Navarro Mills Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (TX)

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Lake depth chart

Navarro Mills Lake, TX

Max 27 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 ~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 Navarro Mills 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 Navarro Mills Lake on the board.

Fishing Navarro Mills Lake: what the data says

5,070-acre reservoir near Dawson. The lake tops out around 27 ft. The depth chart comes from Texas Water Development Board bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:

The outline encloses 4,776 acres, worked by 24.1 miles of shoreline. An index of 2.5 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. 76% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. End to end it runs roughly 6.1 mi, about 2.4 mi across. Navarro County claims this one. If the bite dies, Lake Halbert is 20 mi to the northeast.

Largemouth Bass fishing at Navarro Mills Lake

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 8 to 27 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 10 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 (10 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (10 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	8 to 27 ft	midday	Break off the point (14 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

White Bass fishing at Navarro Mills Lake

Spring puts white bass in skinny water — 2 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 8 to 27 ft. Creek inflow is the standout, an inflow / creek mouth at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring white bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. 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	Creek inflow (2 ft)	Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank
Summer	8 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (7 ft)	Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish)
Fall	6 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (7 ft)	Jigging spoon, Blade bait
Winter	8 to 27 ft	midday	Deep basin (24 ft)	Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait

Crappie fishing at Navarro Mills Lake

When the water first warms, crappie slide up into 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 27 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 24 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	Back-bay flat (2 ft)	1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub
Summer	10 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (10 ft)	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	8 to 20 ft	dawn	Old creek channel (5 ft)	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	8 to 27 ft	midday	Deep basin (24 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Channel Catfish fishing at Navarro Mills Lake

Come spring, look for channel catfish tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 8 to 27 ft. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 24 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	Creek inflow (2 ft)
Summer	8 to 25 ft	night & dusk	Old creek channel (5 ft)
Fall	8 to 27 ft	dusk	Deep basin (24 ft)
Winter	8 to 27 ft	midday	Deep basin (24 ft)

Blue Catfish fishing at Navarro Mills Lake

In spring, blue catfish run shallow here, mostly 5 to 25 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 7 to 27 ft before dropping to 8 to 27 ft for winter. Spring blue catfish concentrate at Old creek channel, a prime-rated creek channel around 5 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	5 to 25 ft	dusk	Old creek channel (5 ft)
Summer	7 to 27 ft	dawn & dusk	Deep basin (24 ft)
Fall	8 to 27 ft	dusk	Deep basin (24 ft)
Winter	8 to 27 ft	midday	Deep basin (24 ft)

Notable structure

Count 14 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 24 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 24 ft
Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 20 ft
Sharp break: drop-off, around 15 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 14 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 10 ft
Sharp break: drop-off, around 8 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 7 ft
Feeding flat: feeding flat, around 6 ft
Secondary point: point, around 5 ft
Old creek channel: creek channel, around 5 ft
Weed flat: weed flat, around 4 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 2 ft
Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 2 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Lake Navarro Mills — ramp
Lake Navarro Mills — ramp
Lake Navarro Mills — ramp
Lake Navarro Mills — ramp
Lake Navarro Mills — ramp
Lake Navarro Mills — ramp

Access data: Texas Parks & Wildlife — Public Boat Ramps. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

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

Check the official Texas fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Navarro Mills Lake?

Navarro Mills Lake is about 27 ft (8 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 Navarro Mills Lake?

Anglers target largemouth bass, white bass, crappie, channel catfish, blue catfish on Navarro Mills Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Navarro Mills Lake?

Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 10 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 Navarro Mills 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.

What are the fishing regulations for Navarro Mills Lake?

Fishing on Navarro Mills 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 Halbert 20 mi · Lake Mexia 22 mi · Bardwell Lake 24 mi · Aquilla Lake 27 mi · Fort Parker Lake 27 mi · Lake Waxahachie 27 mi · Richland-Chambers Reservoir 29 mi · Tradinghouse Creek Reservoir 30 mi · Lake Whitney 40 mi · Lake Waco 40 mi · Alvarado Park Lake 42 mi · Cedar Creek Reservoir 44 mi

See how Navarro Mills Lake 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.