Waco Lake fishing: Walleye, Striped Bass, Largemouth Bass
Target species: Walleye, Striped Bass, Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Channel Catfish, Blue Catfish, Sunshine Bass
The reservoir
Waco Lake covers 7,106 acres in Texas, across McLennan County. It is a reservoir: 96.7% of it is 40 feet deep or less; the deepest point measured is 85.2 feet (26 m). Our records hold 9 species for this water.
Depth: down to 85.2 ft at the deepest measured point
Deepest measured point: 85.2 ft (26 m). 96.7% of the water is 40 feet or shallower. We hold 105 depth contours for this water, drawn from 574,926 soundings.
- 0–5 ft: 3.8% of the water
- 5–10 ft: 11% of the water
- 10–15 ft: 12.4% of the water
- 15–20 ft: 10.6% of the water
- 20–25 ft: 10.1% of the water
- 25–30 ft: 14.7% of the water
- 30–35 ft: 14.5% of the water
- 35–40 ft: 19.6% of the water
- 40–45 ft: 1.3% of the water
- 45–50 ft: 0.6% of the water
- 50–55 ft: 0.7% of the water
- 55–60 ft: 0.3% of the water
- 60–65 ft: 0.4% of the water
- 65–70 ft: 0.1% of the water
7 target fish, led by Walleye
- Walleye — Feeding water: 50–75°F.
- Striped Bass — Feeding water: 60–75°F.
- Largemouth Bass — Feeding water: 65–85°F.
- White Bass — Feeding water: 65–75°F.
- Channel Catfish — Feeding water: 70–85°F.
- Blue Catfish — Feeding water: 70–85°F.
- Sunshine Bass — Feeding water: 70–80°F. Nonnative.
Also recorded here: Blue Tilapia, Threadfin Shad.
Stocking: 7,294,583 fish, 1981–2026
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department records list 7,294,583 fish released into this water from 1981 to 2026.
- Sunshine Bass: 1,954,002 in 2015–2026
- Walleye: 1,643,500 in 1974–1978
- Largemouth Bass: 400,000 in 1971
- Blue Catfish: 295,935 in 1988–2004
- Striped Bass: 269,328 in 1983–1996
- Channel Catfish: 150,768 in 1972–1990
- Threadfin Shad: 500 in 1984
4 more species on the stocking list.
Water and conditions
Water clarity runs 1.2–3 feet on our readings, averaging 2.1 feet, from 104 readings. Our water temperature readings average 64°F; they do not cover the whole year, so this is not a yearly average. pH averages 8. These readings span 2016–2026.
What is hard here
Wind is the limit, not the fish: 7,106 acres of open water build a short steep chop, and there is no shelter in the middle.
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.
- EPA NLA — EPA National Lakes Assessment: class B, a depth figure measured and published by an agency, without a bottom map.
