 11,929 acres inside 125.4 miles of shoreline. A development index of 8.2 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. 26% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. Call it 10.8 mi long by 10.2 mi wide at the broadest reach. The water lies in Bell County. For a second option, Stillhouse Hollow Lake lies 13 mi southwest.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: white bass & hybrids in 3 to 15 ft. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 20 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Cowhouse Creek inflow, an inflow / creek mouth in the 4 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jigging spoon or a topwater (when schooling) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Cowhouse Creek inflow (4 ft) | Rooster tail / inline spinner, Curly-tail jig (white/chartreuse) |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (18 ft) | Jigging spoon, Topwater (when schooling) |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (18 ft) | Small blade bait, Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Break off the point (35 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait (vertical) |
Early season white bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 12 ft. Summer is an 8 to 25 ft game here, winter a 15 to 40 ft one. The chart's best answer is Cowhouse Creek inflow — inflow / creek mouth, 4 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Cowhouse Creek inflow (4 ft) | Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (18 ft) | Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish) |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (18 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | Old creek channel (49 ft) | Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait |
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (18 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (35 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: smallmouth bass in 3 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 20 to 45 ft. Top water on the chart: Main-lake point, a point in the 18 ft range, prime in fall. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (2 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (18 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (18 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Break off the point (35 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: crappie in 2 to 8 ft. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 25 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 4 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (11 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow feeding flat (11 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (35 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Cowhouse Creek inflow, an inflow / creek mouth in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Cowhouse Creek inflow (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (11 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Shallow feeding flat (11 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Break off the point (35 ft) |
Belton Lake also holds blue catfish (10 to 40 ft in summer), flathead catfish (8 to 30 ft in summer), freshwater drum (8 to 30 ft in summer), common carp (3 to 15 ft in summer), longnose gar (1 to 12 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 17 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 105 ft.
Access data: Texas Parks & Wildlife — Public Boat Ramps. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* | Sunshine Bass (fingerling) | 123,284 | — |
| 2025* | Sunshine Bass (fry) | 1,324,340 | — |
| 2025* | Lone Star Bass (fingerling) | 157,697 | — |
| 2024* | Palmetto Bass (fry) | 824,800 | — |
| 2024* | Smallmouth Bass (fingerling) | 115,211 | — |
| 2024* | Sunshine Bass (fingerling) | 81,449 | — |
| 2024* | Lone Star Bass (fingerling) | 100,676 | — |
* Approximate date (agency reports month or season only). Source: TPWD stocking history, retrieved 2026-08-18.
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 Belton Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Texas fishing regulations →
Belton Lake is about 110 ft (34 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target white bass & hybrids, white bass, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, channel catfish, blue catfish, flathead catfish, freshwater drum, common carp, longnose gar on Belton Lake.
Cowhouse Creek inflow is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for white bass & hybrids in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For white bass & hybrids, 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.
Yes — per TPWD stocking history records, Belton Lake was most recently stocked 2026 with 123,284 sunshine bass (fingerling). The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Belton 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.
Stillhouse Hollow Lake 13 mi · Lake Waco 30 mi · Granger Lake 35 mi · Lake Georgetown 38 mi · Tradinghouse Creek Reservoir 42 mi · Meridian State Park Lake 50 mi · Aquilla Lake 55 mi · Lake Whitney 55 mi · Lake Buchanan 58 mi · Lake Travis 60 mi · Inks Lake 60 mi · Walter E. Long Lake 61 mi
See how Belton Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Texas · best smallmouth bass lakes in Texas · best white bass lakes in Texas · best crappie lakes in Texas
Browse all Texas fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. 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.