Lake Fort Phantom Hill Depth Map & Fishing Spots (TX)

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Lake depth chart

Lake Fort Phantom Hill, TX

Max 66 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 ~6 months

Shad spawn · baitfishMar 15 – Jun 15 · in ~6 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 Lake Fort Phantom Hill

1 angler watching on this water. 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 Lake Fort Phantom Hill on the board.

Fishing Lake Fort Phantom Hill: what the data says

4,213-acre reservoir near Abilene. Big catfish and hybrid-striper water north of Abilene. The lake tops out around 66 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 drawn water covers 3,550 acres wrapped in 28.9 miles of bank — one island included. With a shoreline index of 3.5, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. Roughly 55% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. Call it 6.5 mi long by 2.1 mi wide at the broadest reach. It sits in Jones County. Kirby Lake sits 14 mi south — the closest neighbouring chart.

Largemouth Bass fishing at Lake Fort Phantom Hill

Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is 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 (6 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Sharp break (20 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Shoreline point (10 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Break off the point (30 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

White Bass fishing at Lake Fort Phantom Hill

Spring puts white bass in skinny water — 2 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 25 ft, wintering in 15 to 40 ft. Spring white bass concentrate at Elm Creek inflow, a prime-rated inflow / creek mouth around 7 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. 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	Elm Creek inflow (7 ft)	Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank
Summer	8 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (17 ft)	Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish)
Fall	6 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (17 ft)	Jigging spoon, Blade bait
Winter	15 to 40 ft	midday	Old creek channel (33 ft)	Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait

White Bass & Hybrids fishing at Lake Fort Phantom Hill

When the water first warms, white bass & hybrids slide up into 3 to 15 ft. Summer is a 10 to 30 ft game here, winter a 20 to 40 ft one. Start at Elm Creek inflow. It's an inflow / creek mouth holding about 7 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a jigging spoon or a topwater (when schooling) rigged through the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Elm Creek inflow (7 ft)	Rooster tail / inline spinner, Curly-tail jig (white/chartreuse)
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (17 ft)	Jigging spoon, Topwater (when schooling)
Fall	8 to 25 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (17 ft)	Small blade bait, Jigging spoon
Winter	20 to 40 ft	midday	Old creek channel (33 ft)	Jigging spoon, Blade bait (vertical)

Blue Catfish fishing at Lake Fort Phantom Hill

In spring, blue catfish run shallow here, mostly 5 to 25 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 40 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 50 ft. Old creek channel is the standout, a creek channel at roughly 33 ft, rated prime for summer blue catfish. Time it for early morning and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	5 to 25 ft	dusk	Elm Creek inflow (7 ft)
Summer	10 to 40 ft	dawn & dusk	Old creek channel (33 ft)
Fall	15 to 45 ft	dusk	Old creek channel (33 ft)
Winter	20 to 50 ft	midday	Old creek channel (33 ft)

Flathead Catfish fishing at Lake Fort Phantom Hill

When the water first warms, flathead catfish slide up into 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. If you only fish one area, make it Old creek channel: a creek channel around 33 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	5 to 20 ft	night & dusk	Elm Creek inflow (7 ft)
Summer	8 to 30 ft	night & dusk	Old creek channel (33 ft)
Fall	10 to 35 ft	night & dusk	Old creek channel (33 ft)
Winter	20 to 45 ft	midday	Old creek channel (33 ft)

Crappie fishing at Lake Fort Phantom Hill

When the water first warms, crappie slide up into 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 10 to 25 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. Start at Old creek channel. It's a creek channel holding about 33 ft of water and rates prime come winter. The feeding windows run 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 (6 ft)	1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub
Summer	10 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Sharp break (20 ft)	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	8 to 20 ft	dawn	Sharp break (20 ft)	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Old creek channel (33 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Lake Fort Phantom Hill also holds freshwater drum (8 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.

Notable structure

Lake Fort Phantom Hill carries 22 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 56 ft down.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 56 ft
Old creek channel: creek channel, around 33 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 30 ft
Sharp break: drop-off, around 20 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 17 ft
Secondary point: point, around 17 ft
Shoreline point: point, around 10 ft
Elm Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 7 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 4 ft
Rock reef: rock pile, around 3 ft
Rock reef: rock pile, around 2 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 0 ft

Lake Fort Phantom Hill stocking report

Date	Species	Count	Size
2026*	ShareLunker largemouth Bass (fingerling)	20,129	—
2026*	Sunshine Bass (fingerling)	80,295	—
2026*	Lone Star Bass (fingerling)	35,339	—
2025*	Sunshine Bass (fingerling)	64,167	—
2025*	Sunshine Bass (fry)	210,500	—
2025*	Lone Star Bass (fingerling)	35,203	—
2024*	ShareLunker largemouth Bass (fingerling)	20,615	—
2024*	Sunshine Bass (fingerling)	62,645	—

* Approximate date (agency reports month or season only). Source: TPWD stocking history, retrieved 2026-08-18.

Lake Fort Phantom Hill 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 Lake Fort Phantom Hill specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Texas fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Lake Fort Phantom Hill?

Lake Fort Phantom Hill is about 66 ft (20 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 Lake Fort Phantom Hill?

Anglers target largemouth bass, white bass, white bass & hybrids, blue catfish, flathead catfish, crappie, freshwater drum on Lake Fort Phantom Hill.

Where is the best fishing spot on Lake Fort Phantom Hill?

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 Lake Fort Phantom Hill?

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 Lake Fort Phantom Hill stocked with fish?

Yes — per TPWD stocking history records, Lake Fort Phantom Hill was most recently stocked 2026 with 20,129 sharelunker largemouth bass (fingerling). The full stocking history is listed above.

What are the fishing regulations for Lake Fort Phantom Hill?

Fishing on Lake Fort Phantom Hill 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

Kirby Lake 14 mi · Lake Clyde 21 mi · Lake Abilene 26 mi · Lake Stamford 33 mi · Lake Sweetwater 38 mi · Lake Coleman 39 mi · Hubbard Creek Reservoir 40 mi · Lake Cisco 41 mi · Hubbard Creek Reservoir 43 mi · Lake Winters 45 mi · Lake Daniel 48 mi · Oak Creek Reservoir 51 mi

See how Lake Fort Phantom Hill stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Texas · best white bass lakes in Texas · best crappie lakes in Texas · best white bass & hybrids 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.