Wright Patman Lake fishing: Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Paddlefish
Target species: Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Paddlefish, Sunshine Bass
Best months: May, Jun, Sep, Oct for Largemouth Bass
Second window: Oct, Nov, Mar, Apr for Walleye
The reservoir
Wright Patman Lake covers 29,508 acres in Texas, across 2 counties: Bowie and Cass. It is a reservoir: 90.3% of it is 16 feet deep or less; the deepest point measured is 42.4 feet (12.9 m). Our records hold 9 species for this water.
Stocking: 5,654,316 fish, 1974–2023
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department records list 5,654,316 fish released into this water from 1974 to 2023.
- Walleye: 672,317 in 1974–1975
- Paddlefish: 16,967 in 1992–1994
3 more species on the stocking list.
Depth: down to 42.4 ft at the deepest measured point
Deepest measured point: 42.4 ft (12.9 m). 90.3% of the water is 16 feet or shallower.
- 0–2 ft: 7.7% of the water
- 2–4 ft: 3.8% of the water
- 4–6 ft: 4.9% of the water
- 6–8 ft: 8.8% of the water
- 8–10 ft: 16.6% of the water
- 10–12 ft: 23.1% of the water
- 12–14 ft: 15.6% of the water
- 14–16 ft: 9.8% of the water
- 16–18 ft: 5.2% of the water
- 18–20 ft: 3.4% of the water
- 20–22 ft: 0.8% of the water
- 22–24 ft: 0.2% of the water
- 24–26 ft: 0.1% of the water
4 target fish, led by Largemouth Bass
- Largemouth Bass — Best months: May, Jun, Sep, Oct.
- Walleye — Best months: Oct, Nov, Mar, Apr.
- Paddlefish — Best months: Oct, Mar, Apr.
- Sunshine Bass — Best months: May, Sep. Nonnative.
Also recorded here: White Bass, Bighead Carp, Common Carp, Blue Tilapia, Threadfin Shad.
Water and conditions
Water clarity runs 1–3 feet on our readings, averaging 1.8 feet, from 218 readings. Water temperature averages 69°F across the year. The coldest single reading we hold is 32°F and the warmest is 91°F; the warmest monthly average is 85°F. pH averages 7.5. These readings span 2016–2026.
Monthly average water temperature: Jan 51°F · Feb 56°F · Mar 65°F · Apr 64°F · May 77°F · Jun 84°F · Jul 85°F · Aug 85°F · Sep 78°F · Oct 66°F · Nov 57°F · Dec 55°F
Season by season
- Winter (Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, 51–57°F) — Biting: Walleye. Steady but no peak: Largemouth Bass, Paddlefish.
- Spring (Mar, May, 65–77°F) — Biting: Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Paddlefish, Sunshine Bass.
- Summer (Jun, Jul, Aug, 84–85°F) — Biting: Largemouth Bass. Steady but no peak: Paddlefish, Sunshine Bass.
- Fall (Apr, Sep, Oct, 64–78°F) — Biting: Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Paddlefish, Sunshine Bass.
What is hard here
Wind is the limit, not the fish: 29,508 acres of open water build a short steep chop, and there is no shelter in the middle. Clarity swings from 1 to 3 feet between our readings — the water you meet is not the water someone photographed. Winter water drops to 51°F, and the warm-water species stop feeding well before you do. Summer water sits at 85°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, 2010.
- 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.
