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
| Species | Detail |
|---|---|
| Bass | The bass bite is fair to good; most fish are in the 1-2 lb. range, with the occasional bigger fish being caught. Try fishing creek channels with slow moving rigs, or topwater lures early in the morning and late in the evening. |
| Crappie | Very few anglers have been targeting crappie recently, and there's not much to report. Trolling jigs and crankbaits are good techniques to find the fish that are in deeper water. Minnows and jigs are always good options around structure; see the coordinates for fish attractors below. |
| Bream | Bream fishing has been very good recently, with both bank and boat anglers catching fish. Most are tightlining worms on the bottom, unless the Bluegill are bedding, then crickets under a cork in bedding areas is the hot ticket. Boat anglers have been doing well fishing along the dam as well. |
| Catfish | No reports from anglers targeting catfish although some bream anglers have caught some. The creek channels should be good for catfish. Try tightlining with liver, worms, hot dogs, or cut bait. The bite should be picking up. |
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
Fish attractor sites placed in 2018 and 2019.
| N 34.250176 | W -88.892688 | N 34.250552 | W -88.890833 | |
| N 34.249174 | W -88.892625 | N 34.251191 | W -88.889463 | |
| N 34.249510 | W -88.893674 | N 34.252348 | W -88.887880 | |
| N 34.248284 | W -88.893239 | N 34.252516 | W -88.887813 | |
| N 34.247894 | W -88.893541 | N 34.253179 | W -88.886563 | |
| N 34.247681 | W -88.893344 | N 34.253262 | W -88.886470 | |
| N 34.246820 | W -88.893612 | N 34.255404 | W -88.890669 | |
| N 34.247843 | W -88.893170 | N 34.253982 | W -88.905252 | |
| N 34.250452 | W -88.891138 | N 34.254598 | W -88.905299 | |
| N 34.256715 | W -88.905611 |
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 34.25269 | W -88.90417 |
| N 34.24768 | W -88.90834 |
Trace State Park Lake Interactive Map
Find and learn more about Trace State Park Lake...