Best walleye lakes in the South: 12 lakes to fish

The lakes

1. Lake Cumberland, Kentucky

Lake Cumberland covers 65,500 acres of water. Expect walleye, striped bass, smallmouth bass and crappie. At about 197 ft deep, it stays cooler below the surface well into summer. On the 3-D map the bed has three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves: good places to start.

Lake Cumberland today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

2. Bull Shoals Lake, Arkansas

At 45,200 acres of water, Bull Shoals Lake is a big lake. Expect walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and crappie. The deepest water is around 210 ft. On the 3-D map the bed has three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves: good places to start.

Bull Shoals Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

3. Greers Ferry Lake, Arkansas

Greers Ferry Lake spreads over 40,500 acres. Expect walleye, largemouth bass, striped bass and crappie. The deepest water is around 198 ft. On the 3-D map the bed has three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves: good places to start.

Greers Ferry Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

4. Lake Ouachita, Arkansas

Lake Ouachita covers 40,000 acres of water. It holds walleye, striped bass, largemouth bass and crappie. The lake bed gives you three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves to work.

Lake Ouachita today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

5. Norris Lake, Tennessee

At some 34,500 acres, Norris Lake is a big lake. Walleye, striped bass, smallmouth bass and crappie are the draw. The deepest water is around 210 ft.

Norris Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

6. Dale Hollow Lake, Tennessee

At some 27,700 acres, Dale Hollow Lake is a big lake. It holds walleye, smallmouth bass, trout and crappie. The deepest water is around 130 ft. The lake bed gives you three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves to work.

Dale Hollow Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

7. Summersville Lake, West Virginia

Summersville Lake spreads over 2,700 acres of water. Walleye, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass and catfish are the draw. At about 327 ft deep, it stays cooler below the surface well into summer. Its bed shows two point drop-offs and two sheltered coves worth a first look.

Summersville Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

8. Cherokee Lake, Tennessee

Cherokee Lake spreads over 28,800 acres of water. It lies near Jefferson City. It is the Holston behind Cherokee Dam. Walleye, largemouth bass and crappie are the draw. The lake bed gives you three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves to work. Cherokee Lake is a TVA reservoir on the Holston River that is one of the most popular bass-fishing lakes in East Tennessee.

Cherokee Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

9. Lake Meredith, Texas

Lake Meredith is a reservoir of 16,400 acres of water. You will find it about 27 miles south of Amarillo. Sanford Dam holds it on the Canadian River. It holds walleye, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass and white bass. At about 127 ft deep, it stays cooler below the surface well into summer. The lake bed gives you three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves to work. Lake Meredith was formed by Sanford Dam on the Canadian River and is the centerpiece of Lake Meredith National Recreation Area in the Texas Panhandle.

Lake Meredith today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

10. Chatuge Lake, North Carolina

Chatuge Lake spreads over 7,000 acres of water. It lies next to Hiawassee. Chatuge Dam holds it on the Hiwassee River. It holds walleye, trout, catfish and crappie. The deepest water is around 144 ft. On the 3-D map the bed has three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves: good places to start. Straddles the North Carolina-Georgia border at Georgia's highest major-lake elevation.

Chatuge Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

11. Bay Springs Lake, Mississippi

Bay Springs Lake spreads over some 6,700 acres. The lake is near Belmont. It is the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway behind Jamie L. Whitten Lock and Dam. It holds walleye, largemouth bass, spotted bass and crappie. On the 3-D map the bed has three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves: good places to start. Bay Springs Lake is the deepest and northernmost lake on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway.

Bay Springs Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

12. Fort Cobb Reservoir, Oklahoma

At 4,000 acres, Fort Cobb Reservoir is a good-sized lake. It lies near Carnegie. It is the Cobb Creek behind Fort Cobb Dam. Expect walleye, white bass, smallmouth bass and catfish. On the 3-D map the bed has three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves: good places to start. Fort Cobb Reservoir, completed in 1958 on Cobb Creek, is a well-known walleye fishery in Caddo County.

Fort Cobb Reservoir today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

Walleye through the year in the South

Use these as a starting point and let the water temperature decide: the lake pages show it every morning.

• Spring: Prime range. Low light is best, on reefs and weed edges.
• Summer: Warm surface. They go deep in the day; try evenings.
• Fall: Prime range. Low light is best, on reefs and weed edges.
• Winter: Good cool-water bite, best at dusk and after dark.