General Information: Okatibbee Reservoir is a 3,500 acre impoundment, managed by
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, that was built in 1968 to reduce flooding along
Okatibbee Creek and the Chickasawhay River. It is home to some of the best
Largemouth Bass, catfish and crappie fishing that the state has to offer.
Location: Just off of Highway 19 about nine miles north of Meridian, MS in Lauderdale
County near Collinsville.
Fishery Management: crappie, black bass, bream, and catfish.
Purchase a Fishing License: https://www.ms.gov/mdwfp/hunting_fishing/
Amenities
• Five public boat ramps
• Bank fishing
• Cabins, full hook up and
primitive campgrounds.
• Marina
• Bait shops and restaurants.
Creel Limits
• 30 crappie per day with no
length restrictions
• 10 black bass per day with
no length restrictions
• 100 bream per day.
• No limit on catfish.
Spillway Regulations
• Anglers can only use one
pole or rod per person.
• Artificial lures with no more
than 3 treble hooks no
larger than #2 may be used
anytime. The use of baited
or bare treble hooks is
illegal. No other gear can
be used in these waters
except for the gears
permitted for capturing bait
(dip nets, cast nets, boat
mounted scoops, and wire
baskets.
• From Dec 1 until the last
day of February - Anglers
can only fish with 2 single
hooks no larger than #2.
Hooks must be secured at
least one inch apart.
• From March 1 to Nov 30 –
Anglers can only fish with 2
single hooks of any size.
Hooks must be secured at
least one inch apart.
Sport fishing Tips
Crappie
• In the spring, target fish in
grass beds. Jigs tipped
with a nibble or minnows
fished with a cork provide
the best action. In the fall,
try similar techniques along
creek ledges or deep
structure.
Largemouth Bass
• Fish grass beds with top
water lures or deeper
points that contain
submerged structure with
soft plastic baits or diving
plugs.
Bream
• Use crickets or red worms
in shallow water from early
summer through the fall.
Catfish
• Use trot lines and poles
along the rocks in the
spring. Jugs work well later
in the year in deeper water.
Okatibbee Reservoir 2024
Reel Facts
Buford Lessley – Fisheries Biologist
Buford.Lessley@wfp.ms.gov (601) 859-3421
Below: Length distributions for sport fish from the 2023 electrofishing survey at Okatibbee
Reservoir. These figures indicate a wide size distribution of each species and good
numbers of catchable sized fish. Largemouth Bass and bream populations are showing
consistent spawning and recruitment into the fishery.
Above: Largemouth Bass collected
during fall electrofishing.
Left : Two species of black bass are
found at Okatibbee Reservoir. Spotted
Bass (top) and Largemouth Bass
(bottom). They can be distinguished by
observing the orientation of the mouth.
When closed, Spotted Bass mouths do
not extend past the eye.
0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
20.0
25.0
30.0
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Redear Sunfish
Percent
Length (inches)
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23
Largemouth Bass
Percent
Length (inches)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Bluegill
Percent
Length (inches)
Right: Okatibbee Reservoir has
an abundant crappie population
that offers a unique fishing
opportunity throughout the year but
especially from mid February to the
end of April. Crappie move to
shallow structure such as rocks,
stump fields and grass beds when
water temperatures reach
approximately 62 degrees in early
spring.
Below: Results from 2021 electrofishing at Okatibbee Reservoir. Electrofishing is
performed every two years during the fall.
Species
# of fish
collected
% of
sample
Maximum
Average
Catch Rate –
Length Length
Weight
Adult fish
(inches) (inches)
(pounds)
(fish/mile)
Gizzard shad
46 5 9 11.8 0 7
Threadfin shad
193 23 2.6 3.1 - -
Lake Chubsucker
1 0 5.4 5.4 0 -
Spotted Sucker
22 3 12.5 18.6 0 -
Blue Catfish
1 0 16.6 16.6 0 <1
Brown Bullhead
2 0 16.1 16.1 - <1
Channel Catfish
2 0 17.8 19.1 1.9 <1
Warmouth
5 1 7.1 11.5 - 1
Bluegill
177 21 4.8 7.7 0.1 27
Longear Sunfish
67 8 4.4 5.6 0 11
Redear Sunfish
98 11 6.7 9.8 0.2 15
Spotted Bass
20 2 8.5 17.8 0.9 1
Largemouth Bass
190 22 11 21.5 1.1 20
White Crappie
21 2 10.3 13.7 0.6 3
Black Crappie
12 1 9.6 12.5 0.6 2
Below: Depth map for Okatibbee Reservoir