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3,500-acre reservoir near Lauderdale County. The lake tops out around 30 ft. The contours come from a model of the real basin shape and its known max depth. Read them as probabilities, not soundings, and keep them out of navigation decisions. Species by species, here's what the data says the year looks like.
On the chart, Okatibbee Reservoir draws 3,424 acres inside 32.5 miles of shoreline, with 3 islands in the mix. A development index of 4 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 79% of the surface on the model — that's where the groceries are. Tip to tip the water measures near 4.4 mi with a 2.7-mi widest point. The water lies in Lauderdale County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Neshoba County Lake, 19 mi northwest of here.
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 9 to 30 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait until the fish tell you otherwise.
| 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 | Break off the point (14 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 | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Break off the point (14 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring puts bluegill in skinny water — 1 to 6 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 4 to 15 ft, wintering in 10 to 25 ft. Spring bluegill concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 4 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.
| 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 | Weed flat (6 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (26 ft) | Tiny spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: crappie in 2 to 8 ft. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 25 ft, wintering in 9 to 30 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 26 ft range, prime in winter. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| 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 | Break off the point (14 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (14 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (26 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
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 9 to 30 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 26 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in winter. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Feeding flat (9 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (26 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Deep basin (26 ft) | |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (26 ft) |
In spring, flathead catfish run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 9 to 30 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 26 ft, rated prime for fall flathead catfish. Time it for 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 (26 ft) | |
| Fall | 9 to 30 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (26 ft) | |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (26 ft) |
Early season white bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 12 ft. Summer is an 8 to 25 ft game here, winter a 9 to 30 ft one. The chart's best answer is Main-lake point — point, 8 ft, prime for fall. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Gravel shoal (5 ft) | Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish) |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (26 ft) | Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait |
Okatibbee Reservoir also holds striped bass (9 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 12 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 26 ft.
Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Mississippi waters are set by the Mississippi Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks — and special regulations can apply to Okatibbee Reservoir specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Mississippi fishing regulations →
Okatibbee Reservoir is about 30 ft (9 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 largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, channel catfish, flathead catfish, white bass, striped bass on Okatibbee Reservoir. This isn't a survey of the water — none is published for it — but an informed estimate from the species common to the region, narrowed by this water's depth, size and each species' range.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For largemouth bass, 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 Okatibbee Reservoir is regulated by the Mississippi Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks. Check the official Mississippi regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Neshoba County Lake 19 mi · Lake Claude Bennett 31 mi · Golden Memorial Park Lake 36 mi · Marathon Lake 39 mi · Tombigbee River - Reach 2 of 2 45 mi, MS/AL · Lake Bogue Homa 56 mi · Choctaw Lake 57 mi · Tombigbee River - Reach 1 of 2 63 mi, AL/MS · Washington County Public Fishing Lake 66 mi, AL · Ross Barnett Reservoir 70 mi · Lake Lowndes 70 mi · Simpson County Lake 71 mi
See how Okatibbee Reservoir stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Mississippi · best white bass lakes in Mississippi · best crappie lakes in Mississippi · best bluegill lakes in Mississippi
Browse all Mississippi 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.