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11,240-acre reservoir near Coldwater. The northernmost of the four hill-country USACE lakes, on the Coldwater River near Memphis. Crappie, white bass and a spring sauger run below the dam. The lake tops out around 35 ft. Bathymetry on this water is estimated from its real outline and maximum depth. Use it to shortlist water, then verify with your electronics — and never navigate by it. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
The outline encloses 9,366 acres, worked by 64.7 miles of shoreline. An index of 4.8 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 76% of this chart, as modeled. Tip to tip the water measures near 9.5 mi with a 4.7-mi widest point. It sits in DeSoto County. Sardis Lake sits 31 mi southeast — the closest neighbouring chart.
Spring crappie on Arkabutla Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 10 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 30 ft that grades prime for winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (16 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (16 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (30 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Summer is an 8 to 20 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 4 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (16 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (9 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (16 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: white bass sit in 2 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 11 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for white bass in fall. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (9 ft) | Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (9 ft) | Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish) |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (9 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait |
| Winter | 11 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (30 ft) | Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait |
Early season channel catfish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Summer is an 8 to 25 ft game here, winter an 11 to 35 ft one. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 30 ft, prime for winter. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Break off the point (16 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Deep basin (30 ft) | |
| Winter | 11 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (30 ft) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: blue catfish in 5 to 25 ft. As the season builds they drop to 9 to 35 ft, wintering in 11 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 30 ft range, prime in winter. Time it for early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | Break off the point (16 ft) | |
| Summer | 9 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (30 ft) | |
| Fall | 11 to 35 ft | dusk | Deep basin (30 ft) | |
| Winter | 11 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (30 ft) |
Start shallow in spring: sauger sit in 4 to 18 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 11 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 30 ft of water that rates prime for sauger in winter. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a bottom bouncer + crawler or a 3-way rig with stickbait until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (5 ft) | 3/8 oz jig + ringworm, Hair jig + minnow |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (16 ft) | Bottom bouncer + crawler, 3-way rig with stickbait |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Break off the point (16 ft) | Jig + big minnow, Blade bait |
| Winter | 11 to 35 ft | dusk | Deep basin (30 ft) | Heavy jigging spoon, Jig + minnow (vertical) |
The chart marks 14 structure features on Arkabutla Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 30 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Mississippi waters are set by the Mississippi Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks — and special regulations can apply to Arkabutla Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Mississippi fishing regulations →
Arkabutla Lake is about 35 ft (11 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target crappie, largemouth bass, white bass, channel catfish, blue catfish, sauger on Arkabutla Lake. This isn't a survey of the water — none is published for it — but an informed estimate from the species common to the region, narrowed by this water's depth, size and each species' range.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 30 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For crappie, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Arkabutla Lake is regulated by the Mississippi Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks. Check the official Mississippi regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Sardis Lake 31 mi · Moon Lake 33 mi · Chewalla Lake 41 mi · Enid Lake 45 mi · Puskus Lake 46 mi · Brents Lake 47 mi · Buck Rucker Lake 48 mi · Mill Lake 49 mi · Cypress Lake 49 mi · Mississippi River - Memphis 49 mi, TN/AR/MS · Denmark Lake 51 mi · Bluff Springs Lake 51 mi
See how Arkabutla Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Mississippi · best white bass lakes in Mississippi · best crappie lakes in Mississippi · best channel catfish lakes in Mississippi
Browse all Mississippi fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.