Lady Bird Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (TX)

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Lake depth chart

Lady Bird Lake, TX

Max 35 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 ~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 Lady Bird Lake

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 Lady Bird Lake on the board.

Fishing Lady Bird Lake: what the data says

465-acre reservoir near Austin. The lake tops out around 35 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, Lady Bird Lake draws 462 acres inside 16.7 miles of shoreline, broken up by 4 islands. A development index of 5.5 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 64% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. End to end it runs roughly 5.5 mi, about 0.9 mi across. You'll find it in Travis County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Lake Austin, 8 mi northwest of here.

Largemouth Bass fishing at Lady Bird Lake

Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 8 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. 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 (8 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (8 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (7 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Break off the point (16 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Common Carp fishing at Lady Bird Lake

In spring, common carp run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 30 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for spring common carp. Time it for early morning and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	2 to 10 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (8 ft)
Summer	3 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (8 ft)
Fall	5 to 18 ft	midday	Shallow bay flat (8 ft)
Winter	10 to 30 ft	midday	Deep basin (30 ft)

Notable structure

Structure-wise the chart holds 18 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 30 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 30 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 17 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 16 ft
Harpers Branch Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 16 ft
Holly Fishing Pier: dock line, around 15 ft
Secondary point: point, around 10 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 10 ft
Community Dock: dock line, around 10 ft
East Bouldin Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 9 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 8 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 8 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 7 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 6 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 4 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Austin High School Boat Launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp (concrete)
Festival Beach Boat Landing — ramp

Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

Lady Bird Lake stocking report

Date	Species	Count	Size
2025*	ShareLunker largemouth Bass (fingerling)	14,787	—

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

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

Check the official Texas fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Lady Bird Lake?

Lady Bird Lake is about 35 ft (11 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 Lady Bird Lake?

Anglers target largemouth bass, common carp on Lady Bird Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Lady Bird Lake?

Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Lady Bird 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.

Is Lady Bird Lake stocked with fish?

Yes — per TPWD stocking history records, Lady Bird Lake was most recently stocked 2025 with 14,787 sharelunker largemouth bass (fingerling). The full stocking history is listed above.

What are the fishing regulations for Lady Bird Lake?

Fishing on Lady Bird 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 Austin 8 mi · Walter E. Long Lake 9 mi · Colorado River (Austin) 15 mi · Lake Travis 23 mi · Lake Georgetown 28 mi · Lake Bastrop 29 mi · Granger Lake 37 mi · Lake Marble Falls 38 mi · San Marcos River 40 mi · Guadalupe River (Canyon Tailwater) 40 mi · Canyon Lake 41 mi · Lake Dunlap 45 mi

See how Lady Bird Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Texas · best common carp 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.