A
rkabutla Lake known locally as a crappie fishing paradise, Arkabutla Lake is a 33,000-acre lake in the northwest corner of the state. Anglers will find 130 miles of shoreline to explore in search of bass, catfish, crappie, bream sunfish and white bass. Pleasant Hill Public Use Area includes a boat launch ramp, parking and access to the shoreline for fishing from the bank. Numerous other spots around the lake have access for bank fishing and portage of car-top boats, canoes and kayaks. The upper, backwater regions of the lake are strewn with brush providing ideal cover for bass, crappie, sunfish and baitfish. When water temperatures are comfortable for the fish, these are a great place to find both quantity and quality. Area parks and campgrounds are also options for fishing from the bank.
Recreation
Every year thousands of visitors come to Arkabutla Lake to go fishing. The lake is home to several species of native fish to Mississippi waters, such as White Crappie, Black Crappie, Largemouth Bass, Bream, and Catfish. Over the years perhaps nothing has become more renowned at Arkabutla Lake than it’s consistency for producing huge Crappie! Several national sporting and fishing magazines declare Arkabutla Lake as one of the finest Crappie fishing lakes in the Southeast. Caught in 1991, a Black Crappie weighing 4 lbs 4 oz was caught at Arkabutla and still remains the current Mississippi State record.
Access to fishing Arkabutla couldn’t be made any easier. With 8 boat launching ramps to choose from, ample bank fishing locations, and an ADA accessible fishing pier located at the Outlet Channel, you can experience some of the best fishing and Catfishing you could ever imagine.
So if crappie fishing is your passion, then maybe we are your lake!
All New Interactive Map of
Arkabutla Lake
Why is it so good?
Northwest Mississippi is the gateway to the blues, but it’s also the gateway to the best crappie fishing in the nation. On most lakes in the country a 2-pound-plus crappie is something to write home about. At Arkabutla Lake they can sometimes be routine.
So, what makes Arkabutla Lake such an amazing crappie producer?
Larry Pugh, the Fisheries Bureau Director of the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP) said, “It is all about good dirt [fertile soil] this is what makes Arkabutla Lake so productive. Also, this lake was built for flood control, which means water levels fluctuate annually. A fall/winter drawdown concentrates forage and increases predation, which results in increased growth.”
Up Coming Tournaments & Events
On Arkabutla Lake
Kudzu Playhouse Presents “Disney’s Descendants “The Musical”
Hernando Performing Arts Center, 805 Dilworth Ln., Hernando, Ms, 38632
Kudzu Playhouse Presents “Disney’s Descendants “The Musical”
Hernando Performing Arts Center, 805 Dilworth Ln., Hernando, Ms, 38632
Kudzu Playhouse Presents “Disney’s Descendants “The Musical”
Hernando Performing Arts Center, 805 Dilworth Ln., Hernando, Ms, 38632
LAKE INFORMATION
LOCATION: Arkabutla Lake is located southwest from the city of Hernando within the Mississippi Counties of DeSoto and Tate.
SIZE: 57,250 acres
DEPTH: Depth Varies from 6 to 54 feet
AQUATIC VEGETATION: Alligatorweed, Waterhyacinth, & Hydrilla
MAJOR SPORTFISH: White Crappie, Black Crappie, & Magnolia Crappie, Largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass, Spotted bass, Blue catfish, Bream, & Catfish
FISH FORAGE: Threadfin Shad, & Gizzard Shad
VISIBLE COVER: Cypress Trees, Stump Fields, Rip-Rap
BOTTOM FEATURES: Man Made Stake Beds, Sunken Christmas Trees, Drop-Offs, Channels
LAKE CRAPPIE RULES
& REGULATIONS
LENGTH LIMIT: 12 Inches
CREEL LIMIT: 15 Crappie Fish
POLE/HOOK LIMIT: 4 Poles, 2 hooks per pole per person
OTHER: The aggregate daily boat creel limit for all species of crappies (white crappie, black crappie and their hybrids) for boats with 3 or more licensed or exempt anglers shall be 40 legal crappie per boat.
Destination Article:
Arklabutla Lake Crappie
Arklabutla Lake Crappie by Tim Huffman Facts: 11,870 surface acres; elevation 226 feet; inlet source is Coldwater River; fluctuates...
Click On The Map Below
