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34,300-acre lake near Russellville. A sprawling Arkansas River navigation pool. Flooded timber, backwaters and a nationally ranked tournament largemouth fishery. The lake tops out around 60 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. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Lake Dardanelle maps at 25,741 acres behind 217.7 miles of shoreline, with 45 islands in the mix. The 9.7 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. Roughly 71% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. Figure 23.4 mi of water from one end to the other, 10.6 mi at the beam. Logan County claims this one. If the bite dies, Blue Mountain Lake is 27 mi to the southwest.
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 6 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (10 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (15 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Old creek channel (30 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: spotted bass sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 15 to 40 ft; cold water stacks them in 25 to 50 ft. Top water on the chart: Main-lake point, a point in the 15 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a drop shot over brush or an underspin + fluke (schoolers) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (15 ft) | Ned rig on gravel points, Shaky head |
| Summer | 15 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (15 ft) | Drop shot over brush, Underspin + fluke (schoolers) |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (15 ft) | Walking topwater, Underspin |
| Winter | 25 to 50 ft | midday | Deep basin (51 ft) | Damiki/hover rig, Jigging spoon |
Spring crappie on Lake Dardanelle hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. The chart's best answer is Old creek channel — creek channel, 30 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in 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 (6 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Marina / dock area (10 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Marina / dock area (10 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Old creek channel (30 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: white bass sit in 2 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Big Piney Creek inflow, an inflow / creek mouth in the 6 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. 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 | Big Piney Creek inflow (6 ft) | Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (14 ft) | Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish) |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (15 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | Old creek channel (30 ft) | Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait |
Early season channel catfish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 40 ft. Put Big Piney Creek inflow first on the milk run — an inflow / creek mouth near 6 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Big Piney Creek inflow (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Old creek channel (30 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Old creek channel (30 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Old creek channel (30 ft) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: blue catfish in 5 to 25 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 40 ft before dropping to 20 to 50 ft for winter. The spot to know is Old creek channel, a creek channel in about 30 ft of water that rates prime for blue catfish in summer. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | Big Piney Creek inflow (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Old creek channel (30 ft) | |
| Fall | 15 to 45 ft | dusk | Old creek channel (30 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Deep basin (51 ft) |
Lake Dardanelle also holds flathead catfish (8 to 30 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
23 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 51 ft, is the deepest of them.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Arkansas waters are set by the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission — and special regulations can apply to Lake Dardanelle specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Arkansas fishing regulations →
Lake Dardanelle is about 60 ft (18 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 largemouth bass, spotted bass, crappie, white bass, channel catfish, blue catfish, flathead catfish, bluegill on Lake Dardanelle.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For largemouth bass, 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 Lake Dardanelle is regulated by the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission. Check the official Arkansas regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Blue Mountain Lake 27 mi · Nimrod Lake 27 mi · Buffalo National River 50 mi · Lake Ouachita 50 mi · Lake Maumelle 53 mi · Lake Conway 59 mi · Lake Hamilton 62 mi · Greers Ferry Lake 65 mi · Lake Catherine 65 mi · Beaver Lake 73 mi · New Spiro Lake 73 mi, OK · DeGray Lake 75 mi
See how Lake Dardanelle stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Arkansas · best white bass lakes in Arkansas · best crappie lakes in Arkansas · best bluegill lakes in Arkansas
Browse all Arkansas 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.