If you have questions about purchasing a license call 1-800-5GO-HUNT.
*Sardis Reservoir is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE). The MDWFP Fisheries Bureau manages the lake's fisheries resources and provides weekly fishing reports.
Sardis Reservoir is one of four flood control reservoirs (FCRs) in north Mississippi. Built by the US Army Corps of Engineers (COE) in 1939 on the Little Tallahatchie River, it is the oldest FCR with a summer pool of 32,100 ac. Water levels follow an annual rule curve, but deviate from it due to local precipitation and COE spillway gate operations. The reservoir is lowered in fall to winter pool (10,700 ac); flood pool is 58,500 ac. Sardis is the state’s most popular angling destination. Unique to Sardis is the 400-acre Lower Lake below the spillway.
For more information on this lake's fees, permits, rules and regulations, and amenities visit the Sardis Lake page at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers website.
Alert
New crappie regulations went into effect on July 24, 2024 on the four Flood Control Reservoirs (Arkabutla, Sardis, Enid, and Grenada) and their spillways.
The daily creel limit for crappie is 10 fish per angler, and the daily aggregate limit is 25 fish for boats with three or more anglers. Crappie must be over 12 inches, and the pole limit remains at 4 per angler. In addition, fish may only be cleaned at designated fish cleaning stations if available, not on the water or in the boat ramp parking lots. In the spillways, the daily limit is 10 fish per angler. There are no boat or size limits in the spillways. Pole limits in the rip-rapped portions of the spillways remain 1 per angler.
Fishing Report - Updated 5/13/2025
| Species | Detail |
|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | Look for spawners over a firm bottom (flooded gravel roads, 4-wheeler trails, etc.). Any cover (brush or stake beds, wood, flooded vegetation, etc.) is a plus. Pre- and post-spawn fish should be holding 3 - 7 ft deep out from spawning areas. Fish from the surface to 7 ft deep with search baits (topwaters, spinnerbaits, vibrating jigs). Soft plastics (Carolina or wacky-rigged worms, swimbaits, etc.) fished slowly should work for finicky fish. |
| Crappie | Bruce at Wyatt's Crossing Outdoors 901-870-0298 and MDWFP creel surveys have seen few fish being caught shallow, and the higher water has scattered them. Fish jigs and/or minnows 6 - 8 ft deep out from spawning areas, in standing timber, or trolling the main lake. There was one report of fish caught 20+ ft deep near the dam. 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 redworms or other baits 1.5 - 4 ft deep near any cover (timber, brush tops, stake beds, rip-rap, etc.). Any flooded grass would be good. Bedding bream spawn on flooded gravel roads (or parking lots), 4-wheeler trails, or firm sand. The Piney Point area going towards Blackwater Creek is a good spot for bedding bream. |
| Catfish | Catfishing has been very good lately with fish feeding up pre-spawn; about any bait or method is working. Fish worms or stinkbaits in the river and creeks (from boat or bank) if there is rainfall runoff or various other baits 3 to 4 ft deep over main lake flats. Rod-and-reel (drifting or stationary), trotlines, and noodles (jugs) will all work, but check and/or move lines often if the water level changes. Grabbling season runs from May 1 to July 15. No good grabbling reports yet, but they may be starting to spawn on the full moon this week if the water is warm enough. |
| White Bass | Most White Bass should be back in the main lake. Fish shad-imitating lures (jigs, small crankbaits, etc.) over firm bottom (sand, hard clay). 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). |
A full moon this week may get bass, bream, and catfish spawning. Crappie are about done. Expect rain and a couple of hot days this week. Check water level trends; except for catfish, fishing is usually better on a slow fall than a fast rise.
MDWFP finished spring electrofishing April 30 in coves/creeks near the dam and found quite a few crappie still guarding beds and some females flowing eggs. Bass, bream, and catfish were heading to shallow water. Some 4 to 6 lb female bass still full of eggs were seen.
Water Level
Water Level
Water level 262.07 ft, rising 0.1 ft/day, 2.1 ft over rule curve Tuesday. Water levels this week will depend on the amount of rainfall and gate operations. Expect 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 be maintained at summer pool (260 ft) from May 1 until August 1. 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.
Spillway
Spillway
The spillway had two gates open 4.0 ft each (2070 cfs) Tuesday. Best luck in the spillway and Lower Lake is when some water is being released, but not too much. Best luck lately has been for crappie and catfish. For crappie, fish jigs and/or minnows out of the current or right along the rocks. They 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 near the Lower Lake runout. White Bass 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. Expect frequent spillway gate closures and openings as the Corps maintains rule curve in the reservoir above.
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 the "24-hour change" numbers for a 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 10-crappie creel limit.
Sardis Reservoir Special Regulations
Sardis Reservoir Special Regulations
Creel and Size Limits
| Species | Lengths to Release | Daily Creel Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Crappie (combined black and white) | 12 inches and under | 10 per angler 25 per boat for boats with 3 or more anglers |
Statewide creel and size limits apply to all other fish species
Lake Regulations
- Anglers may use no more than 4 poles per person and no more than 2 hooks or lures per pole.
- Fish may only be cleaned at designated fish cleaning stations if available, not on the water or in the boat ramp parking lots
*Sardis Reservoir Interactive Map
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