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Fishing Brazos River (John Graves Reach): what the data says
The stretch that inspired Goodbye to a River. The river tops out around 9 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Striped Bass fishing at Brazos River (John Graves Reach)
In spring, striped bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 9 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 9 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 9 ft. Morris Sheppard Dam tailrace is the standout, a dam tailrace at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for spring striped bass. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a flutter spoon (deep) or a umbrella rig (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn) |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Topwater walker, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon |
White Bass fishing at Brazos River (John Graves Reach)
In spring, white bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 9 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 9 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 9 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Morris Sheppard Dam tailrace: a dam tailrace around 8 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | see map |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | see map |
| Fall | 2 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | see map |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | see map |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Brazos River (John Graves Reach)
Spring largemouth bass on Brazos River (John Graves Reach) hold shallow, usually 2 to 9 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 9 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 9 ft. The spot to know is Outside-bend hole (mile 6.2), a creek channel in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in fall. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 2 to 9 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Brazos River (John Graves Reach)
Spring channel catfish on Brazos River (John Graves Reach) hold shallow, usually 2 to 9 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 9 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 9 ft. The spot to know is Outside-bend hole (mile 6.2), a creek channel in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in summer. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 3 to 9 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday |
Blue Catfish fishing at Brazos River (John Graves Reach)
Start shallow in spring: blue catfish sit in 2 to 9 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 2 to 9 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 9 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Outside-bend hole (mile 6.2): a creek channel around 7 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 2 to 9 ft | dawn & dusk | |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday |
Flathead Catfish fishing at Brazos River (John Graves Reach)
In spring, flathead catfish run shallow here, mostly 2 to 9 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 9 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 9 ft. The spot to know is Tailout eddy (mile 0.3), a eddy pocket in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for flathead catfish in spring. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 9 ft | night & dusk | |
| Summer | 2 to 9 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 3 to 9 ft | night & dusk | |
| Winter | 3 to 9 ft | midday |
Brazos River (John Graves Reach) also holds freshwater drum (2 to 9 ft in summer), common carp (2 to 9 ft in summer), longnose gar (1 to 9 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Morris Sheppard Dam tailrace: dam tailrace, around 8 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 6.2): creek channel, around 7 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 8.1): creek channel, around 7 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 11.8): creek channel, around 7 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 14.0): creek channel, around 7 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 21.5): creek channel, around 7 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 29.9): creek channel, around 7 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 32.3): creek channel, around 7 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 34.5): creek channel, around 7 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 37.6): creek channel, around 7 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 42.6): creek channel, around 7 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 47.0): creek channel, around 7 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 52.9): creek channel, around 7 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 57.8): creek channel, around 7 ft
Common questions
How deep is Brazos River (John Graves Reach)?
Brazos River (John Graves Reach) is about 9 ft 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.
What fish are in Brazos River (John Graves Reach)?
Anglers target largemouth bass, white bass, channel catfish, striped bass, flathead catfish, blue catfish, freshwater drum, common carp, longnose gar on Brazos River (John Graves Reach).
Where is the best fishing spot on Brazos River (John Graves Reach)?
Morris Sheppard Dam tailrace is the top-rated area: a dam tailrace in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for striped bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Brazos River (John Graves Reach)?
For striped 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.
Nearby waters
Possum Kingdom Lake · Lake Whitney · Lewisville Lake · Ray Roberts Lake · Lake Ray Hubbard · Belton Lake
See how Brazos River (John Graves Reach) stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Texas · best white bass lakes in Texas · best channel catfish lakes in Texas · best striped bass lakes in Texas
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