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114,000-acre East Texas bass factory. Hydrilla, timber and offshore ridges. The lake tops out around 74 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Sam Rayburn Reservoir maps at 91,498 acres behind 420.5 miles of shoreline — 14 islands included. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 9.9) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. Roughly 33% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Tip to tip the water measures near 39.5 mi with a 14.5-mi widest point. It sits in San Augustine County. B.A. Steinhagen Lake sits 27 mi south — the closest neighbouring chart.
Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Weed flat: a weed flat around 5 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is 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 | Weed flat (5 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Weed flat (8 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (6 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Sharp break (27 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, crappie slide up into 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 10 to 25 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. Start at Weed flat. It's a weed flat holding about 5 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run 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 | Weed flat (5 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (17 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Weed flat (8 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Flooded timber (mid-lake) (35 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for channel catfish tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 8 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Creek mouth flat: an inflow / creek mouth around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Creek mouth flat (3 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Feeding flat (8 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Shallow feeding flat (17 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Sharp break (27 ft) |
Come spring, look for bluegill tight to the bank in 1 to 6 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 15 ft, then a winter hold in 10 to 25 ft. Start at Weed flat. It's a weed flat holding about 5 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in 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 | Weed flat (5 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Weed flat (5 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Weed flat (8 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Shallow flat (9 ft) | Tiny spoon |
Spring puts white bass in skinny water — 2 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 25 ft, wintering in 15 to 40 ft. Spring white bass concentrate at Creek mouth flat, a prime-rated inflow / creek mouth around 3 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. 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 mouth flat (3 ft) | Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (17 ft) | Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish) |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (6 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | Offshore hump (17 ft) | Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait |
42 pieces of structure are mapped here — Dam basin, around 70 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: Texas Parks & Wildlife — Public Boat Ramps. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* | Lone Star Bass (fingerling) | 872,159 | — |
| 2025* | ShareLunker largemouth Bass (fingerling) | 13,854 | — |
| 2025* | Lone Star Bass (fingerling) | 846,269 | — |
| 2024* | ShareLunker largemouth Bass (fingerling) | 20,797 | — |
| 2024* | Lone Star Bass (fingerling) | 572,447 | — |
| 2024* | Lone Star Bass (fry) | 81,235 | — |
* Approximate date (agency reports month or season only). Source: TPWD stocking history, retrieved 2026-08-18.
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 Sam Rayburn Reservoir specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Texas fishing regulations →
Sam Rayburn Reservoir is about 74 ft (23 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, channel catfish, bluegill, white bass on Sam Rayburn Reservoir.
Weed flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 5 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.
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.
Yes — per TPWD stocking history records, Sam Rayburn Reservoir was most recently stocked 2026 with 872,159 lone star bass (fingerling). The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Sam Rayburn 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.
B.A. Steinhagen Lake 27 mi · Lake Kurth 28 mi · Pinkston Reservoir 32 mi · Toledo Bend Reservoir 35 mi, TX/LA · Lake Naconiche 41 mi · Lake Nacogdoches 41 mi · Vernon Lake 54 mi, LA · Anacoco Lake 54 mi, LA · Lake Murvaul 55 mi · Sabine River 56 mi · Lake Livingston 61 mi · Lake Striker 65 mi
See how Sam Rayburn Reservoir stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Texas · best white bass lakes in Texas · best crappie lakes in Texas · best bluegill lakes in Texas
Browse all Texas fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. 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.