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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 comes from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
On the chart, Mississippi River - Memphis draws 64,016 acres inside 273.7 miles of shoreline. An index of 7.7 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 13% of this chart. The basin spans about 94.9 mi end to end and 11 mi across at its widest. You'll find it in Tipton County. For a second option, Arkabutla Lake lies 49 mi south.
Come spring, look for blue catfish tight to the bank in 5 to 25 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 40 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 50 ft. Start at Memphis harbor mouth. It's a creek channel holding about 18 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | Memphis harbor mouth (18 ft) | |
| Summer | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Memphis harbor mouth (18 ft) | |
| Fall | 15 to 45 ft | dusk | Memphis harbor mouth (18 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Slackwater eddy (mile 21.0) (32 ft) |
Start shallow in spring: flathead catfish sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 45 ft. Top water on the chart: Slackwater eddy (mile 94.4), an eddy pocket in the 17 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in after dark and the evening and you'll meet the bite.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | night & dusk | Slackwater eddy (mile 94.4) (17 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | night & dusk | Slackwater eddy (mile 60.4) (23 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | night & dusk | Slackwater eddy (mile 21.0) (32 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Slackwater eddy (mile 21.0) (32 ft) |
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 25 ft before dropping to 20 to 40 ft for winter. Summer channel catfish concentrate at Memphis harbor mouth, a prime-rated creek channel around 18 ft. Fish it in after dark and the evening and you'll meet the bite.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 22.7) (12 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Memphis harbor mouth (18 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Memphis harbor mouth (18 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Main-channel hole (mile 24.4) (26 ft) |
When the water first warms, sauger slide up into 4 to 18 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are 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. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a bottom bouncer + crawler or a 3-way rig with stickbait rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | Memphis harbor mouth (18 ft) | 3/8 oz jig + ringworm, Hair jig + minnow |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Memphis harbor mouth (18 ft) | Bottom bouncer + crawler, 3-way rig with stickbait |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Memphis harbor mouth (18 ft) | Jig + big minnow, Blade bait |
| Winter | 15 to 45 ft | dusk | Memphis harbor mouth (18 ft) | Heavy jigging spoon, Jig + minnow (vertical) |
When the water first warms, white bass slide up into 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. If you only fish one area, make it Channel bar / point (mile 30.6): a point around 23 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel current seam (mile 92.3) (12 ft) | Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel bar / point (mile 30.6) (23 ft) | Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish) |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel bar / point (mile 30.6) (23 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | Memphis harbor mouth (18 ft) | Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait |
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. Fall largemouth bass concentrate at Outside-bend hole (mile 22.7), a prime-rated creek channel around 12 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Robinson chute (25 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Channel current seam (mile 92.3) (12 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Outside-bend hole (mile 22.7) (12 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Memphis harbor mouth (18 ft) | 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.
Mississippi River - Memphis carries 65 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Channel bar / point (mile 38.7), about 83 ft down.
Access data: Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency — Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Tennessee waters are set by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency — and special regulations can apply to Mississippi River - Memphis specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Tennessee fishing regulations →
Mississippi River - Memphis is about 135 ft (41 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Anglers target blue catfish, flathead catfish, channel catfish, sauger, white bass, largemouth bass, crappie, freshwater drum, common carp, longnose gar 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. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
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.
Fishing on Mississippi River - Memphis is regulated by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Check the official Tennessee regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Arkabutla Lake 49 mi, MS · Chewalla Lake 61 mi, MS · Wolf Bayou Unit of Black Island Conservation Area 62 mi, MO · Twin Borrow Pits Conservation Area 66 mi, MO · Bluff Springs Lake 67 mi, MS · Yellow Rabbit Lake 67 mi, MS · Curtis Lake 69 mi, MS · Sardis Lake 72 mi, MS · Buck Rucker Lake 72 mi, MS · Mt.Olive Lake 72 mi, MS · North Chilli Lake 72 mi, MS · Gibson County Lake 73 mi, TN
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 see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 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.