Lake Waco Depth Map & Fishing Spots (TX)

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Lake depth chart

Lake Waco, TX

Max 86 ft

Today's read

Where to start

Fall shad migration window is on — see the hatch outlook

Hatch outlook

Fall shad migrationActive window

Typical here: Sep 1 – Dec 15 · upper ends and stained creeks turn on first, the main lake follows; Deep-South creeks hold bait into December

adultall day, best mid-afternoon as the sun warms the bait — the rare pattern where you can sleep in — follow the bait, not the structure: gulls, herons and egrets diving or stacked in a creek mean the shad (and the bass) are there — run and gun until you find flickering bait or surface activity

Concentrates hard but unevenly — whole stretches go empty while one creek loads up. The birds are the map.

Creek-arm run-and-gun: lipless crankbait and squarebill through the flats and ditches, walking topwater over surface schools, a 3/8 oz spinnerbait around isolated cover along the creek channel. Downsize to match the young-of-year shad; jerkbaits are the sleeper.

The event happens over backs of creek arms, pockets and ditches, secondary points on the way in, and main-lake flats where the bait balls roam

Willow fly (summer mayfly)Active window

Typical here: Apr 1 – Oct 31 · recurring broods all summer — the heart of it is June–July, famously around July 4th on the Tennessee River lakes; any one hatch lasts days to ~3 weeks

dunhatches at dusk — clouds of bugs just before dark, continuing into the night — after hatching they fly to shoreline foliage — trees near lighted docks get covered; the feeding zone is the water under bug-loaded overhanging bushes and willows
spinnerthe following days: mating, egg drop and spent flies falling from the overhangs — the bream bite under the bushes runs as long as the bugs do

A two-level event: bream stack under the bug trees, and the big bass stack under the bream. Fish the same bushes twice — small for bream, big for the bass just outside them.

Crickets or small poppers under a float tight to the bug-covered bushes for bream; beetle spins and hair jigs just under the surface; for the bass, run a bluegill-pattern topwater or squarebill down the outside edge of the overhangs.

The event happens over under and just outside overhanging willows and bushes on steep banks; trees near lighted docks after dark

Next on this water

Spring crawfish emergence · forageFeb 15 – May 15 · in ~6 months

Shad spawn · baitfishMar 15 – Jun 15 · in ~6 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours here are generated from real agency depth surveys; use the survey badge for the provider, dataset, datum and measured coverage. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

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Recent catches at Lake Waco

1 angler watching on this water. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Lake Waco on the board.

Fishing Lake Waco: what the data says

8,465-acre reservoir near Waco. The lake tops out around 86 ft. The depth chart comes from Texas Water Development Board bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.

Drawn out, this is 7,110 acres of water rimmed by 60 miles of bank, broken up by 5 islands. With a shoreline index of 5.1, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. Roughly 26% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Call it 8.2 mi long by 5.8 mi wide at the broadest reach. You'll find it in McLennan County. The nearest mapped water is Tradinghouse Creek Reservoir, 17 mi to the east.

Largemouth Bass fishing at Lake Waco

Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (5 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Back-bay flat (19 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (7 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Sharp break (25 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

White Bass fishing at Lake Waco

Come spring, look for white bass tight to the bank in 2 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 40 ft. Start at Hog Creek inflow. It's an inflow / creek mouth holding about 5 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish) is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Hog Creek inflow (5 ft)	Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank
Summer	8 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Secondary point (16 ft)	Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish)
Fall	6 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (7 ft)	Jigging spoon, Blade bait
Winter	15 to 40 ft	midday	Deep basin (72 ft)	Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait

White Bass & Hybrids fishing at Lake Waco

In spring, white bass & hybrids run shallow here, mostly 3 to 15 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 30 ft before dropping to 20 to 40 ft for winter. Spring white bass & hybrids concentrate at Hog Creek inflow, a prime-rated inflow / creek mouth around 5 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a jigging spoon or a topwater (when schooling) most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Hog Creek inflow (5 ft)	Rooster tail / inline spinner, Curly-tail jig (white/chartreuse)
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Secondary point (16 ft)	Jigging spoon, Topwater (when schooling)
Fall	8 to 25 ft	midday & dawn	Secondary point (16 ft)	Small blade bait, Jigging spoon
Winter	20 to 40 ft	midday	Sharp break (25 ft)	Jigging spoon, Blade bait (vertical)

Crappie fishing at Lake Waco

In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 25 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. Spring crappie concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 5 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (5 ft)	1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub
Summer	10 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Back-bay flat (19 ft)	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	8 to 20 ft	dawn	Back-bay flat (19 ft)	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Sharp break (25 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Channel Catfish fishing at Lake Waco

Spring puts channel catfish in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 40 ft. Hog Creek inflow is the standout, an inflow / creek mouth at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for spring channel catfish. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dusk	Hog Creek inflow (5 ft)
Summer	8 to 25 ft	night & dusk	North Bosque River inflow (11 ft)
Fall	10 to 30 ft	dusk	Shallow feeding flat (13 ft)
Winter	20 to 40 ft	midday	Sharp break (25 ft)

Blue Catfish fishing at Lake Waco

When the water first warms, blue catfish slide up into 5 to 25 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 40 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 50 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Hog Creek inflow: an inflow / creek mouth around 5 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	5 to 25 ft	dusk	Hog Creek inflow (5 ft)
Summer	10 to 40 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow feeding flat (13 ft)
Fall	15 to 45 ft	dusk	Sharp break (25 ft)
Winter	20 to 50 ft	midday	Sharp break (25 ft)

Lake Waco also holds flathead catfish (8 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.

Notable structure

Lake Waco carries 18 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 72 ft down.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 72 ft
Sharp break: drop-off, around 25 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 19 ft
Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 18 ft
Secondary point: point, around 16 ft
Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 13 ft
North Bosque River inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 11 ft
Shoreline point: point, around 11 ft
Weed flat: weed flat, around 8 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 8 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 7 ft
Rock reef: rock pile, around 7 ft
Rock reef: rock pile, around 6 ft
Weed flat: weed flat, around 6 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Airport Park Boat Ramp — ramp
Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp
Lacy Point Boat Ramp — ramp

Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

Lake Waco stocking report

Date	Species	Count	Size
2026*	Sunshine Bass (fingerling)	127,227	—
2026*	Lone Star Bass (fingerling)	61,064	—
2025*	Sunshine Bass (fingerling)	140,644	—
2025*	Lone Star Bass (fingerling)	62,473	—
2024*	Palmetto Bass (fingerling)	128,410	—

* Approximate date (agency reports month or season only). Source: TPWD stocking history, retrieved 2026-08-18.

Lake Waco fishing regulations

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 Waco specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Texas fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Lake Waco?

Lake Waco is about 86 ft (26 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.

What fish are in Lake Waco?

Anglers target largemouth bass, white bass, white bass & hybrids, crappie, channel catfish, blue catfish, flathead catfish on Lake Waco.

Where is the best fishing spot on Lake Waco?

Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 5 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.

When is the best time to fish Lake Waco?

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.

Is Lake Waco stocked with fish?

Yes — per TPWD stocking history records, Lake Waco was most recently stocked 2026 with 127,227 sunshine bass (fingerling). The full stocking history is listed above.

What are the fishing regulations for Lake Waco?

Fishing on Lake Waco 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.

Nearby waters

Tradinghouse Creek Reservoir 17 mi · Aquilla Lake 26 mi · Belton Lake 30 mi · Lake Whitney 31 mi · Meridian State Park Lake 36 mi · Lake Mexia 39 mi · Navarro Mills Lake 40 mi · Fort Parker Lake 41 mi · Stillhouse Hollow Lake 43 mi · Cleburne State Park Lake 53 mi · Lake Limestone 53 mi · Lake Pat Cleburne 53 mi

See how Lake Waco 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: 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.