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LAKE MURPHYSBORO
Lake Information
County: Jackson
Acreage: 145
Average Depth: 13.71 feet
Shoreline Length: 7.5 miles
Recreational Amenities
Boat Fishing? Yes
Boat Ramps? Yes
Boat Rental? No
Skiing? No
Swimming? No
Picnicking? Yes
Camping? Yes
Click on map for expanded view
Maps are not intended for navigation.
There are no zebra mussels in this lake.
Fish Stocking | |||
Year |
Species |
Size |
Count |
2023 |
Channel Catfish |
Non-vulnerable 8 - 10" |
1450 |
2024 |
Channel Catfish |
Non-vulnerable 8 - 10" |
1470 |
Additional information for stocking on Murphysboro, Lake
Fishing Outlook ( Full PDF Report )
Click here for a list of all reports.
Species |
Rank |
Fish Status |
Fair | The bluegill population structure can only be described as average. During the 2024 fall electrofishing survey no bluegill over 7 inches were collected. No bluegill over 8 inches have been collected in previous surveys at this lake. | |
Excellent | IDNR stocks 8-10” channel catfish into Lake Murphysboro every year. These annual stockings have produced excellent angling opportunities for 2-5 pound channel catfish. Ten channel catfish (13-20 inches) were collected in the 2024 survey. Site Regulation: 6 fish daily limit. | |
Good | Lake Murphysboro has a good crappie population consisting of both black and white crappie. Of the crappie collected in the 2024 fall electrofishing survey, 42% were over nine inches in length and 10% were over 10 inches in length. The largest crappie collected was a 13 inch white crappie that weighed just over 1 pound. | |
Poor | Flathead catfish are present in Lake Murphysboro and have been collected in the last 7 surveys. Two flathead catfish (25-38 inches) were collected in the 2024 survey. The largest weighed 28 pounds. | |
Very Good | The opportunity to catch bass over 15 inches and weighing 2–3 pounds is excellent in this lake. During the 2024 fall survey, 16% of the bass measured 15 inches or better. Five percent of the bass collected were over 18 inches. This lake receives more fishing pressure for panfish than largemouth bass. Five bass over 4 pounds were collected in the 2024 survey with the largest bass weighing 6.3 pounds. Site Regulation: 3 daily limit. | |
Good | The redear population shows more promise than the bluegill population. While not numerous, redear sunfish over 8 inches are present. A few redear sunfish over 9 inches were also collected. The largest redear collected was 10 inches and weighed just over 0.5 pounds. | |
Location: This lake is located within Lake Murphysboro State Park just west of Murphysboro in Jackson County.
Description: Built in 1950, this 145-acre lake has a shoreline length of 7.5 miles and a maximum depth of 36 feet. All boat motors over 10 HP must operate at no-wake speed. There are three campgrounds within Lake Murphysboro State Park.
Additional Lake Information: No swimming allowed. There are two boat ramps available for use. There are no concessions at Lake Murphysboro State Park. 2 pole and line fishing only.
FISHING TOURNAMENTS: Tournaments are limited to a maximum of 8 boats.
FISH ATTRACTORS – There is a link for the Lake Murphysboro fish attractor map at the top of this page. All of the Lake Murphysboro fish attractor sites are Christmas tree piles.
Site Regulations:
Largemouth Bass: 3 fish daily limit
Channel Catfish: 6 fish daily limit
Contact Information: Lake Murphysboro State Park 618-684-2867IDNR Fisheries Biologist, Shawn Hirst618-559-5009
Multiple day tournaments are listed with * end date.
Interested in participating in one of these public tournaments? Contact us with tournament ID for more information.
| 2025 Approved or Pending Tournaments | ||||||||
| Start Date | ID | Approval | Ramp Location | Bank/Boat Hook/Bow |
Max Boats | Species | Youth? | Open to Public? |
| May-24 | 28273 | Approved | Main Ramp Concession (8 boat maximum) | boathook | 8 | Largemouth Bass | No | Yes |
| June-14 | 28274 | Approved | Main Ramp Concession (8 boat maximum) | boathook | 8 | Largemouth Bass | No | Yes |
| July-26 | 28275 | Approved | Main Ramp Concession (8 boat maximum) | boathook | 8 | Largemouth Bass | No | Yes |
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