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11,854-acre reservoir near Houston. The lake tops out around 43 ft. The depth chart comes from Texas Water Development Board bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
Drawn out, this is 11,230 acres of water rimmed by 156.6 miles of bank, with 72 islands in the mix. An index of 10.5 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. 61% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. End to end it runs roughly 11 mi, about 10.5 mi across. You'll find it in Harris County. The nearest mapped water is Sheldon Lake, 9 mi to the south.
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 | Shoreline point (4 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (35 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Early season white bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 40 ft. Put Creek inflow first on the milk run — an inflow / creek mouth near 2 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Creek inflow (2 ft) | Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (9 ft) | Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish) |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (4 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (35 ft) | Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: crappie in 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 25 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 35 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (8 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (14 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (8 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (35 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring blue catfish on Lake Houston hold shallow, usually 5 to 25 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 40 ft, and by winter most fish are in 13 to 43 ft. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 35 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | East Fork San Jacinto River inflow (5 ft) | |
| Summer | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (35 ft) | |
| Fall | 13 to 43 ft | dusk | Deep basin (35 ft) | |
| Winter | 13 to 43 ft | midday | Deep basin (35 ft) |
Spring puts bluegill in skinny water — 1 to 6 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 15 ft; cold water stacks them in 10 to 25 ft. Weed flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Weed flat (3 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (8 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (8 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Back-bay flat (14 ft) | Tiny spoon |
Structure-wise the chart holds 25 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 35 ft.
Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* | Lone Star Bass (fingerling) | 75,259 | — |
| 2025* | Lone Star Bass (fingerling) | 79,202 | — |
| 2024* | Lone Star Bass (fingerling) | 75,552 | — |
* 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 Houston specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Texas fishing regulations →
Lake Houston is about 43 ft (13 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.
Anglers target largemouth bass, white bass, crappie, blue catfish, bluegill on Lake Houston.
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. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
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.
Yes — per TPWD stocking history records, Lake Houston was most recently stocked 2026 with 75,259 lone star bass (fingerling). The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Lake Houston 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.
Sheldon Lake 9 mi · San Jacinto River 23 mi · Upper Galveston Bay 27 mi · Lake Conroe 40 mi · Lake Raven 48 mi · Lake Livingston 56 mi · San Bernard River 79 mi · Sabine Lake 80 mi, TX/LA · B.A. Steinhagen Lake 84 mi · Somerville Lake 88 mi · Lake Bryan 91 mi · Fayette County Reservoir 93 mi
See how Lake Houston stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Texas · best white bass lakes in Texas · best crappie lakes in Texas · best bluegill 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.