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19,305-acre reservoir near Cooper. The lake tops out around 51 ft. The depth chart comes from Texas Water Development Board bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
On the chart, Cooper Lake draws 17,868 acres inside 71.9 miles of shoreline, with 8 islands in the mix. An index of 3.8 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 52% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. The basin spans about 11.3 mi end to end and 5.2 mi across at its widest. The water lies in Delta County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Big Creek Reservoir, 6 mi north of here.
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 2 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 (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (15 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (6 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (15 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
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 Doctors Creek inflow — inflow / creek mouth, 2 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 | Doctors Creek inflow (2 ft) | Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (6 ft) | Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish) |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (6 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | Old creek channel (19 ft) | Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait |
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: Doctors Creek inflow, an inflow / creek mouth in the 2 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 | Doctors Creek inflow (2 ft) | Rooster tail / inline spinner, Curly-tail jig (white/chartreuse) |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (15 ft) | Jigging spoon, Topwater (when schooling) |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (6 ft) | Small blade bait, Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Old creek channel (19 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait (vertical) |
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: Old creek channel, a creek channel in the 19 ft range, prime in fall. 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 (2 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Old creek channel (19 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Old creek channel (19 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Old creek channel (19 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 Old creek channel, a creek channel in about 19 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in summer. 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 | Doctors Creek inflow (2 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Old creek channel (19 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Old creek channel (19 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Old creek channel (19 ft) |
Spring blue catfish on Cooper Lake hold shallow, usually 5 to 25 ft. They move out to 10 to 40 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 50 ft. Put Old creek channel first on the milk run — a creek channel near 19 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | Old creek channel (19 ft) | |
| Summer | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Old creek channel (19 ft) | |
| Fall | 15 to 45 ft | dusk | Old creek channel (19 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Deep basin (50 ft) |
Cooper Lake also holds flathead catfish (8 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Structure-wise the chart holds 17 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 50 ft.
Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* | Largemouth Bass (fingerling) | 15,135 | — |
| 2026* | Sunshine Bass (fingerling) | 100,555 | — |
| 2026* | Lone Star Bass (fingerling) | 136,424 | — |
| 2025* | Channel Catfish (fingerling) | 26,746 | — |
| 2025* | Sunshine Bass (fingerling) | 190,991 | — |
| 2025* | Lone Star Bass (fingerling) | 129,473 | — |
| 2024* | Palmetto Bass (fingerling) | 192,871 | — |
| 2024* | Sunshine Bass (fingerling) | 179,430 | — |
* 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 Cooper Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Texas fishing regulations →
Cooper Lake is about 51 ft (16 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from Texas Water Development Board bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Anglers target largemouth bass, white bass, white bass & hybrids, crappie, channel catfish, blue catfish, flathead catfish on Cooper Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each 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, Cooper Lake was most recently stocked 2026 with 15,135 largemouth bass (fingerling). The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Cooper 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.
Big Creek Reservoir 6 mi · Lake Sulphur Springs 11 mi · Lake Crook 29 mi · Lake Fork 30 mi · Bonham State Park Lake 30 mi · Bois d'Arc Lake 31 mi · Davy Crockett Lake 32 mi · Coffee Mill Lake 33 mi · Lake Tawakoni 33 mi · Lake Cypress Springs 34 mi · Lake Quitman 34 mi · Lake Winnsboro 34 mi
See how Cooper Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Texas · best white bass lakes in Texas · best crappie lakes in Texas · best channel catfish lakes in Texas
Browse all Texas fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry: published agency survey data. 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.