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Best flathead catfish lakes in Mississippi

26 Mississippi waters hold flathead catfish, 4 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. Solitary giant that lairs in log jams and deep holes by day and prowls at night — live bait only.

1. Pickwick Lake — 85 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Sauger, CrappieWhy #1: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 22 public access sites
2. Mississippi River — Memphis — 135 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Sauger, CrappieWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 17 public access sites
3. Mississippi River — Vicksburg — 100 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Channel CatfishWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
4. Sardis Lake — 50 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #4: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
5. Ross Barnett Reservoir — 35 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #5: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
6. Grenada Lake — 50 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #6: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
7. Enid Lake — 40 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #7: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
8. Lake Washington — 21 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #8: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 3 public access sites
9. Eagle Lake — 27 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #9: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
10. Lake Ferguson — 44 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #10: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 3 public access sites
11. Pearl River — 15 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish, Flathead CatfishWhy #11: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 3 public access sites
12. Moon Lake — 28 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #12: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
13. Lake Beulah — 30 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #13: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
14. Okatibbee Reservoir — 30 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #14: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 3 public access sites
15. Lake Bogue Homa — 18 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #15: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
16. Trace State Park Lake — 40 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #16: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
17. Lake Okhissa — 82 ft max · Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, BluegillWhy #17: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
18. Elvis Presley Lake — 35 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #18: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
19. Turkey Fork Lake — 16 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #19: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
20. Geiger Lake — 18 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #20: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
21. Davis Lake — 27 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #21: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
22. Chewalla Lake — 12 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #22: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
23. Lake Lowndes — 33 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #23: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
24. Lake Bill Waller — 27 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel CatfishWhy #24: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · no verified access record attached
25. Lower Old River — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish, Flathead CatfishWhy #25: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached

…plus 1 more Mississippi waters holding flathead catfish.

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When to fish flathead catfish in Mississippi

• Spring 5–20 ft — Pre-spawn fish feed hard near wood cover and hole edges.
• Summer 8–30 ft — Day = log-jam lairs and deep holes. Night = shallow flats and bar edges with big live bait.
• Fall 10–35 ft — Fish concentrate near wintering holes — the year's best big-fish window.
• Winter 20–45 ft — Stacked and sluggish in the deepest holes.

Also in Mississippi: best largemouth bass lakes · best white bass lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best striped bass lakes · best blue catfish lakes · best longnose gar lakes · best spotted bass lakes

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