Winter fishing in the South: what bites and where

What the fish do in winter

• Crappie: Schooled on deeper brush piles. Fish small jigs slowly.
• Largemouth bass: Cooling down. Try slow baits on points and deeper channel edges.
• Catfish: Waking up. Channels and creek mouths, especially after rain.
• Striped bass: Comfortable range. Watch for birds and surface feeding.
• White bass: Schooled on deeper humps. A slow spoon works.

1. Lake Okeechobee, Florida

At 467,000 acres of water, Lake Okeechobee is a huge piece of water. Expect largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill and catfish. The deepest water is around 12 ft. The lake bed gives you a sheltered cove and an upper arm to work.

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

2. Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana

Lake Pontchartrain covers some 403,000 acres. The fish here are catfish, white bass and largemouth bass. It goes down to about 65 ft. On the 3-D map the bed has a wind-blown bank and an upper arm: good places to start.

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

3. Toledo Bend Reservoir, Texas

Toledo Bend Reservoir spreads over 186,000 acres. The fish here are largemouth bass, crappie, catfish and bluegill. It goes down to about 110 ft. On the 3-D map the bed has two point drop-offs and an upper arm: good places to start.

Toledo Bend Reservoir today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

4. Kentucky Lake, Kentucky

Kentucky Lake covers 160,000 acres of water. Expect largemouth bass, crappie, catfish and smallmouth bass. It goes down to about 75 ft. On the 3-D map the bed has three point drop-offs and a sheltered cove: good places to start.

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

5. Sam Rayburn Reservoir, Texas

Sam Rayburn Reservoir covers 114,000 acres of water. The fish here are largemouth bass, crappie, catfish and white bass. At about 80 ft deep, it stays cooler below the surface well into summer. The lake bed gives you three steep ledges and a wind-blown bank to work.

Sam Rayburn Reservoir today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

6. Lake Marion, South Carolina

Lake Marion spreads over 110,000 acres of water. Catfish, striped bass, largemouth bass and crappie are the draw. It goes down to about 77 ft. On the 3-D map the bed has two point drop-offs and an upper arm: good places to start.

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

7. Lake Eufaula, Oklahoma

Lake Eufaula spreads over 102,000 acres. The fish here are largemouth bass, crappie, catfish and white bass. It goes down to about 87 ft.

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

8. Lake Texoma, Oklahoma

At 89,000 acres of water, Lake Texoma is a huge piece of water. It holds striped bass, largemouth bass, catfish and crappie. Its bed shows two sheltered coves and a wind-blown bank worth a first look.

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

9. Lake Thurmond (Clarks Hill), Georgia

At 71,100 acres of water, Lake Thurmond (Clarks Hill) is a huge piece of water. Striped bass, largemouth bass, crappie and catfish are the draw. The deepest water is around 180 ft. Its bed shows three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves worth a first look.

Lake Thurmond (Clarks Hill) today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

10. Lake Guntersville, Alabama

At 69,000 acres, Lake Guntersville is a huge piece of water. The fish here are largemouth bass, crappie, catfish and bluegill. The deepest water is around 60 ft. On the 3-D map the bed has three point drop-offs and an upper arm: good places to start.

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

Reading the water

In winter the surface temperature tells you most of what you need: each LakeScope lake page shows today's reading, the wind and the best bite windows, so you can pick the lake and the hour before you leave home.