San Jacinto 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.

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Recent catches at San Jacinto 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 Jacinto River on the board.

Fishing San Jacinto River: what the data says

11 km of the San Jacinto River navigation corridor, with channel depths from USACE hydrographic survey. The river tops out around 62 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. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:

Traced from the shoreline, San Jacinto River runs 5,177 acres with 18.5 miles of edge. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 1.8) — enough points and pockets to pattern. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 30% of this chart. Figure 7 mi of water from one end to the other, 2.1 mi at the beam. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Sheldon Lake, 15 mi northwest of here.

Striped Bass fishing at San Jacinto River

Come spring, look for striped bass tight to the bank in 5 to 20 ft. Expect a summer slide to 25 to 60 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 50 ft. Start at Main-channel hole (mile 0.4). It's a creek channel holding about 52 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 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Outside-bend hole (mile 6.2) (15 ft)	Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn)
Summer	25 to 60 ft	dawn & dusk	Channel current seam (mile 2.4) (49 ft)	Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled)
Fall	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Channel current seam (mile 2.4) (49 ft)	Topwater walker, Jerkbait
Winter	20 to 50 ft	midday	Main-channel hole (mile 0.4) (52 ft)	Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon

White Bass fishing at San Jacinto River

Spring white bass on San Jacinto River hold shallow, usually 2 to 12 ft. They move out to 8 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 40 ft. Put Outside-bend hole (mile 6.2) first on the milk run — a creek channel near 15 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 6.2) (15 ft)	Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank
Summer	8 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Channel current seam (mile 2.4) (49 ft)	Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish)
Fall	6 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Outside-bend hole (mile 6.2) (15 ft)	Jigging spoon, Blade bait
Winter	15 to 40 ft	midday	Outside-bend hole (mile 6.2) (15 ft)	Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait

Largemouth Bass fishing at San Jacinto River

The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Outside-bend hole (mile 6.2), a creek channel in the 15 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	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Outside-bend hole (mile 6.2) (15 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Outside-bend hole (mile 6.2) (15 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Crappie fishing at San Jacinto River

Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Outside-bend hole (mile 6.2), a creek channel in about 15 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	10 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Outside-bend hole (mile 6.2) (15 ft)	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	8 to 20 ft	dawn	Outside-bend hole (mile 6.2) (15 ft)	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Outside-bend hole (mile 6.2) (15 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Channel Catfish fishing at San Jacinto River

The spring pattern is a shallow one: channel catfish in 3 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 25 ft, wintering in 20 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Outside-bend hole (mile 6.2), a creek channel in the 15 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 6.2) (15 ft)
Summer	8 to 25 ft	night & dusk	Outside-bend hole (mile 6.2) (15 ft)
Fall	10 to 30 ft	dusk	Outside-bend hole (mile 6.2) (15 ft)
Winter	20 to 40 ft	midday	Outside-bend hole (mile 6.2) (15 ft)

Blue Catfish fishing at San Jacinto River

Early season blue catfish use the shallows, holding in 5 to 25 ft. Summer is a 10 to 40 ft game here, winter a 20 to 50 ft one. The chart's best answer is Outside-bend hole (mile 6.2) — creek channel, 15 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	5 to 25 ft	dusk	Outside-bend hole (mile 6.2) (15 ft)
Summer	10 to 40 ft	dawn & dusk	Outside-bend hole (mile 6.2) (15 ft)
Fall	15 to 45 ft	dusk	Outside-bend hole (mile 6.2) (15 ft)
Winter	20 to 50 ft	midday	Main-channel hole (mile 0.4) (52 ft)

San Jacinto River also holds flathead catfish (8 to 30 ft in summer), freshwater drum (8 to 30 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

The chart marks 4 structure features on San Jacinto River; the deepest is Main-channel hole (mile 0.4) at about 52 ft.

Main-channel hole (mile 0.4): creek channel, around 52 ft
Current seam (mile 4.4): current seam, around 51 ft
Channel current seam (mile 2.4): current seam, around 49 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 6.2): creek channel, around 15 ft

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

Check the official Texas fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is San Jacinto River?

San Jacinto River is about 62 ft (19 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 Jacinto River?

Anglers target striped bass, white bass, largemouth bass, crappie, channel catfish, blue catfish, flathead catfish, freshwater drum, common carp, longnose gar on San Jacinto 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 Jacinto River?

Outside-bend hole (mile 6.2) is the top-rated area: a creek channel in about 15 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish San Jacinto 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 Jacinto River?

Fishing on San Jacinto 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

Sheldon Lake 15 mi · Lake Houston 23 mi · Lake Conroe 63 mi · San Bernard River 63 mi · Sabine Lake 71 mi, TX/LA · Lake Raven 71 mi · Lake Livingston 77 mi · East Matagorda Bay 85 mi · B.A. Steinhagen Lake 93 mi · Calcasieu Lake 101 mi, LA · Sabine River 104 mi · Somerville Lake 104 mi

See how San Jacinto 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.