The Lake Whitney Reservoir lies 60 miles south of Ft. Worth, Texas, and 30 miles northwest of Waco, Texas, at the top of the Texas Hill Country. It is one of the top lakes in Texas for striped bass.

What Fish Species Are in Lake Whitney?

Predominant fish species in Lake Whitney are largemouth, smallmouth, white, spotted, and striped bass, blue and channel catfish, and black and white crappie. Other species include hybrid striped bass, bluegill, carp, flathead catfish, longnose gar, and green sunfish.

How Is the Fishing in Lake Whitney?

Fishing is great at Lake Whitney! Expect to catch big stripers in shallow waters in the spring and deeper other times of the year. White bass and hybrid striped bass follow schools of bait and move into the shallows in spring and fall. Anglers easily catch bass, crappie, and sunfish in spring and fall and found in deeper water in winter and the heat of summer.

Lake Whitney has 225 miles of shoreline, with some with access for bank fishing and portage for a canoe or kayak. Plenty of boat ramps facilitate launching of most any size fishing boat.

Catfish fishing is good year round, with some monsters cruising the river and creek channels. Lake Whitney has a year round fishing season, but all fish species spawn in spring, which makes it the best time to go fishing here. It is easier to catch fish during the spring because they stick to shallower water, which makes them easier to spot.

Bass species spawn from March to May, crappie spawn from March to April, and catfish from April to June. Find the fish in shallow coves during spawning seasons, along cut banks, or in submerged timber. During summer, the fish go deeper looking for water that is cooler with ideal oxygen levels. When the temperature is cooler in the fall, fish are found all over Lake Fork.

In the winter, the most productive fishing is in the creek channels and local rivers. Natural rock shorelines, including steep bluffs, boulders, and sand and gravel flats dominate Lake Whitney. Submerged timber and flooded terrestrial vegetation add natural habitat for fish, while man-made habitats include boat ramps, marinas, piers, docks, and bridge pilings.

Three freshwater reefs are near Uncle Gus’ Marina in the South Fork Rocky Creek, and three more freshwater reefs are located in coves along the shores of Lake Whitney State Park. White bass migrate up the Brazos and Nolan rivers to spawn. The best catches are below sand and gravel bars and along sandy shorelines. Aquatic vegetation includes willow, bushy pondweed, buttonbush, bulrush, coontail, pondweed, and water willow.

Spring is the best time to catch quality size largemouth bass from March through May, when they are in shallow water two to 15 feet deep along shorelines and in coves. Smallmouth bass fishing is improving with recent stockings.

Crappie fishing is best during the spawning period when they are concentrated in water three to 15 feet deep near submerged brush and timber. Catch crappie near submerged timber, bridge pylons, or submerged boulders in water exceeding 10 feet in depth from May to September. The middle and upper ends of Lake Fork are best for crappie.

Find catfish year-round, but catfishing is best from April through June. There is limited success with sunfish in April and May in their spawning beds in shallow coves with sandy bottoms.

What is the deepest part of Lake Whitney?

The deepest part of Lake Whitney is along the old river bottom, near the dam. Lake Whitney covers 23,500 acres with a maximum depth of 108 feet and an annual fluctuation of four to eight feet.

Lake Whitney Fish Species and Limits

• Black and White Crappie: 25 combination of black and white with 10″ minimum
• Catfish: 25 in any combination including subspecies
• Flathead Catfish: 5 per day with a minimum length of 18 inches
• Striped/Hybrid Bass: 5 per day with a minimum length of 18 inches
• White Bass: 25 per day with a minimum of 10 inches
• Largemouth Bass: 6 per day minimum 12″
• Smallmouth Bass: 6 per day minimum 12″