Lake depth chart
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83,277-acre reservoir near Livingston. The lake tops out around 73 ft. The depth chart comes from Texas Water Development Board bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
The outline encloses 81,100 acres, worked by 416.9 miles of shoreline, broken up by 2 islands. A development index of 10.4 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 38% of this chart. Call it 32.1 mi long by 16 mi wide at the broadest reach. It sits in San Jacinto County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Lake Raven, is 25 mi to the southwest.
In spring, white bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 40 ft. Shoreline point is the standout, a point at roughly 7 ft, rated prime for fall white bass. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Gravel shoal (8 ft) | Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (9 ft) | Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish) |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (7 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | Deepest basin (39 ft) | Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait |
Start shallow in spring: striped bass sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 25 to 60 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 50 ft. Top water on the chart: Deepest basin, a deep basin in the 39 ft range, prime in summer. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a topwater walker at low light or a paddletail on a light jig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (7 ft) | 3-5 inch baitfish swimbait, Suspending minnow plug |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Deepest basin (39 ft) | Topwater walker at low light, Paddletail on a light jig |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (9 ft) | Baitfish swimbait, Metal jig |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Deepest basin (39 ft) | Slow paddletail, Bucktail near bottom |
When the water first warms, largemouth bass slide up into 2 to 10 ft. Summer is an 8 to 20 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. Start at Weed flat. It's a weed flat holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Weed flat (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (9 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (7 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Sharp break (33 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for crappie tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 10 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Weed flat: a weed flat around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Weed flat (6 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Weed flat (11 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (9 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deepest basin (39 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, channel catfish slide up into 3 to 12 ft. Summer is an 8 to 25 ft game here, winter a 20 to 40 ft one. Start at Deepest basin. It's a deep basin holding about 39 ft of water and rates prime come winter. The feeding windows run after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | White Rock Creek inflow (1 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Feeding flat (10 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Feeding flat (10 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deepest basin (39 ft) |
Spring puts blue catfish in skinny water — 5 to 25 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 40 ft, wintering in 20 to 50 ft. Winter blue catfish concentrate at Deepest basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 39 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | Old creek channel (1 ft) | |
| Summer | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Deepest basin (39 ft) | |
| Fall | 15 to 45 ft | dusk | Deepest basin (39 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Deepest basin (39 ft) |
Lake Livingston 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), longnose gar (1 to 12 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 36 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 73 ft.
Access data: Texas Parks & Wildlife — Public Boat Ramps. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* | Sunshine Bass (fingerling) | 274,318 | — |
| 2026* | Sunshine Bass (fry) | 998,000 | — |
| 2025* | Striped Bass (fry) | 179,465 | — |
| 2025* | Sunshine Bass (fingerling) | 274,385 | — |
| 2025* | Sunshine Bass (fry) | 1,016,790 | — |
| 2024* | Striped Bass (fingerling) | 322,929 | — |
| 2024* | Sunshine Bass (fingerling) | 340,270 | — |
| 2024* | Sunshine Bass (fry) | 2,000,000 | — |
* Approximate date (agency reports month or season only). Source: TPWD stocking history, retrieved 2026-09-23.
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 Livingston specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Texas fishing regulations →
Lake Livingston is about 73 ft (22 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 white bass, striped bass, largemouth bass, crappie, channel catfish, blue catfish, flathead catfish, freshwater drum, common carp, longnose gar on Lake Livingston.
Shoreline point is the top-rated area: a point in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for white bass in fall. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For white 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 Livingston was most recently stocked 2026 with 274,318 sunshine bass (fingerling). The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Lake Livingston 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.
Lake Raven 25 mi · Lake Conroe 35 mi · Houston County Lake 48 mi · Lake Kurth 52 mi · Lake Houston 56 mi · B.A. Steinhagen Lake 58 mi · Lake Nacogdoches 59 mi · Sam Rayburn Reservoir 61 mi · Sheldon Lake 65 mi · Lake Naconiche 74 mi · Lake Jacksonville 77 mi · San Jacinto River 77 mi
See how Lake Livingston 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. 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.