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Fishing Lake Buchanan: what the data says
22,211-acre reservoir near Burnet. The lake tops out around 107 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Striped Bass fishing at Lake Buchanan
In spring, striped bass run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 25 to 60 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 50 ft. Secondary point is the standout, a point at roughly 26 ft, rated prime for fall striped bass. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a flutter spoon (deep) or a umbrella rig (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn) |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled) |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Topwater walker, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon |
White Bass fishing at Lake Buchanan
Spring white bass on Lake Buchanan hold shallow, usually 2 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 40 ft. South Fork Morgan Creek inflow is the standout, a inflow / creek mouth at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring white bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | see map |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | see map |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | see map |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | see map |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Lake Buchanan
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 7 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Crappie fishing at Lake Buchanan
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Lake Buchanan
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 40 ft. The spot to know is South Fork Morgan Creek inflow, a inflow / creek mouth in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in spring. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday |
Blue Catfish fishing at Lake Buchanan
Start shallow in spring: blue catfish sit in 5 to 25 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 40 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 50 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Creek inflow: a inflow / creek mouth around 21 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | |
| Fall | 15 to 45 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday |
Lake Buchanan also holds flathead catfish (8 to 30 ft in summer), freshwater drum (8 to 30 ft in summer), common carp (3 to 15 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 105 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 105 ft
- Deepest basin: deep basin, around 100 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 79 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 79 ft
- Old creek channel: creek channel, around 65 ft
- Feeding flat: feeding flat, around 44 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 33 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 33 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 30 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 29 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 26 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 24 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 23 ft
Common questions
How deep is Lake Buchanan?
Lake Buchanan is about 107 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Lake Buchanan?
Anglers target largemouth bass, white bass, crappie, channel catfish, striped bass, flathead catfish, blue catfish, freshwater drum, common carp on Lake Buchanan.
Where is the best fishing spot on Lake Buchanan?
Secondary point is the top-rated area: a point in about 26 ft of water that rates prime for striped bass in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Lake Buchanan?
For striped 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.
Nearby waters
Lake LBJ · Lake Travis · Llano River · Stillhouse Hollow Lake · Belton Lake · Canyon Lake
See how Lake Buchanan 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 every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.