If you have questions about purchasing a license call 1-800-5GO-HUNT.
Trace State Park Lake is a 565-acre lake located between the cities of Pontotoc and Tupelo in Pontotoc County. The lake was originally designed and constructed by the Soil Conservation Service as a watershed lake for flood control. The lake was drained in 2017 for repairs to the dam, and was re-opened in August of 2020. Historically known for its good bream fishery, the lake currently supports both abundant bass and bream. A seasonal fishery also exists for crappie and catfish.
Address: 2139 Faulkner Rd, Belden, MS 38826
Phone: (662) 489-2958
For more information about fees, amenities, activities, camping, and lodging visit the Trace State Park page.
Fishing Report - Updated 4/15/2025
| Species | Detail |
|---|---|
| Bass | The bass bite is fair to good. Fish are transitioning to spawning patterns. Shallow points at the mouths of pockets with Texas-rigged finesse worms, chatterbaits, 1 oz. spinnerbaits, and Alabama rigs being good bait choices. Other than points, target the creek channels on each side of the lake for bass, crappie and bream. |
| Crappie | Crappie bite is fair to good. Not a lot of numbers, but mostly 11- 12 inch fish being caught as deep at 10 feet and as shallow as 2 feet. Trolling jigs and crankbaits are good techniques to find the fish that have not started moving toward shallow water. In stained or muddy water, crappie have a tendency to move more shallow and be more active, so keep that in mind with all of the recent storms. Minnows also are known to be productive. |
| Bream | Bream bite is fair, with mostly smaller fish being caught. This should improve towards the end of April or May when they start to spawn. Anglers are tightlining red worms and/or crickets along the points, piers, and the banks around any laydowns in 5 - 15 feet of water. Check creek channels and woody cover for productivity. |
| Catfish | No reports from anglers. The creek channels should be good for catfish. Try tightlining with liver, worms, hot dogs, or cut bait. |
Trace State Park Lake Special Regulations
Trace State Park Lake Special Regulations
Creel and Size Limits
| Species | Lengths to Release | Daily Creel Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Catfish | No Length Limit | 10 per angler |
Statewide creel and size limits apply to all other fish species
Lake Regulations
- Only rod and reel or pole fishing is allowed on State Park Lakes. No trotlines, set lines, jug fishing, or commercial gears are permitted.
- Sport fishing licenses and fishing permits are required.
- Night fishing (from 30 minutes before sunset to 30 minutes after sunrise) will be permitted from the shore or from boats which are in compliance with State and Coast Guard regulations. Only idle speed and trolling motors may be used at night.
Fish Attractors
Fish Attractors
MDWFP fisheries personnel built and placed 7 new fish attractors throughout the lake in January 2025. The GPS coordinates for these attractors are listed below:
N 34.24686 W -88.89358
N 34.24274 W -88.89339
N 34.24270 W -88.89465
N 34.24275 W -88.89905
N 34.24836 W -88.90706
N 34.24768 W -88.90834
N 34.25269 W -88.90417
Trace State Park Lake Interactive Map
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