Diversion Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (TX)

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Lake depth chart

Diversion Lake, TX

Max 29 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 ~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 here are generated from real agency depth surveys; use the survey badge for the provider, dataset, datum and measured coverage. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

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Recent catches at Diversion Lake

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

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Fishing Diversion Lake: what the data says

3,472-acre reservoir near Holliday. The lake tops out around 29 ft. The depth chart comes from Texas Water Development Board bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.

The outline encloses 3,489 acres, worked by 60.2 miles of shoreline. The 7.3 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. Roughly 70% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Call it 7.8 mi long by 3.2 mi wide at the broadest reach. Baylor County claims this one. Lake Kickapoo sits 13 mi southeast — the closest neighbouring chart.

Largemouth Bass fishing at Diversion Lake

Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 9 to 29 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 2 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait is the honest summer answer here.

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	Sharp break (13 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Shoreline point (5 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	9 to 29 ft	midday	Sharp break (13 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

White Bass fishing at Diversion Lake

Spring puts white bass in skinny water — 2 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 9 to 29 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 28 ft, rated prime for winter white bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish) covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Gravel shoal (5 ft)	Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank
Summer	8 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Sharp break (13 ft)	Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish)
Fall	6 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Shoreline point (5 ft)	Jigging spoon, Blade bait
Winter	9 to 29 ft	midday	Deep basin (28 ft)	Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait

Crappie fishing at Diversion Lake

When the water first warms, crappie slide up into 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 9 to 29 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 28 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.

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	Sharp break (13 ft)	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	8 to 20 ft	dawn	Sharp break (13 ft)	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	9 to 29 ft	midday	Deep basin (28 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Channel Catfish fishing at Diversion Lake

Come spring, look for channel catfish tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 9 to 29 ft. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 28 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in after dark and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dusk	Shallow feeding flat (8 ft)
Summer	8 to 25 ft	night & dusk	Shallow feeding flat (17 ft)
Fall	9 to 29 ft	dusk	Deep basin (28 ft)
Winter	9 to 29 ft	midday	Deep basin (28 ft)

Bluegill fishing at Diversion Lake

Come spring, look for bluegill tight to the bank in 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 25 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 6 ft	midday & dusk	Shallow bay flat (2 ft)	1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings)
Summer	4 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow feeding flat (8 ft)	Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday	Sharp break (13 ft)	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	10 to 25 ft	midday	Deep basin (28 ft)	Tiny spoon

Notable structure

Diversion Lake carries 15 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 28 ft down.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 28 ft
Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 17 ft
Sharp break: drop-off, around 13 ft
Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 8 ft
Feeding flat: feeding flat, around 8 ft
Gravel shoal: gravel shoal, around 5 ft
Shoreline point: point, around 5 ft
Shoreline point: point, around 5 ft
Gravel shoal: gravel shoal, around 3 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Gravel shoal: gravel shoal, around 2 ft
Weed flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 1 ft
Secondary point: point, around 1 ft

Diversion 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 Diversion Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Texas fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Diversion Lake?

Diversion Lake is about 29 ft (9 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.

What fish are in Diversion Lake?

Anglers target largemouth bass, white bass, crappie, channel catfish, bluegill on Diversion Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Diversion 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. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.

When is the best time to fish Diversion 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.

What are the fishing regulations for Diversion Lake?

Fishing on Diversion 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 Kickapoo 13 mi · Lake Kemp 15 mi · North Fork Buffalo Creek Reservoir 19 mi · Lake Wichita 24 mi · Lake Cooper (Olney) 26 mi · Lake Olney 27 mi · Lake Arrowhead 34 mi · Millers Creek Reservoir 36 mi · Lake Graham 47 mi · Lake Frederick 52 mi, OK · Lake Bryson 53 mi · Dave Boyer Lake 54 mi, OK

See how Diversion 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. 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.