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565-acre lake near Pontotoc. The lake tops out around 40 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. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
The drawn outline gives you 13.2 miles of bank to pick apart. A development index of 4.6 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 82% of the surface on the model — that's where the groceries are. Tip to tip the water measures near 1.9 mi with a 1.3-mi widest point. You'll find it in Pontotoc County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Elvis Presley Lake, 14 mi east of here.
Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 5 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (18 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (18 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 15 ft; cold water stacks them in 10 to 25 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 5 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Break off the point (18 ft) | Tiny spoon |
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 25 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. Winter crappie concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 34 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (18 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (18 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (34 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring puts channel catfish in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 40 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 34 ft, rated prime for winter channel catfish. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (5 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Break off the point (18 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Break off the point (18 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (34 ft) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: flathead catfish in 5 to 20 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 30 ft before dropping to 12 to 40 ft for winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 34 ft of water that rates prime for flathead catfish in fall. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| 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 (34 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (34 ft) | |
| Winter | 12 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (34 ft) |
Come spring, look for white bass tight to the bank in 2 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 40 ft. Start at Main-lake point. It's a point holding about 10 ft of water and rates prime come fall. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish) |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (34 ft) | Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait |
Trace State Park Lake also holds striped bass (12 to 40 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
6 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 34 ft, is the deepest of them.
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 Trace State Park Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Mississippi fishing regulations →
Trace State Park Lake is about 40 ft (12 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 Trace State Park Lake. 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 5 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every 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 Trace State Park Lake 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.
Elvis Presley Lake 14 mi · Davis Lake 15 mi · Denmark Lake 25 mi · Cypress Lake 26 mi · Lake Monroe 28 mi · Puskus Lake 29 mi · Mill Lake 30 mi · Wood Duck Lake 31 mi · Brents Lake 32 mi · Buck Rucker Lake 33 mi · North Chilli Lake 34 mi · Mt.Olive Lake 35 mi
See how Trace State Park Lake 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.