Late Fall/Winter Fishing Report - Updated 12/3/2024
Weekly fishing reports will resume the week of February 15, 2025. Below are winter fishing tips and techniques.
| Species | Detail |
|---|---|
| Bass | Fish crankbaits, soft plastics, or spinnerbaits 2 to 12 ft deep near any remaining cover or off sandy points dropping into deeper water. |
| Crappie | Fish jigs and/or minnows near any remaining cover 10 to 14 ft deep or slow troll at about the same depths out from the shoreline. Crappie are averaging just under a pound. If you use minnows, be aware there are lots of gar. |
| Bream | Fish crickets or redworms 6 to 10 ft deep near any remaining cover at those depths. |
| Catfish | Use cut bait or other natural baits on jugs (noodles), trotlines, or rods-and-reels on shallow flats or in the runout (if deep enough). Pay attention to predicted water levels if fishing stationary gear (lines, yo-yos, etc.). |
| White Bass | Cast shad-imitating jigs or small crankbaits over the ramps, off sandy points, or in the runout if it's deep enough. 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 was low as of December 3, 2024. If the river is below 6 ft (Memphis gauge), the weir in the runout will maintain the lake at about the 6 ft level with the ramps accessible. Hopefully, rainfall in the upper Mississippi River basin will raise the river (and the Cutoff) over the next few weeks.
Winter fishing can be good since the fish often school tightly, but relatively deep. Fish bite better after a few warm, sunny days. Unlike summer, best bet is to fish midday on steep, sunny banks near deeper water.
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 prevent competition with native species.
