Cleburne State Park Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (TX)

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Lake depth chart

Cleburne State Park Lake, TX

Max 29 ft

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Where to start

Fall shad migration window is on — see the hatch outlook

Hatch outlook

Fall shad migrationActive window

Typical here: Sep 1 – Dec 15 · upper ends and stained creeks turn on first, the main lake follows; Deep-South creeks hold bait into December

adultall day, best mid-afternoon as the sun warms the bait — the rare pattern where you can sleep in — follow the bait, not the structure: gulls, herons and egrets diving or stacked in a creek mean the shad (and the bass) are there — run and gun until you find flickering bait or surface activity

Concentrates hard but unevenly — whole stretches go empty while one creek loads up. The birds are the map.

Creek-arm run-and-gun: lipless crankbait and squarebill through the flats and ditches, walking topwater over surface schools, a 3/8 oz spinnerbait around isolated cover along the creek channel. Downsize to match the young-of-year shad; jerkbaits are the sleeper.

The event happens over backs of creek arms, pockets and ditches, secondary points on the way in, and main-lake flats where the bait balls roam

Willow fly (summer mayfly)Active window

Typical here: Apr 1 – Oct 31 · recurring broods all summer — the heart of it is June–July, famously around July 4th on the Tennessee River lakes; any one hatch lasts days to ~3 weeks

dunhatches at dusk — clouds of bugs just before dark, continuing into the night — after hatching they fly to shoreline foliage — trees near lighted docks get covered; the feeding zone is the water under bug-loaded overhanging bushes and willows
spinnerthe following days: mating, egg drop and spent flies falling from the overhangs — the bream bite under the bushes runs as long as the bugs do

A two-level event: bream stack under the bug trees, and the big bass stack under the bream. Fish the same bushes twice — small for bream, big for the bass just outside them.

Crickets or small poppers under a float tight to the bug-covered bushes for bream; beetle spins and hair jigs just under the surface; for the bass, run a bluegill-pattern topwater or squarebill down the outside edge of the overhangs.

The event happens over under and just outside overhanging willows and bushes on steep banks; trees near lighted docks after dark

Next on this water

Spring crawfish emergence · forageFeb 15 – May 15 · in ~5 months

Shad spawn · baitfishMar 15 – Jun 15 · in ~6 months

Bluegill spawn (bream-bed bass) · forageMay 1 – Jul 31 · in ~8 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours on this water are approximations. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

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Recent catches at Cleburne State Park Lake

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Cleburne State Park Lake on the board.

Fishing Cleburne State Park Lake: what the data says

107-acre reservoir near Cleburne. Spring-fed lake (a.k.a. Cedar Lake) in Cleburne State Park. The lake tops out around 29 ft. What you see is a modeled chart: the shoreline is real, the max depth is published, and the contours between are estimated. Plan with it; don't navigate by it. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.

Traced from the shoreline, Cleburne State Park Lake runs 103 acres with 2.4 miles of edge. Index 1.7 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. Roughly 61% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. Tip to tip the water measures near 0.9 mi with a 0.5-mi widest point. You'll find it in Johnson County. The nearest mapped water is Lake Pat Cleburne, 8 mi to the east.

Largemouth Bass fishing at Cleburne State Park Lake

In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 9 to 29 ft for winter. Spring largemouth bass concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 3 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait most summer days.

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 (13 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	9 to 29 ft	midday	Break off the point (13 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Channel Catfish fishing at Cleburne State Park Lake

In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 25 ft before dropping to 9 to 29 ft for winter. Winter channel catfish concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 25 ft. Fish it in after dark and the evening and you'll meet the bite.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dusk	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)
Summer	8 to 25 ft	night & dusk	Deep basin (25 ft)
Fall	9 to 29 ft	dusk	Deep basin (25 ft)
Winter	9 to 29 ft	midday	Deep basin (25 ft)

Crappie fishing at Cleburne State Park Lake

Spring puts crappie in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 9 to 29 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 25 ft, rated prime for winter crappie. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.

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	Break off the point (13 ft)	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	8 to 20 ft	dawn	Break off the point (13 ft)	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	9 to 29 ft	midday	Deep basin (25 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Bluegill fishing at Cleburne State Park Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: bluegill in 1 to 6 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 4 to 15 ft before dropping to 10 to 25 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.

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	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday	Break off the point (13 ft)	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	10 to 25 ft	midday	Deep basin (25 ft)	Tiny spoon

Notable structure

8 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 25 ft, is the deepest of them.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 25 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 13 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 2 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 0 ft

Cleburne State Park Lake stocking report

Date	Species	Count	Size
2025*	Channel Catfish (fingerling)	2,671	—
2025*	Lone Star Bass (fingerling)	11,620	—
2024*	Channel Catfish (fingerling)	2,668	—

* Approximate date (agency reports month or season only). Source: TPWD stocking history, retrieved 2026-09-03.

Cleburne State Park Lake fishing regulations

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 Cleburne State Park Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Texas fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Cleburne State Park Lake?

Cleburne State Park Lake is about 29 ft (9 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.

What fish are in Cleburne State Park Lake?

Anglers target largemouth bass, channel catfish, crappie, bluegill on Cleburne State Park Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Cleburne State Park 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.

When is the best time to fish Cleburne State Park Lake?

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.

Is Cleburne State Park Lake stocked with fish?

Yes — per TPWD stocking history records, Cleburne State Park Lake was most recently stocked 2025 with 2,671 channel catfish (fingerling). The full stocking history is listed above.

What are the fishing regulations for Cleburne State Park Lake?

Fishing on Cleburne State Park 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.

Nearby waters

Lake Pat Cleburne 8 mi · Wheeler Branch Reservoir 12 mi · Comanche Creek Reservoir 14 mi · Lake Granbury 18 mi · Alvarado Park Lake 20 mi · Lake Whitney 21 mi · Benbrook Lake 25 mi · Meridian State Park Lake 27 mi · Aquilla Lake 31 mi · Lake Arlington 36 mi · Lake Weatherford 37 mi · Lake Worth 38 mi

See how Cleburne State Park Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Texas · best crappie lakes in Texas · best bluegill 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.