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306-acre lake near Palermo. Flood-control lake on the Mud River in Lincoln County, offering largemouth bass, muskie and channel catfish. The lake tops out around 37 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
Shoreline on the chart totals 12.3 miles. An index of 6.2 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 62% of this chart. Tip to tip the water measures near 1.8 mi with a 1.3-mi widest point. You'll find it in Lincoln County. For a second option, East Lynn Lake lies 16 mi west.
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Main-lake point, a point in the 10 ft range, prime in fall. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. 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 (11 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (11 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 (11 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring puts muskellunge 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 15 to 35 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 11 ft, rated prime for fall muskellunge. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. A double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (11 ft) | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (10 ft) | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | midday & dusk | Break off the point (11 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (36 ft) | Large rubber, crawled slow |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: crappie in 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 25 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. The spot to know is Old creek channel, a creek channel in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in fall. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. 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 | Mud River inflow (4 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (11 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Old creek channel (8 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (36 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring puts bluegill in skinny water — 1 to 6 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 15 ft; cold water stacks them in 10 to 25 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 11 ft, rated prime for summer bluegill. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. 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 (11 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (11 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (11 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (11 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 11 to 37 ft. Top water on the chart: Mud River inflow, an inflow / creek mouth in the 4 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in after dark and the evening and you'll meet the bite.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Mud River inflow (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Old creek channel (8 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Old creek channel (8 ft) | |
| Winter | 11 to 37 ft | midday | Deep basin (36 ft) |
The chart marks 9 structure features on Upper Mud River Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 36 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for West Virginia waters are set by the West Virginia DNR — and special regulations can apply to Upper Mud River Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official West Virginia fishing regulations →
Upper Mud River Lake is about 37 ft (11 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target largemouth bass, muskellunge, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish on Upper Mud River Lake.
Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in fall. 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 Upper Mud River Lake is regulated by the West Virginia DNR. Check the official West Virginia regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
East Lynn Lake 16 mi · Beech Fork Lake 20 mi · Ridenour Lake 22 mi · Yatesville Lake 36 mi, KY · Ohio River - Greenup Pool 37 mi, OH/KY/WV · Timbre Ridge Lake 39 mi, OH · R.D. Bailey Lake 40 mi · Woodrum Lake 42 mi · O'Brien Lake 43 mi · Lake Vesuvius 44 mi, OH · Krodel Lake 47 mi · Plum Orchard Lake 48 mi
See how Upper Mud River Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in West Virginia · best crappie lakes in West Virginia · best bluegill lakes in West Virginia · best channel catfish lakes in West Virginia
Browse all West Virginia fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. 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.