Pickwick Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (TN)

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Lake depth chart

Pickwick Lake, TN

Max 85 ft

Today's read

Where to start

Fall shad migration window is on — see the hatch outlook

Hatch outlook

Fall shad migrationActive window

Typical here: Sep 1 – Dec 15 · upper ends and stained creeks turn on first, the main lake follows; Deep-South creeks hold bait into December

adultall day, best mid-afternoon as the sun warms the bait — the rare pattern where you can sleep in — follow the bait, not the structure: gulls, herons and egrets diving or stacked in a creek mean the shad (and the bass) are there — run and gun until you find flickering bait or surface activity

Concentrates hard but unevenly — whole stretches go empty while one creek loads up. The birds are the map.

Creek-arm run-and-gun: lipless crankbait and squarebill through the flats and ditches, walking topwater over surface schools, a 3/8 oz spinnerbait around isolated cover along the creek channel. Downsize to match the young-of-year shad; jerkbaits are the sleeper.

The event happens over backs of creek arms, pockets and ditches, secondary points on the way in, and main-lake flats where the bait balls roam

Willow fly (summer mayfly)Active window

Typical here: Apr 1 – Oct 31 · recurring broods all summer — the heart of it is June–July, famously around July 4th on the Tennessee River lakes; any one hatch lasts days to ~3 weeks

dunhatches at dusk — clouds of bugs just before dark, continuing into the night — after hatching they fly to shoreline foliage — trees near lighted docks get covered; the feeding zone is the water under bug-loaded overhanging bushes and willows
spinnerthe following days: mating, egg drop and spent flies falling from the overhangs — the bream bite under the bushes runs as long as the bugs do

A two-level event: bream stack under the bug trees, and the big bass stack under the bream. Fish the same bushes twice — small for bream, big for the bass just outside them.

Crickets or small poppers under a float tight to the bug-covered bushes for bream; beetle spins and hair jigs just under the surface; for the bass, run a bluegill-pattern topwater or squarebill down the outside edge of the overhangs.

The event happens over under and just outside overhanging willows and bushes on steep banks; trees near lighted docks after dark

Next on this water

Spring crawfish emergence · forageFeb 15 – May 15 · in ~6 months

Shad spawn · baitfishMar 15 – Jun 15 · in ~6 months

Bluegill spawn (bream-bed bass) · forageMay 1 – Jul 31 · in ~8 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours on this water are approximations. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

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Recent catches at Pickwick Lake

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Pickwick Lake on the board.

Fishing Pickwick Lake: what the data says

43,100-acre reservoir near Counce. TN River trophy-smallmouth tailwater; also big blue cats and sauger. The lake tops out around 85 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. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.

The outline encloses 40,213 acres, worked by 283.6 miles of shoreline, with 38 islands in the mix. An index of 10.1 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 63% of the surface on the model — that's where the groceries are. Tip to tip the water measures near 40 mi with an 18.4-mi widest point. It sits in Lauderdale County. If the bite dies, Wilson Lake is 25 mi to the east.

Smallmouth Bass fishing at Pickwick Lake

When the water first warms, smallmouth bass slide up into 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 10 to 30 ft game here, winter a 20 to 45 ft one. Start at Rock reef. It's a rock pile holding about 10 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig rigged through the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Rock reef (10 ft)	Ned rig, Tube jig
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Rock reef (10 ft)	Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig
Fall	8 to 25 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (21 ft)	Jerkbait, Blade bait
Winter	20 to 45 ft	midday	Sharp break (35 ft)	Blade bait, Hair jig

Largemouth Bass fishing at Pickwick Lake

Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 8 to 20 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Shoreline point (5 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Sharp break (35 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Spotted Bass fishing at Pickwick Lake

Spring puts spotted bass in skinny water — 5 to 20 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 15 to 40 ft, wintering in 25 to 50 ft. Spring spotted bass concentrate at Shoreline point, a prime-rated point around 5 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A drop shot over brush or an underspin + fluke (schoolers) covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Shoreline point (5 ft)	Ned rig on gravel points, Shaky head
Summer	15 to 40 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (21 ft)	Drop shot over brush, Underspin + fluke (schoolers)
Fall	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (21 ft)	Walking topwater, Underspin
Winter	25 to 50 ft	midday	Sharp break (35 ft)	Damiki/hover rig, Jigging spoon

Crappie fishing at Pickwick Lake

When the water first warms, crappie slide up into 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 10 to 25 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub
Summer	10 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	8 to 20 ft	dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Sharp break (35 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Bluegill fishing at Pickwick Lake

Come spring, look for bluegill tight to the bank in 1 to 6 ft. Expect a summer slide to 4 to 15 ft, then a winter hold in 10 to 25 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 6 ft	midday & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings)
Summer	4 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig
Fall	6 to 18 ft	midday	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	10 to 25 ft	midday	Deep basin (72 ft)	Tiny spoon

Channel Catfish fishing at Pickwick Lake

Come spring, look for channel catfish tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 8 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Second Creek inflow: an inflow / creek mouth around 8 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is after dark and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dusk	Second Creek inflow (8 ft)
Summer	8 to 25 ft	night & dusk	Second Creek inflow (8 ft)
Fall	10 to 30 ft	dusk	Sharp break (29 ft)
Winter	20 to 40 ft	midday	Sharp break (35 ft)

Pickwick Lake also holds blue catfish (10 to 40 ft in summer), flathead catfish (8 to 30 ft in summer), sauger (10 to 30 ft in summer), white bass & hybrids (10 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.

Notable structure

The chart marks 25 structure features on Pickwick Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 72 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 72 ft
Sharp break: drop-off, around 35 ft
Sharp break: drop-off, around 29 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 21 ft
Secondary point: point, around 21 ft
Rock reef: rock pile, around 10 ft
Second Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 8 ft
Panther Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 8 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Shallow flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
Shoreline point: point, around 5 ft
Shallow flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Rock reef: rock pile, around 2 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp
…plus 14 more mapped sites.

Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

Pickwick Lake fishing regulations

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 Pickwick Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Tennessee fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Pickwick Lake?

Pickwick Lake is about 85 ft (26 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 Pickwick Lake?

Anglers target smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, spotted bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, blue catfish, flathead catfish, sauger, white bass & hybrids on Pickwick Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Pickwick Lake?

Rock reef is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.

When is the best time to fish Pickwick Lake?

For smallmouth 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.

What are the fishing regulations for Pickwick Lake?

Fishing on Pickwick Lake 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.

Nearby waters

Wilson Lake 25 mi, AL · Bay Springs Lake 31 mi, MS · Laurel Hill Lake 38 mi · VFW Lake 41 mi · Tennessee River - Reach 1 of 3 54 mi, AL/TN/MS · Buffalo River 56 mi · Tippah County Lake 58 mi, MS · Elvis Presley Lake 58 mi, MS · Marion County Public Fishing Lake 59 mi, AL · Yellow Rabbit Lake 66 mi, MS · Curtis Lake 67 mi, MS · Mt.Olive Lake 67 mi, MS

See how Pickwick Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Tennessee · best smallmouth bass lakes in Tennessee · best sauger lakes in Tennessee · best crappie lakes in Tennessee

Browse all Tennessee 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.