San Bernard River Fishing Map & Spots (TX)

Target species

Species estimated for the region. No fish-species record is published for this water, so these species aren't a confirmed catch list. They're an informed estimate: the species this region's waters commonly hold, narrowed to this one by its depth, size and each species' range. Treat them as what's plausibly present, not as a survey of this water. How we estimate species →

Hatch outlook

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

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours here are interpolated from real agency depth surveys (state DNR / USACE). Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

Loading depth chart…

Recent catches at San Bernard River

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 San Bernard River on the board.

Fishing San Bernard River: what the data says

8 km of the San Bernard River navigation corridor, with channel depths from USACE hydrographic survey. The river tops out around 19 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. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.

Drawn out, this is 1,664 acres of water rimmed by 12.6 miles of bank. With a shoreline index of 2.2, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. Roughly 91% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Call it 5 mi long by 1.1 mi wide at the broadest reach. For a second option, East Matagorda Bay lies 24 mi southwest.

Striped Bass fishing at San Bernard River

Come spring, look for striped bass tight to the bank in 5 to 19 ft. Through summer count on 6 to 19 ft; the winter hold is 6 to 19 ft. Start at Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3). It's a creek channel holding about 11 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A flutter spoon (deep) or an umbrella rig (trolled) is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 19 ft	dawn & dusk	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3) (11 ft)	Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn)
Summer	6 to 19 ft	dawn & dusk	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3) (11 ft)	Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled)
Fall	5 to 19 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Topwater walker, Jerkbait
Winter	6 to 19 ft	midday	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3) (11 ft)	Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon

White Bass fishing at San Bernard River

Spring white bass on San Bernard River hold shallow, usually 2 to 12 ft. They move out to 6 to 19 ft in summer and finish the year down in 6 to 19 ft. Put Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3) first on the milk run — a creek channel near 11 ft that grades prime for winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish).

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3) (11 ft)	Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank
Summer	6 to 19 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish)
Fall	5 to 19 ft	dawn & dusk	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3) (11 ft)	Jigging spoon, Blade bait
Winter	6 to 19 ft	midday	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3) (11 ft)	Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait

Largemouth Bass fishing at San Bernard River

The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. As the season builds they drop to 6 to 19 ft, wintering in 6 to 19 ft. Top water on the chart: Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3), a creek channel in the 11 ft range, prime in fall. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	6 to 19 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3) (11 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	6 to 19 ft	midday	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3) (11 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Crappie fishing at San Bernard River

Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 6 to 19 ft, and winter fish settle into 6 to 19 ft. The spot to know is Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3), a creek channel in about 11 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in fall. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	open water	1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub
Summer	6 to 19 ft	dawn & dusk	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3) (11 ft)	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	6 to 19 ft	dawn	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3) (11 ft)	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	6 to 19 ft	midday	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3) (11 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Channel Catfish fishing at San Bernard River

The spring pattern is a shallow one: channel catfish in 3 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 6 to 19 ft, wintering in 6 to 19 ft. Top water on the chart: Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3), a creek channel in the 11 ft range, prime in summer. Time it for after dark and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dusk	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3) (11 ft)
Summer	6 to 19 ft	night & dusk	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3) (11 ft)
Fall	6 to 19 ft	dusk	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3) (11 ft)
Winter	6 to 19 ft	midday	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3) (11 ft)

Blue Catfish fishing at San Bernard River

Early season blue catfish use the shallows, holding in 4 to 19 ft. Even in summer they hold at 5 to 19 ft; winter keeps them in 6 to 19 ft. The chart's best answer is Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3) — creek channel, 11 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	4 to 19 ft	dusk	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3) (11 ft)
Summer	5 to 19 ft	dawn & dusk	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3) (11 ft)
Fall	6 to 19 ft	dusk	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3) (11 ft)
Winter	6 to 19 ft	midday	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3) (11 ft)

San Bernard River also holds flathead catfish (5 to 19 ft in summer), freshwater drum (5 to 19 ft in summer), common carp (3 to 15 ft in summer), longnose gar (1 to 12 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.

Notable structure

San Bernard River carries 3 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Outside-bend hole (mile 4.4), about 15 ft down.

Outside-bend hole (mile 4.4): creek channel, around 15 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 2.1): creek channel, around 14 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3): creek channel, around 11 ft

San Bernard River 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 San Bernard River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Texas fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is San Bernard River?

San Bernard River is about 19 ft (6 m) deep 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 San Bernard River?

Anglers target striped bass, white bass, largemouth bass, crappie, channel catfish, blue catfish, flathead catfish, freshwater drum, common carp, longnose gar on San Bernard River. This isn't a survey of the water — none is published for it — but an informed estimate from the species common to the region, narrowed by this water's depth, size and each species' range.

Where is the best fishing spot on San Bernard River?

Outside-bend hole (mile 0.3) is the top-rated area: a creek channel in about 11 ft of water that rates prime for striped bass in winter. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.

When is the best time to fish San Bernard River?

For striped 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 San Bernard River?

Fishing on San Bernard River 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

East Matagorda Bay 24 mi · Matagorda Bay 54 mi · San Jacinto River 63 mi · Lake Texana 64 mi · Lavaca Bay 70 mi · Sheldon Lake 70 mi · Espiritu Santo Bay 73 mi · Lake Houston 79 mi · Fayette County Reservoir 105 mi · Coleto Creek Reservoir 105 mi · Lake Conroe 109 mi · Aransas Bay 111 mi

See how San Bernard River 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 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.