Wright Patman Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (TX)

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Lake depth chart

Wright Patman Lake, TX

Max 31 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 ~6 months

Shad spawn · baitfishMar 15 – Jun 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 generated from real agency depth surveys; use the survey badge for the provider, dataset, datum and measured coverage. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

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Recent catches at Wright Patman Lake

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 Wright Patman Lake on the board.

Fishing Wright Patman Lake: what the data says

18,994-acre reservoir near Texarkana. The lake tops out around 31 ft. The depth chart comes from Texas Water Development Board bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.

Shoreline on the chart totals 267.6 miles — 66 islands included. With a shoreline index of 11.1, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. Nothing on this chart breaks 15 ft, which makes the whole surface littoral: weeds, bait and ambush cover everywhere. The basin spans about 20.2 mi end to end and 9.5 mi across at its widest. Bowie County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Ellison Creek Reservoir, is 33 mi to the southwest.

Largemouth Bass fishing at Wright Patman Lake

When the water first warms, largemouth bass slide up into 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 9 to 31 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. 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	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (2 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Shoreline point (7 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (4 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	9 to 31 ft	midday	Deep basin (21 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

White Bass fishing at Wright Patman Lake

In spring, white bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 25 ft before dropping to 9 to 31 ft for winter. Spring white bass concentrate at Brooks Creek inflow, a prime-rated inflow / creek mouth around 2 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish) most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Brooks Creek inflow (2 ft)	Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank
Summer	8 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Shoreline point (7 ft)	Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish)
Fall	6 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Shoreline point (7 ft)	Jigging spoon, Blade bait
Winter	9 to 31 ft	midday	Deep basin (21 ft)	Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait

Crappie fishing at Wright Patman Lake

Come spring, look for crappie tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 9 to 31 ft. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 21 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (2 ft)	1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub
Summer	10 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Deep basin (21 ft)	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	8 to 20 ft	dawn	Shallow feeding flat (19 ft)	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	9 to 31 ft	midday	Deep basin (21 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Blue Catfish fishing at Wright Patman Lake

Spring puts blue catfish in skinny water — 5 to 25 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 31 ft; cold water stacks them in 9 to 31 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 21 ft, rated prime for winter blue catfish. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	5 to 25 ft	dusk	Brooks Creek inflow (2 ft)
Summer	8 to 31 ft	dawn & dusk	Deep basin (21 ft)
Fall	9 to 31 ft	dusk	Deep basin (21 ft)
Winter	9 to 31 ft	midday	Deep basin (21 ft)

Channel Catfish fishing at Wright Patman Lake

When the water first warms, channel catfish slide up into 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 9 to 31 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 21 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dusk	Brooks Creek inflow (2 ft)
Summer	8 to 25 ft	night & dusk	Deep basin (21 ft)
Fall	10 to 30 ft	dusk	Deep basin (21 ft)
Winter	9 to 31 ft	midday	Deep basin (21 ft)

Flathead Catfish fishing at Wright Patman Lake

Come spring, look for flathead catfish tight to the bank in 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 8 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 9 to 31 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 21 ft that scores prime in fall. Best bite is after dark and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	5 to 20 ft	night & dusk	Deep basin (21 ft)
Summer	8 to 30 ft	night & dusk	Deep basin (21 ft)
Fall	9 to 31 ft	night & dusk	Deep basin (21 ft)
Winter	9 to 31 ft	midday	Deep basin (21 ft)

Notable structure

Wright Patman Lake carries 14 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 21 ft down.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 21 ft
Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 19 ft
Shoreline point: point, around 7 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 4 ft
Gravel shoal: gravel shoal, around 4 ft
Gravel shoal: gravel shoal, around 3 ft
Shoreline point: point, around 3 ft
Secondary point: point, around 2 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Brooks Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 2 ft
Gravel shoal: gravel shoal, around 2 ft
Shoreline point: point, around 2 ft
Shoreline point: point, around 2 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp

Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

Wright Patman 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 Wright Patman Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Texas fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Wright Patman Lake?

Wright Patman Lake is about 31 ft (9 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from Texas Water Development Board bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.

What fish are in Wright Patman Lake?

Anglers target largemouth bass, white bass, crappie, blue catfish, channel catfish, flathead catfish on Wright Patman Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Wright Patman Lake?

Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Wright Patman 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.

What are the fishing regulations for Wright Patman Lake?

Fishing on Wright Patman 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

Ellison Creek Reservoir 33 mi · Welsh Reservoir 33 mi · Lake O' the Pines 36 mi · Millwood Lake 38 mi, AR · Caddo Lake 41 mi, TX/LA · Lake Bob Sandlin 46 mi · Lake Cypress Springs 52 mi · Lake Gilmer 53 mi · Brandy Branch Reservoir 59 mi · Mountain Fork (Lower) 59 mi, OK · Cross Lake 60 mi, LA · Lake Gladewater 61 mi

See how Wright Patman Lake 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: published agency survey data. 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.