*Grenada Reservoir is a flood control reservoir in north Mississippi 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.

Grenada Reservoir is one of four flood control reservoirs (FCRs) in north Mississippi. Built by the US Army Corps of Engineers (COE) in 1954 on the Yalobusha River, it is the largest FCR with a summer pool of 35,820 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 (9,800 ac); flood pool is 64,600 ac. The state’s largest lake is a popular destination for crappie and catfish anglers.

For more information on this lake's fees, permits, rules and regulations, and amenities visit the Grenada 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.

Weekly fishing reports will resume the week of February 15, 2026.

Winter fishing can be good because fish school tightly.  Fish bite is better after a few sunny warm days.  Best time to fish is midday when the sun is high.  Check water levels; except for catfish, fishing is usually better on a slow fall than a fast rise. catfish will feed in rainfall runoff even when it's cold.

Caution is advised while boating during winter water levels.  Watch out for obstructions and shallow areas.  Ramp access is limited due to low water levels.

Fishing Report - Updated 12/2/2025

SpeciesDetail
BassFor largemouth bass, fish soft plastics or a jig-n-pig around cover in the clearest water available.
CrappieBest luck for crappie will be active sonar, trolling or drifting in the main lake or jigging in any remaining cover with jigs and/or minnows. 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, small cranks, redworms or crickets 4 - 6 ft near any remaining cover (timber, brush tops, stake beds, flooded grass, etc.). 
CatfishCatfishing is normally best fishing natural bait on noodles (jugs) or trotlines over mudflats or with worms or stink bait in the rivers after rainfall.  Check and/or move stationary gear often with the water rising or falling.
White BassFish shad-imitating lures (jigs, small crankbaits, etc.) over a firm bottom (sand, hard clay) usually found on main lake points. There are no size or number limits on them. They taste better if immediately put into an ice/water "slush".
Water Level

Water level 197.36 ft, dropping 0.36 ft/day, 4.4 ft over rule curve Tuesday.  Expect water level rises and drawdowns as rain events happen and the Corps of Engineers tries to achieve and maintain winter pool (193 ft) from December 1 until mid-January, then it should rise to 198 ft by March 1.  For water level information, call (662)226-5911 or check at Vicksburg District Daily River Bulletin for a table OR Yalobusha River @ Grenada Dam, MS for a graph OR Yazoo River Basin Reservoirs for both (click on "24-hour change" numbers for a 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 was releasing 3102 cfs Tuesday. Expect frequent spillway gate closures and openings as the Corps of Engineers maintains winter pool.  Best luck here is when some water is being released, but not too much. Catfishing has been very good on about any bait fished near the bottom - use a bobber or slip-cork to keep from losing tackle in the rocks. Fish for crappie with a jig and/or minnow under a bobber near the rocks or in the old river run. White Bass will be in the current where you can drift a 2-jig rig just off bottom or fish small crankbaits or tailspinner lures. For largemouths, fish spinnerbaits or soft plastics along the rocks. Expect frequent gate closures and openings as the Corps maintains the rule curve in the reservoir above. 

Spillway gate openings, flow rates, and spillway water levels can be obtained at (662)226-5911 or check at Vicksburg District Daily River Bulletin OR Yazoo River Basin Reservoirs (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. 

All 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 has a 10-crappie creel limit.

Grenada Reservoir Special Regulations

Creel and Size Limits

SpeciesLengths to ReleaseDaily 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

*Grenada Reservoir Interactive Map

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