Natchez State Park Lake 2021 REEL FACTS Ryan Jones – Fisheries Biologist Ryan.Jones@Wfp.Ms.Gov (601) 859-3421

Natchez State Park Lake 2021 REEL FACTS Ryan Jones – Fisheries Biologist [email protected] (601) 859-3421

General Information: Natchez State Park Lake is a 230 acre park lake producing quality bass, crappie, bream, and catfish every year. The lake also holds the state record Largemouth Bass (18.15 lbs.), which was caught in 1992. Location: Approximately 10 miles north of Natchez off State Park Rd. Fishery Management: Largemouth Bass, bream, crappie, and catfish. Lake Depth Map: https://www.mdwfp.com/media/5420/natchez-park-lake.pdf Purchase a Fishing License: https://www.ms.gov/mdwfp/hunting_fishing/

Amenities Regulations Fishing Tips Bream • 1 boat ramp with courtesy • Fishing is not allowed from • Try crickets, red wigglers, piers, parking lot, and the courtesy piers adjacent and wax worms in shallow public restroom to boat ramp. areas along the dam and • 2 handicapped fishing around the cabins. piers • Rod and reel or pole • 50 camping pads with fishing is allowed. No Catfish water/electric hookups, 10 trotlines, FFFD’s, jugs, yo- • Try tightlining liver or blood cabins, and 8 tent sites yo’s, limblines, throwlines, scented bait along deep • 9 hole disc golf course, 6 or set hooks are allowed. drop offs of main lake picnic sites, playground, points and creek channels. pavilion, and nature trail • Sport fishing licenses and fishing permits are Crappie Creel and Size Limits required except on • Fish standing timber and designated days during brush around the main • Bream: 100 per day National Fishing and lake creek channels. Boating Week. Vertical jigging is popular • Catfish: 10 per day with jigs and minnows. • Skiing is allowed within ski • Crappie: 30 per day area. Lake is designated Largemouth Bass as No Wake in all other • Target brush piles and • Largemouth Bass: Slot areas. ledges with junebug or limit, bass 18 - 22 inches watermelon red colored in length must be released, Forage Species soft plastics. Topwater 7 bass per day creel limit, baits and crankbaits can only one may be over 22 • Gizzard Shad also be good around main inches in length • Threadfin Shad lake points and drains. • Golden Shiners Jigging spoons are good in • Crawfish the winter. Below: Results from the 2020 fall electrofishing survey conducted at Natchez State Park.

Average Maximum Average Catch Rate – # of fish % of Species Length Length Weight Adult fish collected sample (inches) (inches) (pounds) (fish/mile) Largemouth Bass 72 7 12.0 20.1 1.3 23

Redear Sunfish 86 9 7.1 10.3 0.2 28

Gizzard Shad 36 4 8.9 14.1 - 12

Bluegill 118 12 3.7 6.5 0.1 38

Longear Sunfish 20 2 3.6 5.1 - 7

Threadfin Shad 643 64 2.2 3.5 - 217

Green Sunfish 18 2 4.1 6.8 - 6

White Crappie 8 1 9.2 11.4 0.4 3

Above: Natchez State Park consistently produces trophy Largemouth Bass and Redear Sunfish. 18 Largemouth Bass 16 14 12 10 8 Percent 6 4 2 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Total Length (inches)

Bluegill 50 45 40 35 30 25

Percent 20 15 10 5 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Total Length (inches)

Redear Sunfish 30

15 Percent 10

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Total Length (inches)

Above: Length distributions for Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, and Redear Sunfish collected during 2020 fall electrofishing.