Lake McClellan Depth Map & Fishing Spots (TX)

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Lake depth chart

Lake McClellan, TX

Max 21 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 Lake McClellan

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 Lake McClellan on the board.

Fishing Lake McClellan: what the data says

339-acre reservoir near Alanreed. The lake tops out around 21 ft. Contours on this water are modeled from its actual shoreline and max depth. Good for finding likely water, never for navigation. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.

Shoreline on the chart totals 5.4 miles — 3 islands included. An index of 2.5 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. There is no deep basin to speak of — the entire surface is under ~15 ft, prime weed water end to end. Tip to tip the water measures near 1.3 mi with a 0.6-mi widest point. Gray County claims this one. If the bite dies, Greenbelt Lake is 14 mi to the south.

Largemouth Bass fishing at Lake McClellan

Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 6 to 21 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 3 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in 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 (3 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	Main-lake point (8 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	6 to 21 ft	midday	Break off the point (9 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Saugeye fishing at Lake McClellan

Start shallow in spring: saugeye sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 6 to 21 ft; cold water stacks them in 6 to 21 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 9 ft range, prime in fall. Fish it in the evening and early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a crawler harness (shallow) or a jig + crawler until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dusk & dawn	Main-lake point (8 ft)	1/8 oz jig + twister tail, Blade bait
Summer	6 to 21 ft	dusk & dawn	Main-lake point (8 ft)	Crawler harness (shallow), Jig + crawler
Fall	6 to 21 ft	dusk & dawn	Break off the point (9 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging rap
Winter	6 to 21 ft	dusk & dawn	Deep basin (18 ft)	Jigging spoon + minnow head, Blade bait

Crappie fishing at Lake McClellan

When the water first warms, crappie slide up into 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 6 to 21 ft, and by winter most fish are in 6 to 21 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 18 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 (3 ft)	1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub
Summer	6 to 21 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (9 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	6 to 21 ft	midday	Deep basin (18 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Channel Catfish fishing at Lake McClellan

Come spring, look for channel catfish tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 6 to 21 ft, then a winter hold in 6 to 21 ft. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 18 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in after dark and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dusk	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)
Summer	6 to 21 ft	night & dusk	Deep basin (18 ft)
Fall	6 to 21 ft	dusk	Deep basin (18 ft)
Winter	6 to 21 ft	midday	Deep basin (18 ft)

Blue Catfish fishing at Lake McClellan

In spring, blue catfish run shallow here, mostly 4 to 21 ft. Summer keeps them at 5 to 21 ft, and they winter in 6 to 21 ft. Winter blue catfish concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 18 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	4 to 21 ft	dusk	Break off the point (9 ft)
Summer	5 to 21 ft	dawn & dusk	Deep basin (18 ft)
Fall	6 to 21 ft	dusk	Deep basin (18 ft)
Winter	6 to 21 ft	midday	Deep basin (18 ft)

Bluegill fishing at Lake McClellan

Come spring, look for bluegill tight to the bank in 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 21 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig is the honest summer answer here.

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	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday	Break off the point (9 ft)	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	6 to 21 ft	midday	Deep basin (18 ft)	Tiny spoon

Notable structure

6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 18 ft, is the deepest of them.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 18 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 9 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft

Lake McClellan 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 McClellan specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Texas fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Lake McClellan?

Lake McClellan is about 21 ft (6 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 Lake McClellan?

Anglers target largemouth bass, saugeye, crappie, channel catfish, blue catfish, bluegill on Lake McClellan.

Where is the best fishing spot on Lake McClellan?

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. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.

When is the best time to fish Lake McClellan?

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.

What are the fishing regulations for Lake McClellan?

Fishing on Lake McClellan 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 14 mi · Lake Meredith 53 mi · Mackenzie Reservoir 56 mi · Baylor Lake 58 mi · Lake Fryer 71 mi · Lake Lloyd Vincent 79 mi, OK · Lugert-Altus Reservoir 90 mi, OK · Clinton Lake 94 mi, OK · Lake Evan Chambers 111 mi, OK · Lake Vanderwork 115 mi, OK · White River Lake 121 mi · Lake Frederick 122 mi, OK

See how Lake McClellan stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Texas · best crappie lakes in Texas · best bluegill lakes in Texas · best channel catfish 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.