*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

Weekly fishing reports will resume the week of February 15, 2025. Below are winter fishing tips and techniques.

At winter pool, boat ramp access becomes limited. Caution is advised while boating during low winter water levels. Watch out for obstructions (stumps, roadbeds, etc.) and shallow areas. Ramp bottom elevations Sardis Lake Recreation may be higher than posted due to siltation.

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.

Late Fall/Winter Fishing Report - Updated 12/3/2024

SpeciesDetail
Largemouth BassBass are mostly on main lake points or ledges or in deeper holes in the river and creeks in the clearest water available. Any cover (brush or stake beds, wood, rocks, etc.) is a plus. Fish 3 to 10 ft deep with search baits (spinnerbaits, vibrating jigs), but keep another rod rigged with a soft plastic (Carolina or Texas-rigged worm, swimbait, etc.) to follow up a missed strike.
CrappieBruce at Wyatt's Crossing Outdoors 901-870-0298 will reopen in March. Fish jigs and/or minnows 5 - 10 ft deep in the main lake or bank fish deeper holes in the river and creeks. 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 redworms, crickets, or other baits 3 - 8 ft deep near any cover (timber, brush tops, stake beds, rip-rap, etc.).
CatfishFish natural baits in the river and creeks (from the banks if necessary) or fish over main lake flats with rod-and-reel (tight lining or drifting), noodles (jugs), or trotlines.
White BassFish sandy, main lake points or deeper holes in the river with shad-imitating lures (jigs, small crankbaits, etc.). They should be congregated near Engineers' Point and the dam. There are no size or number limits on white bass. These fish die quickly in a livewell. They will keep and taste better if put immediately into "slush" (ice/water mix).

Winter fishing can be good since the fish often school tightly. Fish bite better after a few warm, sunny days. Unlike summer, best bet is to fish midday on sunny banks. Even in cold weather, catfish will feed in rainfall runoff.

Always check the links in the "Water Level" section for the lake level and if it's rising or falling. A big rain can change conditions quickly. Adjust to conditions like the fish do. Except for catfish, fishing is usually better on a slow fall than a fast rise. Water falling, fish deeper; water rising, fish shallower.

Water Level

Expect rapid water level rises and drawdowns as rain events happen and the Corps tries to achieve and maintain winter pool (136 ft) from December 1 until mid-January, then it should rise to 241 ft by March 1. 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

Expect frequent spillway gate closures and openings as the Corps maintains winter pool in the reservoir above. 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 on natural bait fished near the bottom in the spillway or near the 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.

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)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

*Sardis Reservoir Interactive Map

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