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Memphis sits on the east bank of the Mississippi River, the mightiest river in North America, draining 41 percent of the continental United States, holding over 200 species of fish, and producing some of the best catfishing on earth. Five species of catfish swim past downtown Memphis: blue catfish (the monsters, exceeding 100 pounds), channel catfish, flathead catfish, yellow bullhead, and black bullhead. You can catch them from the bank in city parks while looking at the Hernando de Soto Bridge and the Memphis Pyramid.
But Memphis fishing is not just the river. Shelby Farms Park, one of the largest urban parks in America at 4,500 acres, has 20 lakes and ponds holding largemouth bass, crappie, catfish, and carp. McKellar Lake, a Mississippi River oxbow on the south side, holds bass and catfish in calmer water. And Mud Island, the sandbar between the main channel and the Wolf River Harbor, creates a sheltered backwater fishable from the bank.
The Mississippi River: Catfish Capital
The Mississippi at Memphis is a massive river, a half mile wide, 30 to 50 feet deep in the main channel, with powerful current, sandbars, and wing dikes that create fish habitat. Blue catfish are the headline species. The Memphis stretch of the Mississippi is considered some of the best blue catfish water in America, with fish commonly running 20 to 50 pounds and trophies over 80 pounds caught every year.
Where on the Mississippi
Mud Island / Wolf River Harbor: The backwater between Mud Island and downtown Memphis is sheltered from the main river current. Walk-on from Mud Island River Park or the Wolf River Harbor area. Blue catfish, channel catfish, largemouth bass, white bass, and drum in the calmer water. The most accessible Mississippi fishing in Memphis.
Martin Luther King Jr. Riverside Park: Walk-on bank access to the Mississippi south of downtown. Catfish from the riprap and sandy banks. Bass and drum in the eddies. Free parking at the park.
Tom Lee Park / Beale Street Landing: The downtown riverfront. Fish from the bank with the Memphis skyline behind you. Catfish, white bass, and drum. Walk-on from downtown.
Mississippi River dikes (south of Memphis): The wing dikes below Memphis create current breaks where catfish, white bass, and hybrid stripers stack up. Walk-on access from levee roads south of the city. More remote but productive.
Mississippi River Techniques
Blue catfish: Heavy tackle, 7- to 8-foot heavy rod, 5000-size reel, 30- to 50-pound braid. Cut skipjack herring or shad on a 7/0 to 10/0 circle hook with a 4- to 8-ounce no-roll sinker. Cast downstream of wing dikes or into the eddies behind sandbars. Let the bait sit on the bottom. Blue cats are bottom feeders that follow the current to find food, the dikes and eddies concentrate them.
Channel catfish: Lighter tackle than blues, a 7-foot medium-heavy rod with 15- to 20-pound line. Chicken liver, nightcrawlers, or cut shad on a bottom rig. Fish the riprap banks and the calmer water behind Mud Island.
White bass: Casting jigs (1/4 to 1/2 ounce, white or chartreuse) or small crankbaits into the current breaks around wing dikes. White bass school up and feed aggressively, when you find them, the action is fast.
Mississippi River Fishing Downtown Memphis Behind Mud Island Mississippi River Monsters, Catfishing on the Mississippi RiverShelby Farms Park: 20 Lakes, 4,500 Acres
Shelby Farms Park is one of the largest urban parks in America, 4,500 acres, five times the size of Central Park. The park contains 20 lakes and ponds of various sizes, all fishable with walk-on bank access. No motorized boats are allowed on any of the lakes.
Best Shelby Farms Lakes
Beaver Lake: The largest and deepest lake in the park. Largemouth bass, crappie, catfish, and carp. A fishing pier and extensive shoreline access. Walk-on from the Beaver Lake parking area.
Pine Lake: A popular bank fishing spot with a pier. Bass, crappie, catfish, and bluegill. Walk-on with parking.
Hyde Lake: Smaller and quieter. Good bass and panfish. Walk-on from the trail system.
Patriot Lake: Near the park entrance. Stocked catfish. Walk-on with easy access, good for kids and beginners.
How to Fish Shelby Farms
Largemouth bass: Senko worms (wacky rig), spinnerbaits, and small crankbaits along the shoreline structure. Bass in Shelby Farms lakes average 1 to 3 pounds.
Crappie: Jigs (1/16 to 1/32 ounce) or minnows fished around brush piles and fallen timber. Best in spring when crappie move shallow.
Catfish: Nightcrawlers or chicken liver on a bottom rig. Every lake in the park holds catfish.
Urban Pond Hopping in Downtown Memphis, Casting ConcreteMcKellar Lake: Mississippi Oxbow
McKellar Lake is a Mississippi River oxbow lake on the south side of Memphis, a crescent-shaped remnant of an old river channel, now a calm lake connected to the river through President's Island. It holds largemouth bass, crappie, catfish, and bream in water much calmer than the main river.
Access: Walk-on from T.O. Fuller State Park on the south shore. The park has trails, picnic areas, and bank fishing access. Walk-on from the park entrance on Mitchell Road.
Fishing: Same techniques as Shelby Farms, soft plastics for bass, jigs and minnows for crappie, bottom rigs for catfish. The oxbow's calm water and structure make it more consistent than the main river for bass and panfish.
Fishing Downtown Memphis, TNFishing Licence and Regulations
Tennessee fishing licence: Required for anyone 13+. Resident annual $34. Nonresident annual $80. One-day licence $7.50 resident, $20.50 nonresident.
Blue catfish: No daily limit. No minimum size. Tennessee encourages harvest of blue catfish.
Channel catfish: No daily limit. No minimum size.
Largemouth bass: Daily limit 5 on most waters. Check TWRA for specific lake regulations.
Crappie: Daily limit 30 (combined black and white crappie) on most waters.
Mississippi River: Tennessee fishing licence valid on the Tennessee side. Some sections may require both TN and AR or MS licences, fish from the Tennessee bank to stay in compliance.
When to Fish
March-May (Spring): Bass spawn in Shelby Farms lakes. Crappie move shallow. Mississippi catfish become active as the water warms. White bass run on the river.
June-September (Summer): Peak Mississippi catfish season, the best blue cat fishing runs July through December when river levels stabilize. Shelby Farms bass go deep, fish early and late. Memphis summers are hot and humid.
October-November (Fall): Blue catfish continue feeding heavily. Bass and crappie at Shelby Farms feed aggressively before winter. Comfortable temperatures.
December-February (Winter): Blue catfish still bite on the Mississippi, the fishing doesn't stop in winter. Shelby Farms lakes slow down. Crappie hold in deeper structure.
Practical Details
Getting there: Car is the default. Shelby Farms Park has multiple free parking areas. Mud Island is accessible by monorail from downtown or by car via the I-40 exit. MLK Riverside Park and Tom Lee Park have free parking along Riverside Drive. MATA bus routes reach some spots but a car is more practical.
Gear that travels: A two-piece 7-foot medium spinning rod covers Shelby Farms bass, crappie, and park catfish. For Mississippi blue catfish, bring heavy gear, a 7- to 8-foot heavy rod with 30-pound braid minimum. You do not want to hook a 50-pound blue cat on a bass rod.
Tackle shops: Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid (yes, the Memphis Pyramid is a Bass Pro, it's right on the river), Outdoors Inc (East Memphis, local shop with Mississippi River intel).
For nearby destinations, read our Nashville fishing guide. For more Southern urban fishing, see urban fishing in Atlanta (Chattahoochee trout), urban fishing in Houston (bayou alligator gar), or urban fishing in Charlotte (Catawba River blue catfish).
River safety: The Mississippi River is dangerous. Powerful current, submerged debris, and boat traffic. Fish from the bank only, do not wade. The dikes and riprap are slippery. Watch for barges. The Wolf River Harbor / Mud Island backwater is much safer than the main channel.
How to Bank Fish the Mississippi River
