Alert
At current water levels, use has been high with limited access, but it's improving. Bring your patience and make sure your boat is loaded and ready to launch before backing down the ramp.
Caution is advised while boating during low water levels. Watch out for obstructions (like standing timber and roadbeds) and shallow areas.
From the COE - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Vicksburg District have closed the parking lot area at Clear Creek Boat Ramp as work begins to repair the ramp. The boat ramp was closed earlier this year when a section of the ramp surface collapsed. It is anticipated that repairs will last several months.
Fishing Report
Sardis Lake - 3/26/2024 2:08:19 PMSpecies | Detail | |
Largemouth Bass | Fish main lake points, ledges, or any cover on the edges of creek and river channels with spinnerbaits, jigs, and/or soft plastics. With warmer weather, try faster moving baits (buzzbaits, crankbaits, etc.) near cover in shallower water. | |
Crappie | Bruce at Wyatt's Crossing Outdoors 901-870-0298 reports a lot of water coming down the river. He has gotten some good crappie reports from Gillie’s Creek and Hurricane Creek, but most fishing is going on in the timber from Holiday Lodge to Piney Point. Also, single pole, troll, or drift jigs (something with chartreuse) and/or minnows 2 to 8 ft deep in the main lake, major creek coves out from spawning areas, or in remaining cover (mostly standing timber). Use 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 | Fish natural baits under a bobber near any cover (timber, riprap, etc.). | |
Catfish | Fish nightcrawlers or stink baits in the river and creeks as long as there is rainfall runoff. Otherwise, fish various natural baits over main lake flats with rod-and-reel (tight lining), noodles (jugs), or trotlines. | |
White Bass | The spawning run is underway. Fish sandbars in the river (Hurricane Creek to up above Hwy 7) or in the creeks (best access may be from the banks). Otherwise, fish sandy, main lake points with shad-imitating lures (jigs, small crankbaits, etc.). There are no size or number limits on white bass. These fish die quickly in a livewell. They will keep and taste better if put immediately into "slush" (ice/water mix). |
The lake is rising quickly from rainfall runoff. Stabilizing water levels and warmer temperatures later this week should prompt crappie and other fish to move shallow.
Always check the links in the "Water Level" section for the lake level and if it's rising or falling. A big rain can change conditions quickly. Adjust to conditions like the fish do. Except for catfish, fishing is usually better on a slow fall than a fast rise. Water falling, fish deeper; water rising, fish shallower.
Crappie spawning starts when average daily water temperature at “fish depth” is about 58, peaks at about 65, and ends 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 closed, two gates open 0.5 ft each (225 cfs) Tuesday. Best luck in the spillway is when some water is being released, but not too much. Expect frequent spillway gate closures and openings as the Corps maintains the rule curve in the reservoir above. For crappie, fish jigs and/or minnows out of the current or right along the rocks. A few can also be caught trolling or drifting in the Lower Lake. Catfishing is best in eddies on natural bait fished near the bottom in the spillway or down near the Lower Lake runout. White bass have been showing up - they will be in the current where you can drift a 2-jig rig just off bottom (watch the rocks!) or fish small crankbaits or tailspinner lures. For bass, cover in the old river run is the best bet, or fish along the rocks in the spillway with spinnerbaits or swimbaits.
Spillway gate openings, flow rates, and spillway water levels can be obtained at (662)563-4531 or check at Vicksburg District Daily River Bulletin for a table OR Little Tallahatchie River @ Sardis Dam, MS for a graph OR Yazoo River Basin Reservoirs 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 usually is updated midday.
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, including Sardis Lower Lake, has a 15-crappie creel limit.
Water Level
Water level 248.86 ft, rising 0.8 ft/day, 1.4 ft over the rule curve Tuesday. The lake is rising from recent rainfall. The water level is supposed to rise from 241 ft March 1 to summer pool (260 ft) by May 1. Expect rapid water level rises and drawdowns as rain events happen and the Corps tries to achieve and maintain rule curve. For water level information, call (662)563-4531 or check at Vicksburg District Daily River Bulletin for a table OR Little Tallahatchie River @ Sardis Dam, MS for a graph OR Yazoo River Basin Reservoirs 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.