2013 Fishing Forecast for Northeast Mississippi Lakes

Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP) fisheries biologists are excited about the upcoming fishing season in Northeast Mississippi. Fall 2012 population sampling on our state lakes revealed high catch rates of small bass in Elvis Presley Lake, Tippah County Lake, Lake Monroe, and Tombigbee State Park. “To help promote a healthier bass population, creel limits on bass remain at 30 fish per day to encourage folks to harvest these smaller bass” said MDWFP Fisheries Biologist Tyler Stubbs. “Quality crappie and bream populations were also seen at these lakes, especially in Lake Monroe,” said Stubbs. Anglers targeting catfish in our state lakes should look at Tippah County Lake or Elvis Presley Lake, as both lakes boast healthy populations of quality sized catfish.

Lake Lamar Bruce, near Saltillo, is still under renovation and closed to the public. The dam has been completed, and some bream and catfish have been stocked. “We are very excited about this lake, and think that the anglers will be impressed with the improvements we have made” said Stubbs. The lake is not expected to open until 2015, allowing the fish a chance to spawn a couple of times.

The 2013 fishing season is also underway along the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. Pickwick Lake in Tishomingo County has become one of the hottest bass lakes in the country in recent years, and remains a prime destination for bass fishing today. Spotted bass and crappie populations remain in good shape at Bay Springs Lake. The “river lakes,” Aberdeen, Columbus, and Aliceville, currently support healthy populations of catfish and crappie, with common reports of crappie from Columbus rivaling those of the flood control reservoirs.

Mississippi Wildlife Fisheries and Parks

The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks (MDWFP), formerly known as the Mississippi Game & Fish Commission, is an agency of the government of the U.S. state ofMississippi responsible for programs protecting Mississippi fish and wildlife resources and their habitats, as well as administering all state parks; it has its headquarters in Jackson. The agency issues hunting and fishing licenses, advises on habitat protection, and sponsors public education programs. It is also responsible for enforcement of Mississippi's fish and game laws. It is separate from the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, which is the governing body for the state's natural salt-water resources and law enforcement thereof (i.e. Gulf of Mexico, ocean-going vessels, etc.).