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Lakes & Reservoirs

Sardis Lake Fishing Guide

Mississippi

A large reservoir near Batesville with trophy crappie and spring bass.

Trip at a Glance

Anglers come to Sardis Lake for largemouth bass, crappie and channel catfish. The best months overall are Jan to Mar, Nov. In October, largemouth bass is in season, and Soft Stick Bait, Bass Jig and Spinnerbait are a good place to start. There are 12 shops within 45 miles; the closest is Nana's Bait Shop in Sardis, 3 mi away. Enid Lake is 18 mi away if you want to make a trip of it.

Best Months

Jan to Mar, Nov

In October

Largemouth Bass

Methods

Spin, cast & bait

Season at a Glance

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

What You'll Catch

Sardis Lake Species

Largemouth Bass

Prime Now
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Best: Jan to Apr, Oct to Nov

Crappie

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Best: Nov to Mar

Channel Catfish

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F
M
A
M
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J
A
S
O
N
D

Best: May to Sep

Plan by Month

What to Use

Month
Fish

12 picks for October. ● means in season that month.

  • Soft Stick Bait 4 to 5 in

    Lure

    Soft Plastic · Largemouth Bass

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  • Bass Jig 3/8 to 1 oz

    Lure

    Jig · Largemouth Bass

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  • Spinnerbait 3/8 to 3/4 oz

    Lure

    Moving Bait · Largemouth Bass · Stained water.

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  • Bladed Jig 3/8 to 1/2 oz

    Lure

    Moving Bait · Largemouth Bass · Around grass.

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  • Squarebill Crankbait 1.5 to 2.5 in

    Lure

    Crankbait · Largemouth Bass

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  • Lipless Crankbait 1/2 to 3/4 oz

    Lure

    Crankbait · Largemouth Bass

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  • Walking Topwater 4 to 5 in

    Lure

    Topwater · Largemouth Bass · Low light.

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  • Crappie Jig 1/32 to 1/8 oz

    Lure

    Jig · Crappie

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  • Live Minnows 1 to 3 in

    Bait

    Live Bait · Crappie, Largemouth Bass · Under a slip float.

  • Nightcrawlers Whole or half

    Bait

    Live Bait · Channel Catfish

  • Chicken Liver Chunk

    Bait

    Natural Bait · Channel Catfish

  • Cut Shad Chunk or fillet

    Bait

    Natural Bait · Channel Catfish

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Rod & Reel

Recommended Setups

Largemouth Bass

Fly 9 ft 7 or 8 wt rod, bass-taper floating line, 12 to 16 lb leader for poppers and divers.

Spin / Cast 7 ft medium-heavy baitcasting rod, 7:1 reel, 15 lb fluorocarbon or 50 lb braid around heavy cover.

Crappie

Fly 8.5 ft 4 wt rod, floating line, small jig flies and minnow patterns.

Spin / Cast 10 to 12 ft jigging pole or 6 ft ultralight spinning rod, 4 to 6 lb hi-vis line.

Channel Catfish

Spin / Cast 7 ft medium spinning or casting rod, 3000 to 4000 reel, 15 to 20 lb line, slip-sinker rig with a circle hook.

Matched to These Species

Gear for Sardis Lake

Reels

Abu Garcia Revo SX Baitcasting Reel

A reliable baitcaster for jigs, Texas rigs, and moving baits.

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Panfish Lures

Bobby Garland Baby Shad Crappie Jigs

A go-to crappie plastic on a light jighead, under a float or vertical.

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Rod & Reel Combos

Ugly Stik Catfish Special Combo

A stout, long rod with a large reel for heavy sinkers and big cats.

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Rod & Reel Combos

Ugly Stik GX2 Spinning Combo

Nearly unbreakable and sensitive enough for most freshwater fishing. A safe first combo.

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Reels

Pflueger President Spinning Reel

Light and smooth for its price. A favorite for finesse and panfish rods.

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Line

Berkley Trilene XL Monofilament

Limp, easy-casting mono for spinning reels and general fishing.

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Rods

St. Croix Triumph Spinning Rod

A sensitive, lightweight rod for finesse plastics and jigs.

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Line

PowerPro Spectra Braided Line

Thin, strong braid for long casts, sensitivity, and pulling fish from cover.

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Within 45 Miles

Shops Near Sardis Lake

Bait & Tackle

Batesville Co-op

Batesville, Mississippi· 14 mi

Locally owned co-op in Batesville carrying fishing rods, hunting supplies, ammunition, boots and clothing for sportsmen across Panola County.

Tackle shop · Hunting supplies · Boots and clothing

View ShopDirections

Make It a Trip

Nearby Water

Lakes & Reservoirs · Mississippi · 18 mi

Enid Lake

Corps of Engineers reservoir on the Yocona River ten miles south of Batesville. The world record white crappie came out of this water, and the summer pool holds crappie, largemouth bass, white bass, catfish and bream.

Crappie · Largemouth bass · White bass

Lakes & Reservoirs · Mississippi · 39 mi

Grenada Lake

A North Mississippi flood control lake famous for giant slab crappie.

Crappie · Largemouth Bass