If you have questions about purchasing a license call 1-800-5GO-HUNT.
*Tunica Cutoff was created by the US Army Corps of Engineers (COE) in 1942 when a bend in the Mississippi River was “cut off” to shorten the river. The MDWFP Fisheries Bureau manages the lake's fisheries resources and provides weekly fishing reports.
The lake is inside the mainline levee and connects to the river via the “runout”. A weir constructed in the runout by the Memphis District COE in 2002 maintains a minimum pool of about 4,000 ac. Tunica Cutoff is one of the largest oxbows in Mississippi and is a popular destination for bream and crappie anglers, mostly from Memphis, TN.
Fishing Report - Updated 3/11/2025
| Species | Detail |
|---|---|
| Bass | Fish crankbaits, soft plastics, or spinnerbaits 3 to 8 ft deep on the edges of shoreline cover or off sandy points dropping into deeper water. |
| Crappie | Fish jigs and/or minnows on the outside of shoreline cover 4 to 10 ft deep or slow troll at about the same depths out from the trees. Crappie are averaging just under a pound. If you use minnows, be aware there are lots of gar. This would be a good week to set out some yo-yo's. |
| Bream | Fish redworms or crickets 4 to 8 ft deep on the outside of shoreline cover. |
| Catfish | Use cut bait or other natural baits on yo-yo's, jugs (noodles), trotlines, or rods-and-reels 3 to 6 ft deep on shallow flats up in the trees or in the runout. Check and move stationary gear (lines, yo-yo's, etc.) often with the water falling. |
| White Bass | Cast shad-imitating jigs or small crankbaits over the ramps, off sandy points, or in the runout. There are no size or number limits on white or yellow bass. However, with the lake connected to the river, you might land a striped bass or hybrid, both of which have to be over 15 inches long with a daily limit of 6 fish per person. The best way to tell these fish apart is by their stripes. White bass have 1 stripe running to the tail; stripers and hybrids have 2 or more stripes running to the tail. |
Statewide creel and size limits apply to all fish species
The Mississippi River will be in the "good fishing" range (falling slowly from 15 to 10 ft) all week. Combined with a warming trend, this would be a good week to fish.
Check water level trends; except for catfish, fishing is usually better on a slow fall than a fast rise. If the water is rising, fish shallower on the inside edges of cover. If the water is falling, fish deeper on the outside edges. Move stationary gear (lines, yo-yos, etc.) frequently if the water is rising or falling quickly. Contact the Levee Commissary (662)363-2408 for up-to-date information.
MDWFP completed fall 2024 electrofishing. Sampling found a decent 2024 spawn of crappie, bream, and bass hiding in scarce, shallow cover to avoid predation by other fish. Except for white bass, adult gamefish were rare; gars, buffaloes, and various carps were abundant. There was an ongoing kill of invasive carp during sampling. Past studies have shown these carp die-offs are caused by naturally occurring bacteria, but are not extensive enough to reduce their numbers enough to prevent competition with native species.
Water Level
Water Level
The Mississippi River was at 12.6 ft (Memphis gauge) Tuesday. It is supposed to fall very slowly to 10.9 ft by Sunday. With the weir, the river will not enter Tunica Cutoff until it rises over 6 ft (Memphis gauge), but the weir will hold the lake near 6 ft if the river drops below that level. Flood stage is 34 ft; top of the ramps is about 28 ft. For the river level and 5-day forecast, call (901)544-0408 (press 2) or check River Summary issued by NWS Lower Mississippi RFC
Charlie's Camp and Tait (Bordeaux) ramps are the only ones open to the public. Use the honor boxes. Bait is now available across the levee.
Memphis District Corps personnel allow placement of artificial fish habitat. Remember to save GPS waypoints if you have the capability.
*Tunica Cutoff Interactive Map
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