Mackenzie Reservoir Depth Map & Fishing Spots (TX)

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Lake depth chart

Mackenzie Reservoir, TX

Max 150 ft

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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 ~5 months

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

Bluegill spawn (bream-bed bass) · forageMay 1 – Jul 31 · in ~8 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours on this water are approximations. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

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Recent catches at Mackenzie Reservoir

Shared by DepthScout anglers. 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 Mackenzie Reservoir on the board.

Fishing Mackenzie Reservoir: what the data says

391-acre reservoir near Silverton. Deep Tule Canyon reservoir (NHD 'Tule Creek Lake') in the eastern Panhandle; shown at NHD normal pool ~390 ac, TPWD full-pool ~896 ac. The lake tops out around 150 ft. This chart interpolates between a real shoreline and a known maximum depth. It will point you at likely water, but it is not a navigation product. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.

Mackenzie Reservoir maps at 391 acres behind 9.8 miles of shoreline — 2 islands included. The 3.5 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. Roughly 38% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. The basin spans about 2 mi end to end and 1.1 mi across at its widest. It sits in Briscoe County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Greenbelt Lake, is 44 mi to the northeast.

Largemouth Bass fishing at Mackenzie Reservoir

Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	open water	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

White Bass fishing at Mackenzie Reservoir

Spring puts white bass in skinny water — 2 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 25 ft, wintering in 15 to 40 ft. Fall white bass concentrate at Main-lake point, a good-rated point around 38 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish) covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank
Summer	8 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (38 ft)	Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish)
Fall	6 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (38 ft)	Jigging spoon, Blade bait
Winter	15 to 40 ft	midday	Deep basin (128 ft)	Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait

White Bass & Hybrids fishing at Mackenzie Reservoir

When the water first warms, white bass & hybrids slide up into 3 to 15 ft. Summer is a 10 to 30 ft game here, winter a 20 to 40 ft one. Start at Main-lake point. It's a point holding about 38 ft of water and rates good come summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a jigging spoon or a topwater (when schooling) rigged through the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	open water	Rooster tail / inline spinner, Curly-tail jig (white/chartreuse)
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (38 ft)	Jigging spoon, Topwater (when schooling)
Fall	8 to 25 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (38 ft)	Small blade bait, Jigging spoon
Winter	20 to 40 ft	midday	Deep basin (128 ft)	Jigging spoon, Blade bait (vertical)

Crappie fishing at Mackenzie Reservoir

When the water first warms, crappie slide up into 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 10 to 25 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. Start at Shallow bay 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 jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub
Summer	10 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	8 to 20 ft	dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Deep basin (128 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Channel Catfish fishing at Mackenzie Reservoir

Come spring, look for channel catfish tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 8 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 6 ft that scores good in spring. Best bite is after dark and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)
Summer	8 to 25 ft	night & dusk	open water
Fall	10 to 30 ft	dusk	Deep basin (128 ft)
Winter	20 to 40 ft	midday	Deep basin (128 ft)

Blue Catfish fishing at Mackenzie Reservoir

In spring, blue catfish run shallow here, mostly 5 to 25 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 40 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 50 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 128 ft, rated good for winter blue catfish. Time it for early morning and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	5 to 25 ft	dusk	open water
Summer	10 to 40 ft	dawn & dusk	Deep basin (128 ft)
Fall	15 to 45 ft	dusk	Deep basin (128 ft)
Winter	20 to 50 ft	midday	Deep basin (128 ft)

Mackenzie Reservoir also holds flathead catfish (8 to 30 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.

Notable structure

7 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 128 ft, is the deepest of them.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 128 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 38 ft
Secondary point: point, around 38 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 4 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 4 ft

Mackenzie Reservoir stocking report

Date	Species	Count	Size
2025*	Walleye (fry)	400,960	—

* Approximate date (agency reports month or season only). Source: TPWD stocking history, retrieved 2026-09-03.

Mackenzie Reservoir 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 Mackenzie Reservoir specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Texas fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Mackenzie Reservoir?

Mackenzie Reservoir is about 150 ft (46 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.

What fish are in Mackenzie Reservoir?

Anglers target largemouth bass, white bass, white bass & hybrids, crappie, channel catfish, blue catfish, flathead catfish, bluegill on Mackenzie Reservoir.

Where is the best fishing spot on Mackenzie Reservoir?

Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.

When is the best time to fish Mackenzie Reservoir?

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 Mackenzie Reservoir stocked with fish?

Yes — per TPWD stocking history records, Mackenzie Reservoir was most recently stocked 2025 with 400,960 walleye (fry). The full stocking history is listed above.

What are the fishing regulations for Mackenzie Reservoir?

Fishing on Mackenzie Reservoir 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

Greenbelt Lake 44 mi · Lake McClellan 56 mi · Baylor Lake 61 mi · Buffalo Springs Lake 72 mi · Lake Meredith 75 mi · White River Lake 77 mi · Ned Houk Ponds 98 mi, NM · Greene Acres Lake 100 mi, NM · Lake Alan Henry 106 mi · Oasis State Park Lake 110 mi, NM · Lake Fryer 124 mi · Lugert-Altus Reservoir 124 mi, OK

See how Mackenzie Reservoir 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. 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.