Walter E. Long Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (TX)

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Lake depth chart

Walter E. Long Lake, TX

Max 60 ft

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Where to start

Fall shad migration window is on — see the hatch outlook

Hatch outlook

Fall shad migrationActive window

Typical here: Sep 1 – Dec 15 · upper ends and stained creeks turn on first, the main lake follows; Deep-South creeks hold bait into December

adultall day, best mid-afternoon as the sun warms the bait — the rare pattern where you can sleep in — follow the bait, not the structure: gulls, herons and egrets diving or stacked in a creek mean the shad (and the bass) are there — run and gun until you find flickering bait or surface activity

Concentrates hard but unevenly — whole stretches go empty while one creek loads up. The birds are the map.

Creek-arm run-and-gun: lipless crankbait and squarebill through the flats and ditches, walking topwater over surface schools, a 3/8 oz spinnerbait around isolated cover along the creek channel. Downsize to match the young-of-year shad; jerkbaits are the sleeper.

The event happens over backs of creek arms, pockets and ditches, secondary points on the way in, and main-lake flats where the bait balls roam

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 ~4 months

Shad spawn · baitfishMar 15 – Jun 15 · in ~5 months

Bluegill spawn (bream-bed bass) · forageMay 1 – Jul 31 · in ~7 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.

Depth · ft

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Recent catches at Walter E. Long Lake

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Fishing Walter E. Long Lake: what the data says

1,269-acre reservoir near Austin. Austin power-plant lake (Decker). Warm year-round. The lake tops out around 60 ft. The contours come from a model of the real basin shape and its known max depth. Read them as probabilities, not soundings, and keep them out of navigation decisions. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.

Drawn out, this is 1,148 acres of water rimmed by 15.6 miles of bank. An index of 3.3 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 62% of the surface on the model — that's where the groceries are. Tip to tip the water measures near 2.8 mi with a 2-mi widest point. The water lies in Travis County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Lady Bird Lake, 9 mi west of here.

Largemouth Bass fishing at Walter E. Long Lake

Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (15 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (15 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Break off the point (27 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

White Bass & Hybrids fishing at Walter E. Long Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: white bass & hybrids in 3 to 15 ft. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 20 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Decker Creek inflow, an inflow / creek mouth in the 6 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jigging spoon or a topwater (when schooling) gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Decker Creek inflow (6 ft)	Rooster tail / inline spinner, Curly-tail jig (white/chartreuse)
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (15 ft)	Jigging spoon, Topwater (when schooling)
Fall	8 to 25 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (15 ft)	Small blade bait, Jigging spoon
Winter	20 to 40 ft	midday	Break off the point (27 ft)	Jigging spoon, Blade bait (vertical)

Crappie fishing at Walter E. Long Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: crappie in 2 to 8 ft. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 25 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 6 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub
Summer	10 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (27 ft)	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	8 to 20 ft	dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Break off the point (27 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Channel Catfish fishing at Walter E. Long Lake

Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Decker Creek inflow, an inflow / creek mouth in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dusk	Decker Creek inflow (6 ft)
Summer	8 to 25 ft	night & dusk	Decker Creek inflow (6 ft)
Fall	10 to 30 ft	dusk	Break off the point (27 ft)
Winter	20 to 40 ft	midday	Break off the point (27 ft)

Flathead Catfish fishing at Walter E. Long Lake

In spring, flathead catfish run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 45 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 51 ft, rated prime for winter flathead catfish. Time it for after dark and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	5 to 20 ft	night & dusk	Decker Creek inflow (6 ft)
Summer	8 to 30 ft	night & dusk	Break off the point (27 ft)
Fall	10 to 35 ft	night & dusk	Break off the point (27 ft)
Winter	20 to 45 ft	midday	Deep basin (51 ft)

Bluegill fishing at Walter E. Long Lake

Spring puts bluegill in skinny water — 1 to 6 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 4 to 15 ft, wintering in 10 to 25 ft. Spring bluegill concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 6 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 6 ft	midday & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings)
Summer	4 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	10 to 25 ft	midday	Break off the point (27 ft)	Tiny spoon

Walter E. Long Lake also holds redbreast sunfish (2 to 12 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.

Notable structure

Structure-wise the chart holds 7 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 51 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 51 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 27 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 15 ft
Secondary point: point, around 15 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Decker Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 6 ft

Walter E. Long Lake stocking report

Date	Species	Count	Size
2025*	Lone Star Bass (fry)	81,380	—
2024*	Palmetto Bass (fingerling)	19,777	—

* Approximate date (agency reports month or season only). Source: TPWD stocking history, retrieved 2026-09-23.

Walter E. Long Lake 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 Walter E. Long Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Texas fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Walter E. Long Lake?

Walter E. Long Lake is about 60 ft (18 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 Walter E. Long Lake?

Anglers target largemouth bass, white bass & hybrids, crappie, channel catfish, flathead catfish, bluegill, redbreast sunfish on Walter E. Long Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Walter E. Long Lake?

Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.

When is the best time to fish Walter E. Long Lake?

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.

Is Walter E. Long Lake stocked with fish?

Yes — per TPWD stocking history records, Walter E. Long Lake was most recently stocked 2025 with 81,380 lone star bass (fry). The full stocking history is listed above.

What are the fishing regulations for Walter E. Long Lake?

Fishing on Walter E. Long Lake 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

Lady Bird Lake 9 mi · Colorado River (Austin) 10 mi · Lake Austin 15 mi · Lake Bastrop 22 mi · Lake Georgetown 28 mi · Lake Travis 30 mi · Granger Lake 30 mi · San Marcos River 43 mi · Lake Marble Falls 45 mi · Guadalupe River (Canyon Tailwater) 48 mi · Canyon Lake 49 mi · Stillhouse Hollow Lake 49 mi

See how Walter E. Long Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Texas · best crappie lakes in Texas · best bluegill lakes in Texas · best channel catfish lakes in Texas

Browse all Texas fishing maps. 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.