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41,350-acre bay near Rockport. The water tops out around 11 ft. The depth chart is built from real agency bathymetric surveys, so measured depths remain distinct from source interpolation. The channels, holes and drop-offs come from the source data, not a distance-from-shore model. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
The outline encloses 41,256 acres, worked by 50.4 miles of shoreline. A middling shoreline index (1.8) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. There is no deep basin to speak of — the entire surface is under ~15 ft, prime weed water end to end. Tip to tip the water measures near 16 mi with a 6.1-mi widest point. Its nearest charted neighbour, Aransas Bay, is 12 mi to the southeast.
Spring red drum (redfish) on Copano Bay hold shallow, usually 1 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 2 to 11 ft, and by winter most fish are in 2 to 11 ft. The chart's best answer is Creek inflow — inflow / creek mouth, 6 ft, prime for fall. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a weedless gold spoon or a paddletail swimbait.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Gold weedless spoon, Paddletail on 1/4 oz jighead |
| Summer | 2 to 11 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Weedless gold spoon, Paddletail swimbait |
| Fall | 2 to 11 ft | dawn & midday | Creek inflow (6 ft) | 1/2 oz spoon (schools), Big paddletail |
| Winter | 2 to 11 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (10 ft) | Scented soft plastic on 1/8 oz head, Slow-rolled paddletail |
Spring puts spotted seatrout in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 3 to 11 ft; cold water stacks them in 3 to 11 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring spotted seatrout. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A popping cork + shrimp or a 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Topwater walker, Suspending twitchbait |
| Summer | 3 to 11 ft | dawn | Break off the point (6 ft) | Popping cork + shrimp, 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Popping cork rig, Soft plastic jerkbait |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday & dusk | Deep basin (10 ft) | Suspending twitchbait (long pauses), Scented plastic crawled on bottom |
Early season southern flounder use the shallows, holding in 1 to 11 ft. Even in summer they hold at 2 to 11 ft; winter keeps them in 3 to 11 ft. The chart's best answer is Old creek channel — creek channel, 6 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a jighead + gulp swimming mullet or a bucktail tipped with shrimp and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 11 ft | dawn | Old creek channel (6 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (white/chartreuse), Bucktail + Gulp shrimp |
| Summer | 2 to 11 ft | dawn | Old creek channel (6 ft) | Jighead + Gulp swimming mullet, Bucktail tipped with shrimp |
| Fall | 2 to 11 ft | midday | Creek inflow (6 ft) | 3/8 oz bucktail + Gulp (passes), Big paddletail on the jetty edge |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Deep basin (10 ft) | Slow jig + scented grub in the holes |
Early season sheepshead use the shallows, holding in 2 to 11 ft. Even in summer they hold at 2 to 11 ft; winter keeps them in 3 to 11 ft. Put Dock / pier line first on the milk run — a dock line near 2 ft that grades prime for summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a small jig + crab piece and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 11 ft | midday & dawn | Dock / pier line (2 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + fiddler, Sheepshead jig + shrimp piece |
| Summer | 2 to 11 ft | dawn | Dock / pier line (2 ft) | Small jig + crab piece |
| Fall | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Dock / pier line (2 ft) | Jighead + shrimp, Small crab jig |
| Winter | 3 to 11 ft | midday | Deep basin (10 ft) | Heavier jig + crab (deep pilings) |
Count 22 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 10 ft.
Access data: Texas Parks & Wildlife — Public Boat Ramps. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Texas waters are set by the Texas Parks & Wildlife (saltwater) — and special regulations can apply to Copano Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Texas fishing regulations →
Copano Bay is about 11 ft (3 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart is built from real agency bathymetric surveys, so measured depths remain distinct from source interpolation. The contours reflect measured and quality-assessed source depths.
Anglers target red drum (redfish), spotted seatrout, southern flounder, sheepshead on Copano Bay.
Creek inflow is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for red drum (redfish) in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For red drum (redfish), 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.
Fishing on Copano Bay is regulated by the Texas Parks & Wildlife (saltwater). Check the official Texas regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Aransas Bay 12 mi · Redfish Bay 16 mi · Espiritu Santo Bay 40 mi · Coleto Creek Reservoir 44 mi · Lavaca Bay 47 mi · Lake Corpus Christi 50 mi · Matagorda Bay 59 mi · Lake Findley 63 mi · Lake Texana 68 mi · Choke Canyon Reservoir 81 mi · East Matagorda Bay 88 mi · Victor Braunig Lake 109 mi
See how Copano Bay stacks up: best red drum (redfish) lakes in Texas · best spotted seatrout lakes in Texas · best southern flounder lakes in Texas
Browse all Texas fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA Office of Coast Survey (ENC soundings, MLLW datum). 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.