Bluegill fishing at Rend Lake

Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 25 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.

Channel Catfish fishing at Rend Lake

Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 8 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 9 to 31 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 26 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.

Crappie fishing at Rend Lake

Spring crappie on Rend Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 9 to 31 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 26 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.

Flathead Catfish fishing at Rend Lake

In spring, flathead catfish run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. They move out to 8 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 9 to 31 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 26 ft, rated prime for fall flathead catfish. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.

Largemouth Bass fishing at Rend Lake

Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 9 to 31 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 4 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.

Spotted Bass fishing at Rend Lake

Start shallow in spring: spotted bass sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 9 to 31 ft, and winter fish settle into 9 to 31 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 8 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A drop shot over brush or a underspin + fluke (schoolers) covers the summer program.

How deep is Rend Lake?

Rend Lake is about 31 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.

What fish are in Rend Lake?

Anglers target largemouth bass, white bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, striped bass, white bass & hybrids, flathead catfish, spotted bass on Rend Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Rend Lake?

Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Rend Lake?

For bluegill, 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.