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26,810-acre reservoir near Karnack. Moss-draped cypress maze. Texas’s only natural lake. The lake tops out around 27 ft. This chart interpolates between a real shoreline and a known maximum depth. It will point you at likely water, but it is not a navigation product. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
The drawn outline gives you 95.6 miles of bank to pick apart, with 3 islands in the mix. With a shoreline index of 5.4, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 79% of the surface on the model — that's where the groceries are. Tip to tip the water measures near 10.7 mi with a 9.2-mi widest point. It sits in Caddo Parish. If the bite dies, Cross Lake is 19 mi to the southeast.
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 27 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 (12 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 27 ft | midday | Break off the point (12 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring crappie on Caddo 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 27 ft. Put Old creek channel first on the milk run — a creek channel near 14 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 (14 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Old creek channel (14 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 8 to 27 ft | midday | Deep basin (23 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: white bass sit in 2 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 27 ft. The spot to know is Harrison Bayou inflow, an inflow / creek mouth in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for white bass in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Harrison Bayou inflow (4 ft) | Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish) |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait |
| Winter | 8 to 27 ft | midday | Deep basin (23 ft) | Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait |
Spring bluegill on Caddo Lake hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. By summer they slide out to 4 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 25 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 3 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Weed flat (4 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Break off the point (12 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (23 ft) | Tiny 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 27 ft one. The chart's best answer is Harrison Bayou 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 | Harrison Bayou inflow (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Old creek channel (14 ft) | |
| Fall | 8 to 27 ft | dusk | Old creek channel (14 ft) | |
| Winter | 8 to 27 ft | midday | Deep basin (23 ft) |
Early season flathead catfish use the shallows, holding in 5 to 20 ft. Expect a summer slide to 7 to 27 ft, then a winter hold in 8 to 27 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 23 ft that grades prime for fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | night & dusk | Old creek channel (14 ft) | |
| Summer | 7 to 27 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (23 ft) | |
| Fall | 8 to 27 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (23 ft) | |
| Winter | 8 to 27 ft | midday | Deep basin (23 ft) |
Caddo Lake also holds 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 32 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 23 ft.
Access data: Texas Parks & Wildlife — Public Boat Ramps. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025* | Lone Star Bass (fingerling) | 337,864 | — |
* 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 Caddo Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Texas fishing regulations →
Caddo Lake is about 27 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, white bass, bluegill, channel catfish, flathead catfish, common carp, longnose gar on Caddo 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. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
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.
Yes — per TPWD stocking history records, Caddo Lake was most recently stocked 2025 with 337,864 lone star bass (fingerling). The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Caddo 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.
Cross Lake 19 mi, LA · Brandy Branch Reservoir 33 mi, TX · Lake O' the Pines 34 mi, TX · Wright Patman Lake 41 mi, TX · Ellison Creek Reservoir 43 mi, TX · Lake Bistineau 44 mi, LA · Martin Creek Lake 47 mi, TX · Welsh Reservoir 52 mi, TX · Lake Murvaul 54 mi, TX · Lake Gladewater 55 mi, TX · Lake Gilmer 56 mi, TX · Kepler Creek Lake 60 mi, LA
See how Caddo Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Texas · best white bass lakes in Texas · best crappie lakes in Texas · best bluegill 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.