Alert
Clean your boat trailers!
Giant Salvinia is a highly invasive floating aquatic plant that is abundant in the Tenn-Tom Waterway. Please remove all vegetation from boat trailers before leaving launch areas.
Fishing Report
Columbus Lake - 4/17/2024 10:14:59 AM| Species | Detail | |
| Bass | The bass bite is fair to good, with most fish being caught on Texas-rigged soft plastics, square-billed crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and swimbaits. Dark colored jigs and chatterbaits are also good lure choices. | |
| Crappie | Dirty water continues to plague most of the Tenn-Tom Waterway and Columbus Lake is no exception. The crappie bite is fair to good right now despite the dirty water conditions. Crappie are being caught out of the gravel pits. Anglers are targeting shallow water with jigs or minnows. A few more reports this past week from the old river runs on the middle to upper end of the lake. Crappie in these areas are holding near any wood or brush. Jigs (dark or contrasting colored) seem to be the lure of choice there. | |
| Catfish | For catfish, target the mouths of the old river runs with trot lines and rod-n-reels. Fish will also be holding at the edge of any current along the navigation channel. The submerged logs along the deep side of the old river run between the marina and the East Bank boat ramp is a good place for tightlining as well. Cut/whole shad is typically the best bait choice. | |
Special Fishing RegulationsSpecies |
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| Species | Type | Length To Release |
| Black Bass (combined largemouth, spotted and smallmouth) | Minimum Length Limit | 14 inches and under |
| Crappie (combined black and white) | Minimum Length Limit | 9 inches and under |
Creel Limits (per person, per day) |
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| Type | Amount | Additional Information |
| Black Bass (combined largemouth, spotted and smallmouth) | 10 | |
| Crappie (combined black and white) | 30 | |
Spillway
From Columbus Lake dam spillway downstream to Mile Marker 334, including the auxiliary spillway and associated bank fishing access areas in the Tombigbee River cutoff below the dam.
- Anglers can only use one pole or rod per person.
- Artificial lures with no more than 3 treble hooks no larger than #2 may be used anytime.
- The use of baited or bare treble hooks is illegal.
- No other gear can be used in these waters except that dip or landing nets, cast nets, boat mounted scoops, wire baskets, minnow seines, and minnow traps may be used to capture bait. Anglers keeping minnows, shad, nongame gross fish and non-native fish caught with these gear types must immediately place their catch on ice or in a dry container.
- From Dec 1 until the last day of February - Anglers can only fish with 2 single hooks no larger than #2. Hooks must be secured at least one inch apart.
- From March 1 to Nov 30 - Anglers can only fish with 2 single hooks of any size. Hooks must be secured at least one inch apart.
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.
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