Coleto Creek Reservoir Depth Map & Fishing Spots (TX)

Skip to interactive depth chart

Lake depth chart

Coleto Creek Reservoir, TX

Max 46 ft

Today's read

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 ~4 months

Shad spawn · baitfishMar 15 – Jun 15 · in ~5 months

Bluegill spawn (bream-bed bass) · forageMay 1 – Jul 31 · in ~7 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.

Depth · ft

Loading bounded depth chart…

Recent catches at Coleto Creek Reservoir

Recent public catches load as you reach this section.

Fishing Coleto Creek Reservoir: what the data says

3,100-acre reservoir near Victoria. The lake tops out around 46 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. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.

The outline encloses 2,694 acres, worked by 76.8 miles of shoreline, with 7 islands in the mix. The 10.6 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 83% of this chart, as modeled. Figure 8 mi of water from one end to the other, 4.4 mi at the beam. It sits in Goliad County. If the bite dies, Lavaca Bay is 38 mi to the east.

Largemouth Bass fishing at Coleto Creek Reservoir

Spring largemouth bass on Coleto Creek Reservoir hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 6 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Sharp break (12 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (12 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Sharp break (12 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

White Bass fishing at Coleto Creek Reservoir

The spring pattern is a shallow one: white bass in 2 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 25 ft, wintering in 15 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Turkey Creek inflow, an inflow / creek mouth in the 5 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish) gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Turkey Creek inflow (5 ft)	Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank
Summer	8 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (12 ft)	Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish)
Fall	6 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (12 ft)	Jigging spoon, Blade bait
Winter	15 to 40 ft	midday	Deep basin (39 ft)	Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait

Crappie fishing at Coleto Creek Reservoir

Early season crappie use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 10 to 25 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 6 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub
Summer	10 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Sharp break (12 ft)	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	8 to 20 ft	dawn	Sharp break (12 ft)	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Deep basin (39 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Channel Catfish fishing at Coleto Creek Reservoir

Spring channel catfish on Coleto Creek Reservoir hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 8 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 40 ft. Put Turkey Creek inflow first on the milk run — an inflow / creek mouth near 5 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run after dark and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dusk	Turkey Creek inflow (5 ft)
Summer	8 to 25 ft	night & dusk	Sharp break (12 ft)
Fall	10 to 30 ft	dusk	Sharp break (12 ft)
Winter	20 to 40 ft	midday	Deep basin (39 ft)

Blue Catfish fishing at Coleto Creek Reservoir

Start shallow in spring: blue catfish sit in 5 to 25 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 40 ft, and winter fish settle into 14 to 46 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 39 ft of water that rates prime for blue catfish in winter. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening.

Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	5 to 25 ft	dusk	Turkey Creek inflow (5 ft)
Summer	10 to 40 ft	dawn & dusk	Deep basin (39 ft)
Fall	15 to 45 ft	dusk	Deep basin (39 ft)
Winter	14 to 46 ft chart-limited; documented 20 to 50 ft	midday	Deep basin (39 ft)

Flathead Catfish fishing at Coleto Creek Reservoir

Spring flathead catfish on Coleto Creek Reservoir hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 45 ft. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 39 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in after dark and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	5 to 20 ft	night & dusk	Turkey Creek inflow (5 ft)
Summer	8 to 30 ft	night & dusk	Sharp break (12 ft)
Fall	10 to 35 ft	night & dusk	Deep basin (39 ft)
Winter	20 to 45 ft	midday	Deep basin (39 ft)

Coleto Creek Reservoir also holds bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), redear sunfish (4 to 18 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.

Notable structure

13 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 39 ft, is the deepest of them.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 39 ft
Sharp break: drop-off, around 12 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 12 ft
Secondary point: point, around 12 ft
Shoreline point: point, around 10 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Turkey Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 5 ft
Rock reef: rock pile, around 5 ft
Sharp break: drop-off, around 3 ft
Sharp break: drop-off, around 3 ft
Weed flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Weed flat: weed flat, around 2 ft

Coleto Creek Reservoir stocking report

Date	Species	Count	Size
2025*	Lone Star Bass (fingerling)	104,173	—
2024*	Lone Star Bass (fingerling)	89,767	—

* Approximate date (agency reports month or season only). Source: TPWD stocking history, retrieved 2026-09-23.

Coleto Creek Reservoir 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 Coleto Creek Reservoir specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Texas fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Coleto Creek Reservoir?

Coleto Creek Reservoir is about 46 ft (14 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 Coleto Creek Reservoir?

Anglers target largemouth bass, white bass, crappie, channel catfish, blue catfish, flathead catfish, bluegill, redear sunfish on Coleto Creek Reservoir.

Where is the best fishing spot on Coleto Creek Reservoir?

Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.

When is the best time to fish Coleto Creek Reservoir?

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 Coleto Creek Reservoir stocked with fish?

Yes — per TPWD stocking history records, Coleto Creek Reservoir was most recently stocked 2025 with 104,173 lone star bass (fingerling). The full stocking history is listed above.

What are the fishing regulations for Coleto Creek Reservoir?

Fishing on Coleto Creek Reservoir 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

Lavaca Bay 38 mi · Lake Texana 44 mi · Copano Bay 44 mi · Espiritu Santo Bay 50 mi · Aransas Bay 54 mi · Redfish Bay 59 mi · Matagorda Bay 60 mi · Lake Corpus Christi 61 mi · San Marcos River 71 mi · Choke Canyon Reservoir 74 mi · Lake Placid 74 mi · Calaveras Lake 77 mi

See how Coleto Creek Reservoir 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. 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.