Lake J.B. Thomas Depth Map & Fishing Spots (TX)

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Lake depth chart

Lake J.B. Thomas, TX

Max 52 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 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 Lake J.B. Thomas

Shared by DepthScout anglers. 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 J.B. Thomas on the board.

Fishing Lake J.B. Thomas: what the data says

7,282-acre reservoir near Snyder. The lake tops out around 52 ft. The depth chart comes from Texas Water Development Board bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.

The drawn water covers 7,163 acres wrapped in 68.9 miles of bank — 12 islands included. The 5.8 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. About 26% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Call it 10.1 mi long by 3.1 mi wide at the broadest reach. It sits in Borden County. If the bite dies, Lake Colorado City is 24 mi to the southeast.

Largemouth Bass fishing at Lake J.B. Thomas

Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Summer is an 8 to 20 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 2 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.

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	Weed flat (7 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	Break off the point (35 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

White Bass fishing at Lake J.B. Thomas

Start shallow in spring: white bass sit in 2 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for white bass in fall. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish) until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (12 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 (52 ft)	Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait

Crappie fishing at Lake J.B. Thomas

Spring crappie on Lake J.B. Thomas hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 10 to 25 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 2 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled).

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	Shallow feeding flat (16 ft)	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	8 to 20 ft	dawn	Weed flat (7 ft)	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Break off the point (35 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Channel Catfish fishing at Lake J.B. Thomas

Early season channel catfish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Summer is an 8 to 25 ft game here, winter a 20 to 40 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow feeding flat — feeding flat, 16 ft, prime for fall. Best bite is after dark and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dusk	Weed flat (7 ft)
Summer	8 to 25 ft	night & dusk	Shallow feeding flat (16 ft)
Fall	10 to 30 ft	dusk	Shallow feeding flat (16 ft)
Winter	20 to 40 ft	midday	Break off the point (35 ft)

Flathead Catfish fishing at Lake J.B. Thomas

Early season flathead catfish use the shallows, holding in 5 to 20 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 45 ft. Put Break off the point first on the milk run — a drop-off near 35 ft that grades prime for 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	Rock reef (5 ft)
Summer	8 to 30 ft	night & dusk	Shallow feeding flat (16 ft)
Fall	10 to 35 ft	night & dusk	Break off the point (35 ft)
Winter	20 to 45 ft	midday	Deep basin (52 ft)

Blue Catfish fishing at Lake J.B. Thomas

The spring pattern is a shallow one: blue catfish in 5 to 25 ft. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 40 ft, wintering in 20 to 50 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 52 ft range, prime in winter. Time it for early morning and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	5 to 25 ft	dusk	Shallow feeding flat (16 ft)
Summer	10 to 40 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow feeding flat (16 ft)
Fall	15 to 45 ft	dusk	Break off the point (35 ft)
Winter	20 to 50 ft	midday	Deep basin (52 ft)

Notable structure

16 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 52 ft, is the deepest of them.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 52 ft
Old creek channel: creek channel, around 51 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 35 ft
Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 20 ft
Secondary point: point, around 16 ft
Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 16 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 12 ft
Shoreline point: point, around 8 ft
Rock reef: rock pile, around 7 ft
Weed flat: weed flat, around 7 ft
Rock reef: rock pile, around 6 ft
Rock reef: rock pile, around 5 ft
Rock reef: rock pile, around 3 ft
Rock reef: rock pile, around 3 ft

Lake J.B. Thomas stocking report

Date	Species	Count	Size
2026*	ShareLunker largemouth Bass (fingerling)	62,266	—
2025*	ShareLunker largemouth Bass (fingerling)	14,329	—
2025*	Lone Star Bass (fingerling)	79,252	—
2024*	ShareLunker largemouth Bass (fingerling)	31,384	—

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

Lake J.B. Thomas 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 J.B. Thomas specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Texas fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Lake J.B. Thomas?

Lake J.B. Thomas is about 52 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.

What fish are in Lake J.B. Thomas?

Anglers target largemouth bass, white bass, crappie, channel catfish, flathead catfish, blue catfish on Lake J.B. Thomas.

Where is the best fishing spot on Lake J.B. Thomas?

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. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.

When is the best time to fish Lake J.B. Thomas?

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 J.B. Thomas stocked with fish?

Yes — per TPWD stocking history records, Lake J.B. Thomas was most recently stocked 2026 with 62,266 sharelunker largemouth bass (fingerling). The full stocking history is listed above.

What are the fishing regulations for Lake J.B. Thomas?

Fishing on Lake J.B. Thomas 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 Colorado City 24 mi · Champion Creek Reservoir 30 mi · Lake Alan Henry 31 mi · Lake Sweetwater 54 mi · E.V. Spence Reservoir 61 mi · White River Lake 61 mi · Oak Creek Reservoir 65 mi · Buffalo Springs Lake 71 mi · Lake Abilene 81 mi · O.C. Fisher Lake 87 mi · Kirby Lake 88 mi · Lake Fort Phantom Hill 89 mi

See how Lake J.B. Thomas 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.