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25,560-acre reservoir near Frankston. The lake tops out around 53 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. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
The drawn water covers 23,299 acres wrapped in 192.1 miles of bank — 102 islands included. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 9) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. Roughly 52% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. The basin spans about 17.9 mi end to end and 8.5 mi across at its widest. It sits in Henderson County. Lake Athens sits 16 mi west — the closest neighbouring chart.
Spring largemouth bass on Lake Palestine hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 3 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (20 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (9 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (20 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: white bass in 2 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 25 ft, wintering in 15 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Main-lake point, a point in the 9 ft range, prime in fall. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (9 ft) | Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (9 ft) | Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish) |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (9 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | Deepest basin (41 ft) | Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait |
Early season white bass & hybrids use the shallows, holding in 3 to 15 ft. Summer is a 10 to 30 ft game here, winter a 20 to 40 ft one. The chart's best answer is Main-lake point — point, 9 ft, prime for fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a jigging spoon or a topwater (when schooling) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (9 ft) | Rooster tail / inline spinner, Curly-tail jig (white/chartreuse) |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (21 ft) | Jigging spoon, Topwater (when schooling) |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (9 ft) | Small blade bait, Jigging spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deepest basin (41 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait (vertical) |
Early season crappie use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 10 to 25 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 3 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is 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 | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Weed flat (15 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (20 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deepest basin (41 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Early season bluegill use the shallows, holding in 1 to 6 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 15 ft, then a winter hold in 10 to 25 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 3 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (3 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (5 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Weed flat (6 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Weed flat (15 ft) | Tiny spoon |
Spring channel catfish on Lake Palestine hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 8 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 40 ft. Put Deepest basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 41 ft that grades prime for 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 | Feeding flat (8 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Feeding flat (8 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Feeding flat (14 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deepest basin (41 ft) |
Lake Palestine also holds blue catfish (10 to 40 ft in summer), flathead catfish (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.
Lake Palestine carries 34 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 42 ft down.
Access data: Texas Parks & Wildlife — Public Boat Ramps. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025* | Sunshine Bass (fingerling) | 257,314 | — |
| 2025* | Lone Star Bass (fingerling) | 344,533 | — |
| 2024* | Sunshine Bass (fingerling) | 461,005 | — |
| 2024* | Lone Star Bass (fingerling) | 343,299 | — |
* 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 Palestine specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Texas fishing regulations →
Lake Palestine is about 53 ft (16 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 largemouth bass, white bass, white bass & hybrids, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, blue catfish, flathead catfish, common carp on Lake Palestine.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by 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 Palestine was most recently stocked 2025 with 257,314 sunshine bass (fingerling). The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Lake Palestine 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 Athens 16 mi · Lake Tyler 18 mi · Lake Jacksonville 21 mi · Lake Tyler East 21 mi · Purtis Creek Lake 32 mi · Mill Creek Reservoir 32 mi · Lake Striker 33 mi · Lake Hawkins 34 mi · Lake Holbrook 36 mi · Cedar Creek Reservoir 37 mi · Lake Gladewater 41 mi · Richland-Chambers Reservoir 47 mi
See how Lake Palestine 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 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.