Mill Creek Reservoir Depth Map & Fishing Spots (TX)

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Lake depth chart

Mill Creek Reservoir, TX

Max 25 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 Mill Creek 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 Mill Creek Reservoir on the board.

Fishing Mill Creek Reservoir: what the data says

237-acre reservoir near Canton. The lake tops out around 25 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.

Mill Creek Reservoir maps at 236 acres behind 6.6 miles of shoreline. An index of 3 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 90% of this chart, as modeled. End to end it runs roughly 1.5 mi, about 0.9 mi across. Van Zandt County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Purtis Creek Lake, is 14 mi to the southwest.

Largemouth Bass fishing at Mill Creek Reservoir

When the water first warms, largemouth bass slide up into 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 25 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait rigged through the warm months.

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 (11 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	8 to 25 ft	midday	Break off the point (11 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Crappie fishing at Mill Creek Reservoir

Come spring, look for crappie tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 8 to 25 ft. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 21 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) is the honest summer answer here.

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	Break off the point (11 ft)	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	8 to 20 ft	dawn	Break off the point (11 ft)	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	8 to 25 ft	midday	Deep basin (21 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Blue Catfish fishing at Mill Creek Reservoir

Spring puts blue catfish in skinny water — 5 to 25 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 6 to 25 ft, and winter fish hold in 8 to 25 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 21 ft, rated prime for winter blue catfish. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	5 to 25 ft	dusk	Break off the point (11 ft)
Summer	6 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Deep basin (21 ft)
Fall	8 to 25 ft	dusk	Deep basin (21 ft)
Winter	8 to 25 ft	midday	Deep basin (21 ft)

Channel Catfish fishing at Mill Creek Reservoir

When the water first warms, channel catfish slide up into 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 25 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 21 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dusk	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)
Summer	8 to 25 ft	night & dusk	Deep basin (21 ft)
Fall	8 to 25 ft	dusk	Deep basin (21 ft)
Winter	8 to 25 ft	midday	Deep basin (21 ft)

Notable structure

Count 6 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 21 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 21 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 11 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

Mill Creek Reservoir stocking report

Date	Species	Count	Size
2026*	Lone Star Bass (fingerling)	24,020	—
2024*	Lone Star Bass (fingerling)	25,550	—

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

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

Check the official Texas fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Mill Creek Reservoir?

Mill Creek Reservoir is about 25 ft (8 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 Mill Creek Reservoir?

Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, blue catfish, channel catfish on Mill Creek Reservoir.

Where is the best fishing spot on Mill Creek Reservoir?

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 interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Mill Creek 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 Mill Creek Reservoir stocked with fish?

Yes — per TPWD stocking history records, Mill Creek Reservoir was most recently stocked 2026 with 24,020 lone star bass (fingerling). The full stocking history is listed above.

What are the fishing regulations for Mill Creek Reservoir?

Fishing on Mill Creek 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

Purtis Creek Lake 14 mi · Lake Holbrook 21 mi · Cedar Creek Reservoir 22 mi · Lake Athens 23 mi · Lake Fork 27 mi · Lake Tawakoni 27 mi · Lake Palestine 32 mi · Lake Quitman 33 mi · Lake Hawkins 35 mi · Lake Winnsboro 39 mi · Richland-Chambers Reservoir 43 mi · Lake Tyler 43 mi

See how Mill Creek Reservoir stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Texas · best crappie lakes in Texas · best channel catfish lakes in Texas · best blue 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.