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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. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
Drawn out, this is 22,056 acres of water rimmed by 119.6 miles of bank. A development index of 5.7 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. Roughly 21% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 14.7 mi, about 8.5 mi across. You'll find it in Burnet County. For a second option, Inks Lake lies 7 mi south.
Spring striped bass on Lake Buchanan hold shallow, usually 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 25 to 60 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 50 ft. Put Secondary point first on the milk run — a point near 26 ft that grades prime for fall. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a flutter spoon (deep) or an umbrella rig (trolled).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Creek inflow (21 ft) | Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn) |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (30 ft) | Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled) |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Secondary point (26 ft) | Topwater walker, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Break off the point (30 ft) | Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon |
When the water first warms, white bass slide up into 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. If you only fish one area, make it South Fork Morgan Creek inflow: an inflow / creek mouth around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | South Fork Morgan Creek inflow (3 ft) | Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (11 ft) | Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish) |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (6 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (105 ft) | Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait |
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. Spring largemouth bass concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 7 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (7 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Weed flat (9 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (6 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (30 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring puts crappie in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 7 ft, rated prime for spring crappie. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (7 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (23 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Weed flat (9 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (30 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 25 ft before dropping to 20 to 40 ft for winter. Spring channel catfish concentrate at South Fork Morgan Creek inflow, a prime-rated inflow / creek mouth around 3 ft. Fish it in after dark and the evening and you'll meet the bite.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | South Fork Morgan Creek inflow (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Creek inflow (21 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Feeding flat (15 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Break off the point (30 ft) |
Come spring, look for blue catfish tight to the bank in 5 to 25 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 40 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 50 ft. Start at Creek inflow. It's an inflow / creek mouth holding about 21 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | Creek inflow (21 ft) | |
| Summer | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Feeding flat (15 ft) | |
| Fall | 15 to 45 ft | dusk | Break off the point (30 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Break off the point (30 ft) |
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.
Count 35 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 105 ft.
Access data: Texas Parks & Wildlife — Public Boat Ramps. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* | Striped Bass (fingerling) | 107,005 | — |
| 2026* | Sunshine Bass (fry) | 700,840 | — |
| 2025* | Striped Bass (fingerling) | 238,877 | — |
| 2025* | Sunshine Bass (fry) | 1,035,130 | — |
| 2024* | Striped Bass (fingerling) | 163,637 | — |
| 2024* | Sunshine Bass (fry) | 1,000,000 | — |
* Approximate date (agency reports month or season only). Source: TPWD stocking history, retrieved 2026-08-18.
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 Buchanan specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Texas fishing regulations →
Lake Buchanan is about 107 ft (33 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target striped bass, white bass, largemouth bass, crappie, channel catfish, blue catfish, flathead catfish, freshwater drum, common carp 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. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
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.
Yes — per TPWD stocking history records, Lake Buchanan was most recently stocked 2026 with 107,005 striped bass (fingerling). The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Lake Buchanan 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.
Inks Lake 7 mi · Lake LBJ 14 mi · Lake Marble Falls 21 mi · Lake Travis 33 mi · Lake Georgetown 40 mi · Llano River 44 mi · Lake Austin 48 mi · Stillhouse Hollow Lake 49 mi · Lady Bird Lake 56 mi · Belton Lake 58 mi · Walter E. Long Lake 61 mi · Granger Lake 63 mi
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 see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. 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.