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Sardis Lake - 6/18/2013
Water level 261.24 ft, falling 0.2 ft/day; 1.2 ft above rule curve Tuesday. For water level information, call (662)563-4531 or check at http://155.76.244.230/riverstage/bullet.txt for a table or http://ftp.mvk.usace.army.mil/offices/ed/edh/graphs1.htm for a graph. The water level is supposed to remain at summer pool (260 ft) from May 1 to August 1.
The folks at Wyatt’s Crossing Outdoors (662)609-8215 report seeing a lot of handgrabblers coming in with catfish. They are also doing well on trotlines. They have some regular customers limiting out on crappie fishing minnows 1 – 2 ft off the bottom in the Blackwater Creek area. MDWFP creel surveys have shown folks catching crappie trolling about 15 ft deep with jigs and/or minnows or crankbaits in the mouths of major creek arms and the main lake. Crankbaits have been more productive; although any color will work, black or hot pink have been favorites. A recent fruit jar crappie tournament was won with 11.35 lb (7 fish); big fish was 1.86. For largemouth bass, fish 4 to 12 ft deep on creek and ditch edges in flooded grass (especially green stuff); fish T-rigged soft plastics. Some fish have moved to main lake points where crankbaits will work. Finally, some folks found a few big bream fishing the flooded stuff in the Toby Tubby Creek arm in clear water in the flats.
The spillway had 2 gates open 6.0 ft each (2900 cfs) Tuesday. Best luck down here has been fishing for catfish with worms or other natural baits on the bottom.
New crappie regulations for Sardis Lake went into effect March 21. Check them out at http://www.mdwfp.com/media-relations/press-releases/fishing-boating/sardis-lake-anglers'-comments-spawn-revised-crappie-regulations.aspx New regulations for the reservoir DO NOT affect current regulations in the spillway and Lower Lake.
MDWFP 2012 fall electrofishing found bass, bream, and crappie had good numbers of adult fish in good shape and surprisingly good numbers of 2012's fish, considering the low water. There were few intermediate sized fish, however (2011's small fish were concentrated by low water with no cover and were eaten). Blue catfish (white river cats) were abundant with a good proportion from 10 to 30 lbs.
Contact the COE office (662)563-4531 for accessible ramps at current water levels.
The daily limit on black bass (largemouth and spotted) is 7 fish, any size.
The daily crappie creel limit is 15 per person. Crappie must be over 11 inches. Anglers fishing Sardis Lake may use no more than 3 poles per person and no more than 2 hooks or lures per pole. There is a 40 crappie per boat limit for boats with 3 or more anglers.
On March 21, 2013, crappie must be over 11 inches, the daily limit will be 15 fish, and the boat limit (3 or more persons) will be 40 fish. The crappie length limit does not apply to the reservoir spillway, but the spillway, including Sardis Lower Lake, has a 20 crappie creel limit.
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