Lake Palo Pinto Depth Map & Fishing Spots (TX)

Skip to interactive depth chart

Lake depth chart

Lake Palo Pinto, TX

Max 50 ft

Today's read

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.

Loading depth chart…

Recent catches at Lake Palo Pinto

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 Palo Pinto on the board.

Fishing Lake Palo Pinto: what the data says

2,399-acre reservoir near Palo Pinto. The lake tops out around 50 ft. The depth chart comes from Texas Water Development Board bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.

The outline encloses 2,005 acres, worked by 26.5 miles of shoreline — one island included. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 4.2) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. 60% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. Tip to tip the water measures near 3.9 mi with a 2.7-mi widest point. Palo Pinto County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Brazos River (John Graves Reach), is 9 mi to the northeast.

Largemouth Bass fishing at Lake Palo Pinto

Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 3 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.

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 (4 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Break off the point (11 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

White Bass fishing at Lake Palo Pinto

Start shallow in spring: white bass sit in 2 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Secondary point, a point in the 17 ft range, prime in fall. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish) until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (4 ft)	Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank
Summer	8 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Secondary point (17 ft)	Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish)
Fall	6 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Secondary point (17 ft)	Jigging spoon, Blade bait
Winter	15 to 40 ft	midday	Deep basin (47 ft)	Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait

White Bass & Hybrids fishing at Lake Palo Pinto

Spring white bass & hybrids on Lake Palo Pinto hold shallow, usually 3 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 40 ft. The chart's best answer is Secondary point — point, 17 ft, prime for fall. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jigging spoon or a topwater (when schooling).

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (4 ft)	Rooster tail / inline spinner, Curly-tail jig (white/chartreuse)
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Secondary point (17 ft)	Jigging spoon, Topwater (when schooling)
Fall	8 to 25 ft	midday & dawn	Secondary point (17 ft)	Small blade bait, Jigging spoon
Winter	20 to 40 ft	midday	Deep basin (47 ft)	Jigging spoon, Blade bait (vertical)

Crappie fishing at Lake Palo Pinto

Spring crappie on Lake Palo Pinto hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 3 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled).

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	15 to 35 ft	midday	Deep basin (47 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Channel Catfish fishing at Lake Palo Pinto

Early season channel catfish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 40 ft. Put Shallow feeding flat first on the milk run — a feeding flat near 19 ft that grades prime for fall. 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	Shallow feeding flat (19 ft)
Fall	10 to 30 ft	dusk	Shallow feeding flat (19 ft)
Winter	20 to 40 ft	midday	Deep basin (47 ft)

Flathead Catfish fishing at Lake Palo Pinto

Early season flathead catfish use the shallows, holding in 5 to 20 ft. Summer is an 8 to 30 ft game here, winter a 20 to 45 ft one. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 47 ft, prime for winter. Best bite is after dark and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	5 to 20 ft	night & dusk	open water
Summer	8 to 30 ft	night & dusk	Break off the point (11 ft)
Fall	10 to 35 ft	night & dusk	Break off the point (11 ft)
Winter	20 to 45 ft	midday	Deep basin (47 ft)

Notable structure

Lake Palo Pinto carries 8 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 47 ft down.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 47 ft
Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 19 ft
Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 19 ft
Secondary point: point, around 17 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 11 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 4 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Lake Palo Pinto — ramp
Lake Palo Pinto — ramp
Lake Palo Pinto — ramp

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

Lake Palo Pinto stocking report

Date	Species	Count	Size
2026*	Lone Star Bass (fingerling)	48,719	—
2025*	Sunshine Bass (fingerling)	36,850	—
2025*	Sunshine Bass (fry)	198,000	—
2024*	Sunshine Bass (fingerling)	38,742	—

* Approximate date (agency reports month or season only). Source: TPWD stocking history, retrieved 2026-08-18.

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

Check the official Texas fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Lake Palo Pinto?

Lake Palo Pinto is about 50 ft (15 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 Lake Palo Pinto?

Anglers target largemouth bass, white bass, white bass & hybrids, crappie, channel catfish, flathead catfish on Lake Palo Pinto.

Where is the best fishing spot on Lake Palo Pinto?

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 Lake Palo Pinto?

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 Lake Palo Pinto stocked with fish?

Yes — per TPWD stocking history records, Lake Palo Pinto was most recently stocked 2026 with 48,719 lone star bass (fingerling). The full stocking history is listed above.

What are the fishing regulations for Lake Palo Pinto?

Fishing on Lake Palo Pinto 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

Brazos River (John Graves Reach) 9 mi · Lake Mineral Wells 20 mi · Possum Kingdom Lake 22 mi · Lake Leon 31 mi · Lake Daniel 33 mi · Lake Granbury 34 mi · Lake Weatherford 37 mi · Comanche Creek Reservoir 38 mi · Lake Bryson 39 mi · Wheeler Branch Reservoir 41 mi · Lake Graham 41 mi · Hubbard Creek Reservoir 42 mi

See how Lake Palo Pinto 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.