Modeled depthRiver map
Mississippi River (Monticello)
Monticello to Anoka (smallmouth reach)
- Recorded max
- 19 ft
- Species
- Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Channel Catfish
- Public access
- 8 official records
Split-water fishing maps
Mississippi River fishing maps and mapped reaches
Fishing maps for ten mapped Mississippi River reaches and navigation pools from Minnesota to Louisiana.
10 live reaches6 survey-backed depth maps15 cataloged target species33 official access records
Built for useful map scale
Why Mississippi River is split up
The river spans thousands of miles and a chain of navigation pools; each child keeps a recognizable fishing reach at usable scale.
One page per mapped area
Choose a Mississippi River fishing-map reach
Modeled depthRiver map
Mississippi River (Brainerd)
Brainerd to Fort Ripley
- Recorded max
- 11 ft
- Species
- Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Channel Catfish
- Public access
- 5 official records
Modeled depthRiver map
Mississippi River Pool 2 (Hastings)
Ford Dam down to the Hastings dam — the metro pool MN DNR calls the area's best quality walleye and sauger water; catch-and-release only for walleye, sauger and bass.
- Recorded max
- 30 ft
- Species
- Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass
Modeled depthRiver map
Mississippi River Pool 3 (Hastings to Red Wing)
Hastings dam down to Lock & Dam 3 — about 18 miles of channel, wing dams and backwaters feeding the head of Pool 4.
- Recorded max
- 30 ft
- Species
- Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Sauger
- Public access
- 3 official records
Survey-backed depthRiver map
Mississippi River Pool 4 (Red Wing)
Lock & Dam 3 tailrace through Red Wing to the head of Lake Pepin — the Upper Miss' most famous walleye and sauger water.
- Recorded max
- 37 ft
- Species
- Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Sauger
- Public access
- 2 official records
Survey-backed depthRiver map
Mississippi River Pool 8 (La Crosse)
Dresbach dam to Genoa: sprawling stump-field backwaters — big bluegills, largemouth and November walleye below the spillway.
- Recorded max
- 39 ft
- Species
- Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Sauger
- Public access
- 6 official records
Survey-backed depthRiver map
Mississippi River Pool 13 (Clinton)
Bellevue to Fulton: the widest pool on the Upper Miss — backwater largemouth, slab bluegills and wing-dam walleye.
- Recorded max
- 53 ft
- Species
- Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Sauger
- Public access
- 4 official records
Survey-backed depthRiver map
Mississippi River Pool 19 (Keokuk)
Burlington to Keokuk — the oldest pool on the river: flathead and channel cat water with white bass on every point.
- Recorded max
- 43 ft
- Species
- Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Sauger
- Public access
- 3 official records
Survey-backed depthRiver map
Mississippi River — Memphis
Caruthersville to below Memphis — the Lower Mississippi's trophy blue catfish water on deep bendway holes and dike fields.
- Recorded max
- 135 ft
- Species
- Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Sauger, Crappie
- Public access
- 2 official records
Survey-backed depthRiver map
Mississippi River — Vicksburg
Lake Providence to below Vicksburg — big-bend blue and flathead catfish water where the Yazoo joins the Lower Mississippi.
- Recorded max
- 100 ft
- Species
- Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
Choose with the evidence visible
How to compare Mississippi River reaches
The released set contains 6 survey-backed reaches and 4 modeled reaches. Their published maximum depths run from 11 to 135 ft, with a median of 39 ft. Those numbers make scale differences visible, but they do not make sections interchangeable: contour provenance, access, species evidence and local structure remain specific to each child map.
Start with the section closest to the water you actually plan to fish. Then compare its depth-data label and species roster with an adjacent section before treating a pattern as system-wide. A survey-backed child is the stronger choice for precise breakline planning; a modeled child is broader reconnaissance and should be checked against sonar and conditions on the water. Return to this overview whenever you cross into another mapped reach, pool or coastal section.
Same child-page contract
What every section keeps separate
- Depth provenance: each child discloses whether its contours are survey-backed or modeled; a family card never upgrades that label.
- Fishing spots: structure and seasonal recommendations are calculated inside the child boundary so distant reaches are not mixed together.
- Fish species: each page keeps its own supported roster rather than inheriting every species found anywhere in the parent system.
- Local context: hatch guidance, access, hazards, catches and nearby-water links continue to resolve for the individual child where data is available.
Planning questions
Frequently asked questions
Why is Mississippi River divided into separate fishing maps?
The river spans thousands of miles and a chain of navigation pools; each child keeps a recognizable fishing reach at usable scale.
Are these depth maps survey-backed?
6 released maps use surveyed or official agency bathymetry. Each child keeps its own provider, product, datum and not-for-navigation disclosure.
Do fish and access records apply everywhere?
No. Species, forage, access and fishing spots remain scoped to each child map and retain their evidence labels.