Alert
Construction has begun on replacing the Skuna River bridge at Gums Crossing. Watch for work crews in the area.
Fishing Report
Grenada Lake - 3/28/2023 3:42:24 PM| Species | Detail | |
| Bass | Bass will look for the clearest water possible. Male bass should be moving into the backs of coves looking for spawning sites. Unless they are spawning, females will be holding on cover at the nearest deeper water to those coves. Fish bank cover or deeper cover (brush tops, stake beds, timber, etc.) in coves with soft plastics, jerkbaits, or spinnerbaits. Channels and secondary points in coves may also hold bass. | |
| Crappie | Collins' Bait Shop (662)226-3581 reports by Sunday fish had moved into 1.5 to 2 ft of water, although others are out deeper. Backs of creeks have been producing for boat, bank, and wading anglers fishing jigs and/or minnows 1.5 – 6 ft deep either in spawning areas (males and spawning females) near cover or holding out from spawning areas (pre- and post-spawn females). Some folks are picking up suspended fish in main lake flats. Advanced electronics help. Fish bigger baits and/or fish deeper to target larger crappie. Replace treble hooks with single hooks and/or pinch down the barbs to make releasing short fish faster and less damaging; it does no good to release dead fish. | |
| Bream | No reports. Fish redworms 4 - 6 ft under a bobber near any cover (riprap, stake beds, brush tops, stumps, etc.). | |
| Catfish | Fish various natural baits on noodles (jugs) or trotlines over mudflats or fish on worms or stink baits on rod-and-reel or trotlines in the rivers and creeks after rainfall. | |
| White Bass | White bass should be spawning in the rivers and larger creeks; spent females will be returning to the main lake. Fish jigs, spinners, or small crankbaits over a sand bottom in the river and creeks or over a hard-bottomed main lake points. There are no size or number limits on white bass. | |
Rising water scattered fish last week. Warmer weather and more stable water levels this week may turn them on. Check water level trends; except for catfish, fishing is usually better on a slow fall than a fast rise. Water falling, fish deeper; water rising, fish shallower.
Crappie start to spawn when average daily water temperature at “fish depth” is about 58, peak at about 65, and end at about 75 F. Timing and duration of the spawn depends on temperature and water level trends, weather fronts, and moon phases. Fish will spawn shallower in rising water, deeper in falling water. Bigger females usually spawn first. Males of any size can be caught throughout the spawn. Males will stay on the nest until eggs hatch and fry swim up (4 - 7 days) even if the water rises or falls (unless the nest gets too shallow). Males of both Black and White Crappie get darker during the spawn; females do not change color. Historically, crappie spawn on the flood control reservoirs from the last week of March until about the first week of May, but it may shift earlier, later, or be split into two or more peaks due to weather and water fluctuations.
Special Fishing RegulationsSpecies |
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| Species | Type | Length To Release |
| Crappie (combined black and white) | Minimum Length Limit | 12 inches and under |
Creel Limits (per person, per day) |
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| Type | Amount | Additional Information |
| Crappie (combined black and white) | 15 | There is a 40 crappie per boat limit for boats with 3 or more anglers. |
Anglers may use no more than 4 poles per person and no more than 2 hooks or lures per pole.
Spillway
The spillway had two gates open 1.0 ft each (650 cfs) Tuesday AM. Expect the gates to open up more later this week. Best luck in the spillway is when some water is being released, but not too much. Crappie, catfish, and white bass have been caught recently. For crappie, fish jigs and or minnows along the rocks, off stumps in the old river run, or in deeper holes on down the river. For catfish, fish cut shad in a hole where the spillway channel and old river run join. White bass will hit shad imitating lures (tailspinner jigs, small crankbaits, etc.) fished in the edges of the faster water. Spillway gate openings, flow rates, and spillway water levels can be obtained at (662)226-5911 or check at http://mvk-wc.usace.army.mil/docs/bullet.txt or http://www.mvk-wc.usace.army.mil/resrep.htm (click on 24-hour change for picture explanation of gate flow, spillway flow, etc.). Be sure to check the date on the table; it is usually updated midday.
All fish captured and kept with dip or landing nets, cast nets, boat mounted scoops, wire baskets, minnow seines, and minnow traps in the spillway areas bordered by rip rap must be immediately placed on ice or in a dry container. Game fish caught with these gears must be released. This regulation was enacted to reduce the potential of transferring harmful Asian carps to the reservoir or other waters.
The 12-inch crappie length limit does not apply to the reservoir spillway, but the spillway has a 15-crappie creel limit.
Water Level
Water level 210.56, rising 0.2 ft/day, 6.4 ft over rule curve Tuesday. Expect rapid water level rises and drawdowns as rain events happen and the Corps tries to achieve and maintain rule curve. The water level is supposed to rise from winter pool (193 ft) from mid-January to 198 ft by March 1. High winter releases should mean good fishing in the spillway and old river run. Emergency spillway level is 231.0. For water level information, call (662)226-5911 or check at http://mvk-wc.usace.army.mil/docs/bullet.txt for a table or http://mvk-wc.usace.army.mil/plots/grenplot.png for a graph or http://www.mvk-wc.usace.army.mil/resrep.htm for both (click on 24-hour change for picture explanation of gate flow, spillway flow, etc.). Be sure to check the date on the table; it is usually updated midday.
Additional Information
Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks Fisheries Biologists use various sampling methods to assess the fish populations in the State’s waters. Sampling results for selected water bodies are summarized in Reel Facts Sheets.
