San Marcos River Fishing Map & Spots (TX)

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 on this water are approximations. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

Loading depth chart…

Recent catches at San Marcos 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 Marcos River on the board.

Fishing San Marcos River: what the data says

Spring-fed clear water from Aquarena to Staples. The river tops out around 6 ft. Depth here is modeled from the true shoreline and max depth rather than surveyed; use it to plan, not to navigate. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.

The outline encloses 2,743 acres, worked by 130.9 miles of shoreline, broken up by an island. An index of 17.8 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. Call it 39.3 mi long by 3.2 mi wide at the broadest reach. Caldwell County claims this one. Lake Placid sits 21 mi southwest — the closest neighbouring chart.

Largemouth Bass fishing at San Marcos River

When the water first warms, largemouth bass slide up into 1 to 6 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 2 to 6 ft, winter 2 to 6 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Outside-bend hole (mile 6.8): a creek channel around 5 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait rigged through the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 6 ft	dawn & dusk	Aquarena Dam tailrace (5 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	2 to 6 ft	dawn & dusk	Current seam (mile 53.5) (3 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	2 to 6 ft	midday & dawn	Outside-bend hole (mile 6.8) (5 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	2 to 6 ft	midday	Outside-bend hole (mile 6.8) (5 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Bluegill fishing at San Marcos River

When the water first warms, bluegill slide up into 1 to 6 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 2 to 6 ft, winter 2 to 6 ft. Start at Tailout eddy (mile 0.6). It's an eddy pocket holding about 3 ft of water and rates prime come winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig rigged through the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 6 ft	midday & dusk	open water	1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings)
Summer	2 to 6 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig
Fall	2 to 6 ft	midday	Current seam (mile 53.5) (3 ft)	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	2 to 6 ft	midday	Tailout eddy (mile 0.6) (3 ft)	Tiny spoon

Channel Catfish fishing at San Marcos River

When the water first warms, channel catfish slide up into 2 to 6 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 2 to 6 ft, winter 2 to 6 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Outside-bend hole (mile 6.8): a creek channel around 5 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	2 to 6 ft	dusk	Tailout eddy (mile 0.6) (3 ft)
Summer	2 to 6 ft	night & dusk	Outside-bend hole (mile 6.8) (5 ft)
Fall	2 to 6 ft	dusk	Outside-bend hole (mile 6.8) (5 ft)
Winter	2 to 6 ft	midday	Outside-bend hole (mile 6.8) (5 ft)

Common Carp fishing at San Marcos River

Early season common carp use the shallows, holding in 1 to 6 ft. Even in summer they hold at 1 to 6 ft; winter keeps them in 2 to 6 ft. The chart's best answer is Tailout eddy (mile 0.6) — eddy pocket, 3 ft, prime for winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	1 to 6 ft	midday & dawn	Aquarena Dam tailrace (5 ft)
Summer	1 to 6 ft	dawn & dusk	Aquarena Dam tailrace (5 ft)
Fall	2 to 6 ft	midday	Outside-bend hole (mile 6.8) (5 ft)
Winter	2 to 6 ft	midday	Tailout eddy (mile 0.6) (3 ft)

Longnose Gar fishing at San Marcos River

Come spring, look for longnose gar tight to the bank in 1 to 6 ft. Through summer count on 1 to 6 ft; the winter hold is 2 to 6 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Outside-bend hole (mile 6.8): a creek channel around 5 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is midday and the evening. A rope lure or a small white spinner is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 6 ft	midday	Aquarena Dam tailrace (5 ft)	Rope lure (hookless nylon), Inline spinner (slow)
Summer	1 to 6 ft	midday & dusk	Aquarena Dam tailrace (5 ft)	Rope lure, Small white spinner
Fall	2 to 6 ft	midday	Outside-bend hole (mile 6.8) (5 ft)	Rope lure, Small jerkbait (pause-heavy)
Winter	2 to 6 ft	midday	Tailout eddy (mile 0.6) (3 ft)

Notable structure

Structure-wise the chart holds 25 features, led in depth by Aquarena Dam tailrace at roughly 5 ft.

Aquarena Dam tailrace: dam tailrace, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 6.8): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 11.2): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 13.7): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 16.8): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 19.3): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 22.1): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 24.6): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 27.1): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 29.6): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 31.8): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 34.2): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 40.8): creek channel, around 5 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 44.2): creek channel, around 5 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Palmetto State Park- Oxbow Lake — ramp
San Marcos — ramp
San Marcos — ramp
San Marcos — ramp
San Marcos — ramp
San Marcos — ramp
San Marcos — ramp
San Marcos — ramp
…plus 10 more mapped sites.

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

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

Check the official Texas fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is San Marcos River?

San Marcos River is about 6 ft (2 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.

What fish are in San Marcos River?

Anglers target largemouth bass, bluegill, channel catfish, common carp, longnose gar on San Marcos River.

Where is the best fishing spot on San Marcos River?

Outside-bend hole (mile 6.8) is the top-rated area: a creek channel in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in summer. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.

When is the best time to fish San Marcos River?

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.

What are the fishing regulations for San Marcos River?

Fishing on San Marcos 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

Lake Placid 21 mi · Lake Dunlap 22 mi · Guadalupe River (Canyon Tailwater) 29 mi · Colorado River (Austin) 36 mi · Canyon Lake 37 mi · Lady Bird Lake 40 mi · Lake Bastrop 41 mi · Walter E. Long Lake 43 mi · Calaveras Lake 46 mi · Lake Austin 46 mi · Victor Braunig Lake 51 mi · Lake Travis 58 mi

See how San Marcos River stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Texas · best bluegill lakes in Texas · best channel catfish lakes in Texas · best common carp lakes in Texas

Browse all Texas fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. 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.