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Fishing Sam Rayburn Reservoir: what the data says
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.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Sam Rayburn Reservoir
Spring largemouth bass on Sam Rayburn Reservoir hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Weed flat, a weed flat in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Crappie fishing at Sam Rayburn Reservoir
Spring crappie on Sam Rayburn Reservoir 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 spot to know is Flooded timber (mid-lake), a standing timber / brush in about 35 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Sam Rayburn Reservoir
Spring channel catfish on Sam Rayburn Reservoir hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 8 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Creek mouth flat, a inflow / creek mouth in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in spring. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday |
Bluegill fishing at Sam Rayburn Reservoir
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 25 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Weed flat: a weed flat around 5 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
White Bass fishing at Sam Rayburn Reservoir
In spring, white bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 12 ft. They move out to 8 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 40 ft. Creek mouth flat is the standout, a inflow / creek mouth at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring white bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | see map |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | see map |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | see map |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | see map |
Notable structure
- Dam basin: deep basin, around 70 ft
- Offshore ridge: offshore hump, around 61 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 61 ft
- Angelina River channel: creek channel, around 59 ft
- Deepest basin: deep basin, around 58 ft
- Marina area: dock line, around 54 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 52 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 46 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 37 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 36 ft
- Flooded timber (mid-lake): standing timber / brush, around 35 ft
- Hydrilla flat (north): weed flat, around 34 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 34 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 32 ft
Common questions
How deep is Sam Rayburn Reservoir?
Sam Rayburn Reservoir is about 74 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Sam Rayburn Reservoir?
Anglers target largemouth bass, white bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish on Sam Rayburn Reservoir.
Where is the best fishing spot 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. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Sam Rayburn 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.
Nearby waters
Toledo Bend Reservoir · Sabine River · Lake Livingston · Sabine Lake · Caddo Lake · Lake Palestine
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 every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.