Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeLake depth chart
Today's read
Rating depth structure for largemouth bass.
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
137-acre lake in Jackson County, Illinois. The lake tops out around 32 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. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
Lake Murphysboro maps at 137 acres behind 5 miles of shoreline. The 3 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 66% of this chart, as modeled. The basin spans about 0.9 mi end to end and 0.6 mi across at its widest. Jackson County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Kinkaid Lake, is 5 mi to the northwest.
Come spring, look for bluegill tight to the bank in 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 25 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 4 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (27 ft) | Tiny spoon |
Come spring, look for channel catfish tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 10 to 32 ft. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 27 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in 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 | Deep basin (27 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Deep basin (27 ft) | |
| Winter | 10 to 32 ft | midday | Deep basin (27 ft) |
When the water first warms, crappie slide up into 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 32 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 27 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.
| 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 | Deep basin (27 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 10 to 32 ft | midday | Deep basin (27 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, flathead catfish slide up into 5 to 20 ft. Summer is an 8 to 30 ft game here, winter a 10 to 32 ft one. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 27 ft of water and rates prime come fall. The feeding windows run after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | night & dusk | open water | |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (27 ft) | |
| Fall | 9 to 32 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (27 ft) | |
| Winter | 10 to 32 ft | midday | Deep basin (27 ft) |
Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 10 to 32 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 4 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait is the honest summer answer here.
| 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 | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 10 to 32 ft | midday | Deep basin (27 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
The chart marks 5 structure features on Lake Murphysboro; the deepest is Deep basin at about 27 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Illinois waters are set by the Illinois DNR — and special regulations can apply to Lake Murphysboro specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Illinois fishing regulations →
Lake Murphysboro is about 32 ft (10 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 bluegill, channel catfish, crappie, flathead catfish, largemouth bass on Lake Murphysboro.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For bluegill, 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 Murphysboro is regulated by the Illinois DNR. Check the official Illinois regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Kinkaid Lake 5 mi · Cedar Lake 12 mi · Little Grassy Lake 17 mi · Crab Orchard Lake 17 mi · Devils Kitchen Lake 20 mi · Dutchman Lake 32 mi · Rend Lake 33 mi · Washington County Lake 35 mi · Baldwin Lake 40 mi · Lake Girardeau 42 mi, MO · Kaskaskia River 50 mi · General Watkins Conservation Area 51 mi, MO
See how Lake Murphysboro stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Illinois · best crappie lakes in Illinois · best bluegill lakes in Illinois · best channel catfish lakes in Illinois
Browse all Illinois 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.