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Fishing Mississippi River - Memphis: what the data says
Caruthersville to below Memphis. the Lower Mississippi's trophy blue catfish water on deep bendway holes and dike fields. The river tops out around 135 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Blue Catfish fishing at Mississippi River - Memphis
Start shallow in spring: blue catfish sit in 5 to 25 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 40 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 50 ft. Memphis harbor mouth is the standout, a creek channel at roughly 18 ft, rated prime for spring blue catfish. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | |
| Fall | 15 to 45 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday |
Flathead Catfish fishing at Mississippi River - Memphis
Start shallow in spring: flathead catfish sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 8 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 45 ft. The spot to know is Slackwater eddy (mile 94.4), a eddy pocket in about 17 ft of water that rates prime for flathead catfish in spring. 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 | 10 to 35 ft | night & dusk | |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday |
Channel Catfish fishing at Mississippi River - Memphis
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Memphis harbor mouth, a creek channel in about 18 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in summer. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| 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 | 20 to 40 ft | midday |
Sauger fishing at Mississippi River - Memphis
Start shallow in spring: sauger sit in 4 to 18 ft that time of year. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 45 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Memphis harbor mouth: a creek channel around 18 ft that scores prime in summer. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A bottom bouncer + crawler or a 3-way rig with stickbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | 3/8 oz jig + ringworm, Hair jig + minnow |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Bottom bouncer + crawler, 3-way rig with stickbait |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Jig + big minnow, Blade bait |
| Winter | 15 to 45 ft | dusk | Heavy jigging spoon, Jig + minnow (vertical) |
White Bass fishing at Mississippi River - Memphis
In spring, white bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 40 ft. Channel bar / point (mile 30.6) is the standout, a point at roughly 23 ft, rated prime for fall white bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | see map |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | see map |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | see map |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | see map |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Mississippi River - Memphis
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Outside-bend hole (mile 22.7), a creek channel in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| 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 | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Mississippi River - Memphis also holds crappie (10 to 25 ft in summer), freshwater drum (8 to 30 ft in summer), common carp (3 to 15 ft in summer), longnose gar (1 to 12 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Channel bar / point (mile 38.7): point, around 83 ft
- Current seam (mile 114.1): current seam, around 83 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 70.6): creek channel, around 79 ft
- Channel current seam (mile 10.9): current seam, around 78 ft
- Channel current seam (mile 34.6): current seam, around 78 ft
- Main-channel hole (mile 72.7): creek channel, around 76 ft
- Current seam (mile 4.8): current seam, around 75 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 8.8): creek channel, around 75 ft
- Slackwater eddy (mile 36.7): eddy pocket, around 75 ft
- Channel current seam (mile 82.8): current seam, around 75 ft
- Slackwater eddy (mile 84.9): eddy pocket, around 75 ft
- Main-channel hole (mile 108.0): creek channel, around 75 ft
- Current seam (mile 118.1): current seam, around 75 ft
- Channel bar / point (mile 6.8): point, around 74 ft
Common questions
How deep is Mississippi River - Memphis?
Mississippi River - Memphis is about 135 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Mississippi River - Memphis?
Anglers target largemouth bass, white bass, sauger, crappie, channel catfish, flathead catfish, blue catfish, freshwater drum, common carp, longnose gar on Mississippi River - Memphis.
Where is the best fishing spot on Mississippi River - Memphis?
Memphis harbor mouth is the top-rated area: a creek channel in about 18 ft of water that rates prime for blue catfish in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Mississippi River - Memphis?
For blue catfish, 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
Reelfoot Lake · Gibson County Lake · Kentucky Lake · Pickwick Lake · Buffalo River · Laurel Hill Lake
See how Mississippi River - Memphis stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Tennessee · best sauger lakes in Tennessee · best crappie lakes in Tennessee · best channel catfish lakes in Tennessee
Browse all Tennessee fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.