Meridian State Park Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (TX)

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Lake depth chart

Meridian State Park Lake, TX

Max 45 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

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 Meridian State Park Lake

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 Meridian State Park Lake on the board.

Fishing Meridian State Park Lake: what the data says

50-acre reservoir near Meridian. Small deep park lake on Bee Creek. The lake tops out around 45 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. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.

The outline encloses 52 acres, worked by 1.5 miles of shoreline. A middling shoreline index (1.5) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. 39% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. Call it 0.5 mi long by 0.3 mi wide at the broadest reach. Bosque County claims this one. If the bite dies, Lake Whitney is 18 mi to the east.

Largemouth Bass fishing at Meridian State Park Lake

Spring largemouth bass on Meridian State Park Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 5 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in 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 (5 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 (11 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Break off the point (20 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Channel Catfish fishing at Meridian State Park Lake

Spring channel catfish on Meridian State Park Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 40 ft. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 38 ft, prime for 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 (5 ft)
Summer	8 to 25 ft	night & dusk	Break off the point (20 ft)
Fall	10 to 30 ft	dusk	Break off the point (20 ft)
Winter	20 to 40 ft	midday	Deep basin (38 ft)

Crappie fishing at Meridian State Park Lake

Early season crappie use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 5 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 (5 ft)	1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub
Summer	10 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (20 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	Deep basin (38 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Notable structure

Meridian State Park Lake carries 5 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 38 ft down.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 38 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 20 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 11 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 5 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 5 ft

Meridian State Park Lake stocking report

Date	Species	Count	Size
2026*	Rainbow Trout (adult)	2,003	—
2025*	Rainbow Trout (adult)	2,005	—
2025*	Channel Catfish (fingerling)	1,252	—
2025*	Lone Star Bass (fingerling)	5,477	—
2024*	Rainbow Trout (adult)	2,008	—
2024*	Channel Catfish (fingerling)	1,278	—

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

Meridian State Park Lake 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 Meridian State Park Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Texas fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Meridian State Park Lake?

Meridian State Park Lake is about 45 ft (14 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 Meridian State Park Lake?

Anglers target largemouth bass, channel catfish, crappie on Meridian State Park Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Meridian State Park Lake?

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. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.

When is the best time to fish Meridian State Park Lake?

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 Meridian State Park Lake stocked with fish?

Yes — per TPWD stocking history records, Meridian State Park Lake was most recently stocked 2026 with 2,003 rainbow trout (adult). The full stocking history is listed above.

What are the fishing regulations for Meridian State Park Lake?

Fishing on Meridian State Park Lake 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

Lake Whitney 18 mi · Wheeler Branch Reservoir 26 mi · Cleburne State Park Lake 27 mi · Comanche Creek Reservoir 30 mi · Aquilla Lake 30 mi · Lake Pat Cleburne 33 mi · Lake Waco 36 mi · Lake Granbury 39 mi · Alvarado Park Lake 43 mi · Proctor Lake 47 mi · Tradinghouse Creek Reservoir 49 mi · Belton Lake 50 mi

See how Meridian State Park Lake stacks up: best largemouth 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. 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.