*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

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 under 12 inches must be released, 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.

Sardis Lake recently began its annual draw down to winter pool.  This process usually begins on August 1st but began a couple days early due to lake levels.  Winter pool is 236 ft.

 

Fishing Report - Updated 11/3/2026

SpeciesDetail
Largemouth BassAs water temperatures cool, expect bass to move toward shallow structure and cover. Fish flooded grass and structure in the creeks with topwater baits early.  Fish brushtops, ledges, or the edges of the river channel with spinnerbaits, crankbaits, jigs, and/or soft plastics later in the day.   
CrappieBest bet for crappie is active sonar, trolling or drifting 8 to 12 ft deep in the main lake Clear Creek to the dam with jigs and minnows.  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.
BreamFish crawlers, redworms or other baits 4 - 6 ft deep near any cover (timber, flooded vegetation, rip-rap, etc.). 
CatfishCatfishing should be good this week using liver, crawfish, shrimp or cut bait. Fish worms or stink baits in the river and creeks (from boat or bank).  Jugs/noodles drifted through standing timber can also be productive.
White BassFish shad-imitating lures (jigs, small crankbaits, etc.) over a firm bottom (sand, hard clay).  Winter often concentrates white bass at engineers' point and the dam. There are no size or number limits on them.  

Check water level trends; except for catfish, fishing is usually better on a slow fall than a fast rise.

Water Level

Water level was 245.3 ft, falling 0.16 ft/day Tuesday, 2.1 ft above the guide curve. Expect water level rises and drawdowns as rain events happen and the Corps of Engineers tries to achieve and maintain established 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.

Spillway

The spillway had two gates open 9.0 ft and was releasing 3500 cfs Tuesday. Expect frequent spillway gate closures and openings as the Corps of Engineers tries to maintain winter pool.  Best luck in the spillway and Lower Lake is when some water is being released, but not too much.  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 with natural bait fished near the bottom in the spillway or 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. Fish crickets under a bobber near the rocks for bream. 

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

Creel and Size Limits

SpeciesLengths to ReleaseDaily Creel Limits
Crappie (combined black and white)Under 12 inches

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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