Sign inSign up freeRecent catches at Lake Murphysboro
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
Fishing Lake Murphysboro: what the data says
137-acre lake near Illinois. The lake tops out around 32 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Bluegill fishing at Lake Murphysboro
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 25 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 4 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Lake Murphysboro
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. They move out to 8 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 32 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 27 ft, rated prime for winter channel catfish. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 10 to 32 ft | midday |
Crappie fishing at Lake Murphysboro
Spring crappie on Lake Murphysboro hold shallow, usually 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. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 10 to 32 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Flathead Catfish fishing at Lake Murphysboro
In spring, flathead catfish run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 8 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 32 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 27 ft, rated prime for fall flathead catfish. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | night & dusk | |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 9 to 32 ft | night & dusk | |
| Winter | 10 to 32 ft | midday |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Lake Murphysboro
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 32 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 4 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 10 to 32 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 27 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 4 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 4 ft
Common questions
How deep is Lake Murphysboro?
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.
What fish are in Lake Murphysboro?
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, flathead catfish on Lake Murphysboro.
Where is the best fishing spot 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. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Lake Murphysboro?
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.
Nearby waters
Kinkaid Lake · Cedar Lake · Little Grassy Lake · Crab Orchard Lake · Devils Kitchen Lake · Washington County Lake
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 every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.