Grapevine Lake fishing: Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye
Target species: Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Redear, White Bass, Blue Catfish, Channel Catfish
Best months: May, Jun, Sep, Oct for Largemouth Bass
Second window: Nov, Apr, May for Smallmouth Bass
The reservoir
Grapevine Lake covers 6,490 acres in Texas, across 2 counties: Denton and Tarrant. It is a reservoir: 91.5% of it is 42 feet deep or less; the deepest point measured is 55 feet (16.8 m). Our records hold 10 species for this water.
7 target fish, led by Largemouth Bass
- Largemouth Bass — Best months: May, Jun, Sep, Oct.
- Smallmouth Bass — Best months: Nov, Apr, May.
- Walleye — Best months: Nov, Dec, Mar, Apr.
- Redear — Best months: May, Jun, Sep, Oct.
- White Bass — Best months: May.
- Blue Catfish — Best months: May, Jun, Sep, Oct.
- Channel Catfish — Best months: May, Jun, Sep, Oct.
Also recorded here: Sunshine Bass, Common Carp, Threadfin Shad.
Depth: down to 55 ft at the deepest measured point
Deepest measured point: 55 ft (16.8 m). 91.5% of the water is 42 feet or shallower. We hold 118 depth contours for this water, drawn from 196,480 soundings.
- 0–3 ft: 14.3% of the water
- 3–6 ft: 6.8% of the water
- 6–9 ft: 6.3% of the water
- 9–12 ft: 5.8% of the water
- 12–15 ft: 6.8% of the water
- 15–18 ft: 5.3% of the water
- 18–21 ft: 6.2% of the water
- 21–24 ft: 7.4% of the water
- 24–27 ft: 6.1% of the water
- 27–30 ft: 4.8% of the water
- 30–33 ft: 6.4% of the water
- 33–36 ft: 6.7% of the water
- 36–39 ft: 5.1% of the water
- 39–42 ft: 3.5% of the water
- 42–45 ft: 3.3% of the water
- 45–48 ft: 3.8% of the water
- 48–51 ft: 1.4% of the water
- 51–54 ft: 0.2% of the water
Stocking: 6,954,523 fish, 1968–2026
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department records list 6,954,523 fish released into this water from 1968 to 2026.
- Walleye: 2,644,600 in 1975–1976
- Largemouth Bass: 1,220,000 in 1967–1971
- Smallmouth Bass: 865,949 in 1999–2026
- Channel Catfish: 212,000 in 1969–1972
- Threadfin Shad: 800 in 1984
3 more species on the stocking list.
Water and conditions
Water clarity runs 1.7–3.7 feet on our readings, averaging 2.6 feet, from 68 readings. Water temperature averages 73°F across the year. The coldest single reading we hold is 46°F and the warmest is 92°F; the warmest monthly average is 86°F. pH averages 8. These readings span 2016–2026.
Monthly average water temperature: Jan 47°F · Feb 52°F · Mar 58°F · Apr 64°F · May 72°F · Jun 83°F · Jul 86°F · Aug 86°F · Sep 83°F · Oct 76°F · Nov 64°F · Dec 54°F
Season by season
- Winter (Dec, Jan, Feb, 47–54°F) — Biting: Walleye. Steady but no peak: Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Redear, White Bass, Blue Catfish.
- Spring (Mar, Apr, May, 58–72°F) — Biting: Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Redear, White Bass, Blue Catfish.
- Summer (Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, 83–86°F) — Biting: Largemouth Bass, Redear, Blue Catfish, Channel Catfish.
- Fall (Oct, Nov, 64–76°F) — Biting: Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Redear, Blue Catfish, Channel Catfish.
What is hard here
Wind is the limit, not the fish: 6,490 acres of open water build a short steep chop, and there is no shelter in the middle. Winter water drops to 47°F, and the warm-water species stop feeding well before you do. Summer water sits at 86°F: heat and afternoon lightning are the real risks, not the fishing.
Where this data comes from
- Texas Water Development Board — Texas Water Development Board: depth contours: class A, a survey of the bottom, 2011.
- USACE CWMS — USACE CWMS elevation-area curves: class B, a depth figure measured and published by an agency, without a bottom map.
- Webster, K.E., McCullough, I.M., Soranno, P.A. LAGOS-US DEPTH v1.0, EDI, doi:10.6073/pasta/64ddc4d04661d9aef4bd702dc5d8984f (CC BY 4.0); Cheruvelil et al. LAGOS-US LOCUS v1.0 (EDI) — LAGOS-US DEPTH v1.0: Lake depth for 17,675 lakes in the conterminous U.S.: class B, a depth figure measured and published by an agency, without a bottom map.
