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32,100-acre reservoir near Sardis. A big Little Tallahatchie flood-control reservoir with a huge crappie and white bass fishery and miles of standing timber and flats. The lake tops out around 50 ft. The depth picture is modeled, anchored to the true shoreline and the water's published max depth — a scouting aid, never a chart to run a boat by. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
Drawn out, this is 30,938 acres of water rimmed by 90.1 miles of bank. With a shoreline index of 3.7, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 57% of the surface on the model — that's where the groceries are. The basin spans about 19.4 mi end to end and 6.9 mi across at its widest. You'll find it in Lafayette County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Puskus Lake, 18 mi east of here.
Spring puts crappie in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring crappie. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow flat (10 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow flat (10 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (23 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. Spring largemouth bass concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 6 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow flat (10 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (13 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (23 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, white bass slide up into 2 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 13 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (5 ft) | Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (13 ft) | Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish) |
| Fall | 6 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (13 ft) | Jigging spoon, Blade bait |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (43 ft) | Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait |
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 25 ft before dropping to 20 to 40 ft for winter. Winter channel catfish concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 43 ft. Fish it in after dark and the evening and you'll meet the bite.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Break off the point (23 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Break off the point (23 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (43 ft) |
Come spring, look for blue catfish tight to the bank in 5 to 25 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 40 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 50 ft. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 43 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | Break off the point (23 ft) | |
| Summer | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (43 ft) | |
| Fall | 15 to 45 ft | dusk | Deep basin (43 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Deep basin (43 ft) |
Start shallow in spring: flathead catfish sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 45 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 43 ft range, prime in winter. Fish it in after dark and the evening and you'll meet the bite.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | night & dusk | Rock reef (5 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | night & dusk | Break off the point (23 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | night & dusk | Break off the point (23 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Deep basin (43 ft) |
Sardis Lake also holds bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 18 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 43 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Mississippi waters are set by the Mississippi Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks — and special regulations can apply to Sardis Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Mississippi fishing regulations →
Sardis Lake is about 50 ft (15 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target crappie, largemouth bass, white bass, channel catfish, blue catfish, flathead catfish, bluegill on Sardis Lake. This isn't a survey of the water — none is published for it — but an informed estimate from the species common to the region, narrowed by this water's depth, size and each species' range.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For crappie, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Sardis Lake is regulated by the Mississippi Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks. Check the official Mississippi regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Puskus Lake 18 mi · Cypress Lake 20 mi · Denmark Lake 21 mi · Brents Lake 23 mi · Enid Lake 24 mi · Mill Lake 25 mi · Buck Rucker Lake 27 mi · Chewalla Lake 28 mi · Arkabutla Lake 31 mi · Walker Lake 32 mi · North Chilli Lake 34 mi · Wood Duck Lake 34 mi
See how Sardis Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Mississippi · best white bass lakes in Mississippi · best crappie lakes in Mississippi · best bluegill lakes in Mississippi
Browse all Mississippi fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.