Bass Fishing the Mississippi State Fishing Lakes

Mississippi operates 20 “State Fishing Lakes” that are managed primarily for bass, crappie, redear, bluegill, and catfish. Each lake offers good to excellent bank fishing opportunities and many allow boat fishing (from kayak to water skiing).

Each lake tracks water body records for bass, crappie, redear, bluegill and catfish. Once every two years, it also conducts electrofishing Below is a summary of catfish records, electrofishing surveys, and fishing tips from the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks and FishBrain.

Below are some Mississippi State Fishing Lake bass fishing tips and things to consider.

Six Blank Slates

Three State fishing lakes have an open record as of January 2019. There is no minimum weight for open records so if you catch a largemouth bass in Kemper County, Walthall, or Tom Bailey check it with the Lake Manager or Fisheries Biologist for a certificate recognizing your achievement.

18.15 pounds

Current Mississippi largemouth bass state record caught at Natchez State Park Lake

The Records

Current bass records at all Mississippi State Fishing Lakes as of January 2019

(State Fishing Lake/weight in pounds)

  • 15.88 lbs Bill Waller

  • 15.40 lbs Calling Panther Lake

  • 14.75 Tippah County

  • 14.75 lbs Claude Bennett

  • 14.75 Columbia Lake

  • 14.70 Simpson County

  • 14.30 Neshoba County

  • 13.81 Prentiss Walker

  • 13.60 Bogue Homa

  • 13.10 Perry Lake

  • 12.60 Jeff Davis

  • 11.82 Lamar Bruce

  • 10.81 Monroe Lake

  • 10.70 Mike Conner

  • 10.40 Holmes County

  • 10.00 Elvis Presley

  • 7.20 Mary Crawford

  • Open Kemper County

  • Open Tom Bailey

  • Open Walthall

Fishing Tips from Lake Managers

Bill Waller

Use soft plastic lures like flukes and worms fished slowly near woody cover in 2 to 6 ft. of  water. Junebug or red colors, Carolina rigged, seem to be good choices.   

Bogue Homa

Fish any areas with heavy cover or structure (such as sunken logs) below the water surface.   

Calling Panther Lake 

Target shallow flats during the spring with soft plastics. Drop offs, ledges, and creek  channels are good areas during the summer. Watch for schooling activity as  well.   

Claude Bennett

Fish submerged structure in coves and on points with soft plastic worms, spinner baits, or  shallow diving crank baits.   

Columbia Lake 

Use topwater lures, spinnerbaits, and crank baits early in the day, or dark colored soft plastics  and frogs fished around deeper vegetation in 4 to 6 ft. of water.   

Elvis Presley 

Target main lake points and creek channels with Carolina/Texas-rigged plastics, jigs, shaky  heads, or crankbaits. · In the spring, target coves with spinnerbaits,  T-rigged lizards, and weightless soft plastics.   

Holmes County  

Target submerged structure in coves and on points with soft plastic worms, spinner baits, or  crank baits.   

Jeff Davis 

Target stumps and dollar pads in the morning with topwater baits. During the day, fish willow  trees with wacky rigged soft plastics and jerkbaits for suspended bass.   

Kemper County 

Target lily pads on upper end with top water baits or try fishing structure and deeper points  with jerk baits or plastics. Use natural colors due to water clarity and fish  slow   

Lamar Bruce 

Target main lake points and creek channels with Carolina/Texas-rigged plastics, jigs, or  crankbaits. · In the spring, target coves with spinner baits, T-rigged  lizards, and weightless soft plastics.   

Mike Conner 

Target shallow  weedlines in the morning with topwater baits. During the day, fish brush  piles and docks with wacky rigged soft plastics and jerkbaits.   

Monroe Lake 

Target shallow weedlines in the morning with topwater baits. During the day, fish brush  piles and ledges with soft plastics and crankbaits   

Neshoba County 

In early spring try shiners in open water for big fish. Target aquatic vegetation with top water  lures as weather warms. Swim baits also work well along the levee.   

Perry Lake 

Use soft plastic lures like flukes and worms fished slowly near woody cover in 2 to 6 ft. of  water. Junebug or red colored plastics, Carolina rigged, seem to be good  choices   

Prentiss Walker 

Target coves containing submerged structure with spinner baits or plastic worms. Deep  water points or creek channels will produce fish later in the year.   

Simpson County 

Target areas that have stumps with top water lures, or submerged structure and deeper points  jerk baits or finesse worms.   

Tippah County 

Target lake points with Carolina or Texas-rigged plastics or small crankbaits. · In the spring,  fish the back of coves with spinner baits.   

Tom Bailey 

Target submerged structure in coves and on points with soft plastic worms, spinner baits, or  shallow diving crank baits.   

Freshwater Fishing, Mississippi Fishingaaron bartonComment