Coleto Creek Reservoir, TX

Fishing Regulations

All fishes are managed under statewide regulations with the exception of red drum. For this species minimum length limit is 20 inches; there is no maximum length. Daily bag for red drum is 3 fish per day.

Angling Opportunities

Largemouth bass is the most popular sportfish in the reservoir. Largemouth bass are abundant with frequent reports of five to eight pound fish being boated. White bass provide good angling opportunities in deeper water, near the dam. Blue, flathead and channel catfish also provide fisheries, and respectable catches of crappie are not uncommon.

Fishing Cover/Structure

Coleto Creek Reservoir has varied types of habitat including steep rocky banks, flooded timber, shallow brushy flats, and creek channels. Water is generally clear throughout the year, while the creek channels are typically stained. Small coves and protected creek channels stay fairly clear throughout the year. In addition to the cover submerged timber and brush provide for game fish species, stands of native aquatic vegetation and hydrilla provide excellent habitat in most areas of the reservoir. Structure in the reservoir consist of islands, submerged humps and long sloping points extending cover with aquatic vegetation.

Tips & Tactics

Largemouth bass anglers are most successful on during the spring, fall, and winter months. Popular spring baits include spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, rattletraps, crankbaits, and unweighted soft plastic worms or jerkbaits. Summer bass fishing can be frustrating for even the most experienced angler. Topwater baits such as buzzbaits, Zara Spooks, or Pop-R's, presented very early or very late in the day near weedbeds, are popular and can be productive throughout the day if cloud cover is present. Flipping jigs, plastic worms, or tube baits in heavy shaded cover are often productive when nothing else seems to work. Remenber to spool up with a heavier line when fishing thick cover. As summer temperatures rise, some anglers concentrate on shaded areas in submerged vegetation in 2-6 feet of water using soft plastics, while other anglers fish deep. Deep water bass fishing is best using crankbaits, Texas-rigged worms, Carolina-rigged plastics, or jigging spoons. Brushy main-lake points, rocky shorelines, submerged roadbeds, and flooded brush near deep water or a dropoff are highly recommended targets for bass when temperatures reach 90 °F or higher.

White bass are generally caught in the deeper water near the dam. Although live minnows are a popular bait, many anglers catch their limit using small rattletraps, shad raps, small spinnerbaits, small grubs, and other minnow-imitating artificial baits. As the weather cools, white bass may move to the warm water discharge in the reservoir. Jigging spoons or small rattletraps often put fish in the cooler during this time of year. Catfish anglers can find channel, blue, and flathead catfish throughout the reservoir. Although many anglers prefer deeper water, catfish are often found in relatively shallow areas (8 feet or less) of flooded terrrestrial vegetation. Stinkbait and cutbait produce impressive stringers of blue catfish, while the larger flathead and blue catfish seem to prefer live bluegill and shad. Trotlines and juglines account for many of the larger catfish caught every year at Coleto Creek. Crappie fishing at Coleto Creek can be excellent. Crappie can be caught in the spring, in shallow water near submerged brush using minnows or small feather jigs. Summer crappie anglers concentrate their efforts in the main creek channels, near submerged timber using live minnows, feather jigs, and blade baits in 10-20 feet of water.