Sardis Reservoir 218 REEL FACTS Keith Meals, Arthur Dunn, Stanley Turner Fisheries Biologists keithm@mdwfp.state.ms.us, ArthurD@mdwfp.state.ms.us, StanleyT@mdwfp.state.ms.us General Information: Sardis Reservoir is one of four flood control reservoirs (FCRs) in north Mississippi. Built by the US Army Corps of Engineers (COE) in 1939 on the Little Tallahatchie River, it is the oldest FCR with a summer pool of 32,1 ac. Water levels follow an annual rule curve, but deviate from it due to local precipitation and COE spillway gate operations. The reservoir is lowered in fall to winter pool (1,7 ac); flood pool is 8, ac. Sardis is the state s most popular angling destination. Unique to Sardis is the 4 ac Lower Lake below the spillway. Location/Contact: 12 miles northwest of Oxford, MS. COE office (662) 63-431. Fishery Management: Crappie, catfish, Largemouth Bass, and White Bass. Purchase a Fishing License: https://www.ms.gov/mdwfp/hunting_fishing/ Amenities 12 concrete fee ramps. Bait shops in Oxford, Sardis, Holly Springs, Batesville, etc. Creel and Size Limits The following apply to the reservoir, but not the spillway or Lower Lake. Crappie: Must be over 12 inches. 1 crappie per day per angler; no more than 4 crappie per boat (3 or more anglers). Largemouth Bass: No length limit and 1 bass per day per angler. White and Yellow Bass: No limits. Bream: No length limit and 1 per day per angler. Catfish: No limits. Regulations No more than 2 jugs and no more than 2 yo-yos may be fished per person with no more than 2 hooks per device. Jugs and yo-yos must be tagged with the license holder s MDWFP number or the angler s name and address. Gear must be attended (in sight) during daylight hours. Grabbling season May 1 July 1; only wooden structures allowed. No more than 4 poles may be fished per person; no more than 2 hooks or lures per pole. Spillway and Lower Lake: Consult Outdoor Digest Fishing Tips General Best fishing is usually in the spring and fall. Fish near deeper water if the water is falling; fish shallower if it is rising. Crappie Target shoreline cover in spring in creek arms and coves. In summer and fall, troll for suspended fish in creek mouths and the main reservoir. Largemouth Bass Target cover in coves in spring, main reservoir points in summer, and tributaries in fall. Bream Fish crickets or redwoms near cover. Catfish Fish worms or cut bait in tributaries during runoff or over mudflats if no runoff.
Fish per Mile Species # of fish collected % of sample Average Length (inches) Maximum Length (inches) Average Weight (pounds) Catch Rate Adult fish (fish/mile) Bluegill 469 31.6 8.2.1 27 Gizzard Shad 362 24 9.1 1.2.2 16 Threadfin Shad 32 21 Largemouth Bass 23 1 11.3 2.9 1. 2 White Crappie 3 11.1 13..7 8 Blue Catfish 3 2 21. 3.4 4.2 4 Black Crappie 12 1 7.9 1..2 1 Channel Catfish 1 1 14.7 2. 1.2 1 White Bass 9 1 13. 16.1 1. 1 Flathead Catfish 8 1 14. 37.1 2. <1 Spotted Bass 6 <1 6.3 6.3.1 <1 Redear Sunfish 4 <1 3. 3.7. <1 Grass Carp 1 <1 42.4 42.4 44. <1 Above: Fall 217 electrofishing results. Abundant small fish measured in length groups are not included in average lengths and weights, only fish measured individually. Forage fish (Gizzard and Threadfin Shad, Bluegill) were numerous, but mostly small. Many 217 shad were Gizzard X Threadfin hybrids. Crappie numbers were high from good spawns from 213 through 216. 3 2 2 Fall Electrofishing Catch Rate 1 1 Largemouth Bass White Crappie 212 213 214 21 216 217 Above: Trend in fall electrofishing catch rates for adult Largemouth Bass and crappie. Abundance has improved recently due to higher water levels from 213 216. White Crappie numbers declined 212 214 due to harvest of adults spawned in earlier low water years. As good spawns of crappie have grown to adult size (not necessarily legal size), crappie numbers have increased since 21.
Inches Number Percent Number 2 Largemouth Bass 2 White and Black Crappie 1 1 1 1 White Black 2 4 6 8 1 12 14 16 18 2 22 Total Length (inches) 2 4 6 8 1 12 14 16 Total Length (inches) 1 Blue Catfish 1 1 1 2 2 3 3 Total Length (inches) Above: Length distributions, fall electrofishing, 217. Most bass were from the big 216 year class; 217 bass were scarce and slow growing due to low water. Bass populations at the FCRs fluctuate mostly from environmental factors (mainly water levels) since angler harvest is low. White Crappie from 1 13 inches were from strong 21 and 214 year classes. Blue Catfish ( white humpbacks or white river cats ) were fairly common and good sized. Below: Growth rates for White Crappie, spring, 217. White Crappie spawns were good in 213 216. Some crappie from the 29 year class were still swimming. This huge year class grew slower than normal in their early years as these abundant fish competed with each other. No White Crappie older than 213 fish were seen in fall 217; that does not mean they were gone, just rare. White Crappie, Length at Age 16 14 12 1 8 6 4 2 216 214 212 21 Year Class Age # White Crappie aged Average Length (inches) 216 1-21 2 13 7.2 214 3 29 11.8 213 4 4 13.1 212 3 14.8 211 6-21 7-29 8 4 1.1
Hours, Pounds Hours, Pounds Fish Harvest and Fishing Effort: Most anglers fished for crappie in 217 (right, top). Crappie and catfish were 87% of annual harvest (right, middle), by weight. Bass anglers made up 11% of anglers, but bass comprised only 3% of harvest; most bass fishing is catch-and-release. White Bass anglers made up 3% of anglers, but harvested 9% of the total harvest. White Bass anglers were harvest-oriented, and White Bass were kept by other anglers. Harvest and effort varied monthly (below, left) with a spring peak when many crappie over 3 lb from the big 29 year class were seen (right, bottom). Fishing effort fell off after spring due to low water levels and high release rates of sublegal crappie. Anglers fished about 31, hr and kept about 269, lb of fish in 217. Harvest fell 3% and effort fell 2% from 29 to 217 (bottom, left). Harvest and effort were unsustainably high in 213 due to peak abundance of the huge 29 crappie year class. Studies on the FCRs have shown fishing effort declines with either extremely low or extremely high water levels. Targeted Species 1% 3% Crappie 9% Black Bass 18% Catfish 8% White Bass 11% Bream Anything Harvest: % Wt, Avg Wt 1% 9% Crappie, 1.3 Black Bass, 1.6 36% 1% Catfish, 2.1 White Bass, 1.1 Bream,.3 3% Angler Harvest and Fishing Effort 1, 1,, Harvest Effort JFD M A M J J A S O N 8, 6, Harvest and Fishing Effort Trends Sardis 4, 2, 29 213 217 Years Harvest Effort
Fishery: About 38% of Sardis anglers in 217 were from surrounding counties (below), with the others coming from all over the state and country (below). Residents were 74% of fishing parties. The average fishing party was 1.9 anglers that drove 6 miles, one way, and spent $31.98 per person on out-of-pocket expenses (fuel, food, ice, bait, etc.). Expenses usually rose with distance traveled. Based on annual fishing effort, trip length, and cost per person, Sardis anglers spent over $2.1 million in 217, not counting tackle, boats, licenses, etc.. Area Parties Percent Miles/party $/person Surrounding counties Lafayette 83 17 11.9 $13.6 Marshall 43 9 24. 21.8 Panola 8 12 8.7 17.2 MS counties Lee 12 3 63.6 3.2 Pontotoc 21 4 47. 23.3 Tate 28 6 24. 18.39 Union 34 7 44.8 22.47 Other MS (18 counties) 3 7 63.8 32.39 Memphis area (inc. Desoto, MS) 19 22 9.2 36.2 Other out of state (12 states) 66 14 2.6 7.84 Total/avg 489 1 64.9 $31.98 Lake Characteristics: Sardis normally fluctuates 24 ft during the year following a rule curve based on seasonal rainfall patterns. For water levels (rule curve vs actual water level), see http://www.mvk-wc.usace.army.mil/docs/bullet.txt for a table or http://www.mvkwc.usace.army.mil/plots/sardplot.png for a graph or http://www.mvkwc.usace.army.mil/resrep.htm for both. Due to its greater depth and storage volume, Sardis was the first FCR built. Still, water level fluctuations can make it challenging to find and pattern fish. Fall drawdowns and droughts let moist soil vegetation colonize mudflats (below left) and provide fish habitat when water levels rise again. Flooding brings in nutrients and expands fish habitat. Aquatic vegetation is scarce due to fluctuating lake levels, but shoreline trees and shrubs are abundant at higher water levels. The fluctuation zone (winter to summer pool, below right) has very little cover other than dead timber, some live trees and shrubs, and colonized vegetation.
Lake Characteristics: Sardis rule curve and rainfall sometimes result in low water during spring spawning season and/or limited vegetation colonization. However, the Sardis Reservoir COE sponsors a Habitat Day in winter when the water is low. Materials are placed in the fluctuation zone with the assistance of volunteers (right, top) to provide fish habitat when the water comes back up. Although beneficial, these artificial structures do not begin to replace the quantity or quality of habitat created by naturally colonized vegetation during low water periods and flooded during high water events. Some patches of American Lotus (right, bottom) that have colonized in Hurricane Creek in recent years have become a favorite target of bass anglers. Spillway: The Sardis Reservoir spillway and Lower Lake are also popular fishing destinations, mostly for catfish and crappie. Crappie in the spillway are dependent on reservoir releases and are caught mostly in winter and early spring; catfish are more common in summer. A concrete ramp into the Lower Lake provides boat anglers access. A handicapped accessible pier (below, left) was opened in 217 near the end of the spillway channel rip-rap. The Little Tallahatchie River below the reservoir allows access into the spillway by many wideranging fishes, such as Asian carps (below, right; Silver Carp, top. Bighead Carp, bottom) from the Mississippi River. Regulations prohibit anglers from keeping alive bait fish captured in the spillway to prevent the spread of these nuisance, non-native fishes to other waters. Uncommon species in the spillway may include Paddlefish, American Eels, Striped Bass, and Hybrid Striped Bass.