Fishing pressure question / Sardis

I started fishing Sardis for the first time about a year ago. I’d say I’ve hit it about once a month. My question is, how does it not get fished out? Especially the lower! Back February through April there were so many boats on the lower you could hardly find a spot to park (even through the week). With that much pressure, and people taking out limits, I don’t understand how there’s anything left. My intention for this isn’t to bash out of towners or MDWFP or anyone else. I’d just like to know how the crappie stay sustained in such a popular fishing spot.

The lower lake is replenished every year via the spillway, the crappie come from the upper lake. Fishing does get tough in the summer thru fall there, but are still a few around that haven't been caught or kept on down the tallahatchie river. As far as the upper lake, it has a strong fish population. A guide from Grenada told me that fish biologists once informed him they guesstimate Grenada's crappie population between 5 and 6 million. With Sardis being a close 2nd in size to Grenada and recieving close to same pressure I would assume the population there to be close to the same. This is just hear say, so no real hard statistics. Also, every one of the big 4 lose tons of fish each year during the draw downs. It seems to be helping things not hurting them though, just my opinion for what it's worth.

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Fishing below the dam at Grenada can be great single pole fishing . The old river run has some good ones for sure . The eddy water down stream has also .

Thought the same thing for years about pressure in these lakes. Here’s my opinion the spillways suck out tons of fish all year the winter months more so. These high water years we have been having is what these lakes need to sustain high populations. Low water years do the opposite on population. Lower levels it’s easier to catch them for most folks. Higher levels is harder to catch for most folks. Then you got these pelicans eating there share in the fall. The 12” rule is what helps as well. The spillway takes out all sizes. The lower lake is nothing but a holding area for what gets dumped out of the upper lake.

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Originally Posted by hotrod1

Thought the same thing for years about pressure in these lakes. Here’s my opinion the spillways suck out tons of fish all year the winter months more so. These high water years we have been having is what these lakes need to sustain high populations. Low water years do the opposite on population. Lower levels it’s easier to catch them for most folks. Higher levels is harder to catch for most folks. Then you got these pelicans eating there share in the fall. The 12� rule is what helps as well. The spillway takes out all sizes. The lower lake is nothing but a holding area for what gets dumped out of the upper lake.

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It would be interesting if we could start tagging short fish in the upper and get samples of how many make it through the spillway.

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Ole miss done a study on it with tagged fish. With the help of a couple guides. It shows there migration. Which areas of the lake they prefer throughout the year. It was a mixture. I’ve been snagging for the last 2 winters at grenada Enid Sardis and I can say you will snag a 3” to a 17” any given day. Limit out in 1 hour or 8 hours. Depends on flow rate how many are schooled up at the dam and which rock your standing on. It’s amazing how these lakes sustain but they do. Bottom line these lakes need highwater spawns so they can lay and repopulate. Very little structure in these lakes for the new hatch to hide in when it’s a low water spawn.

Interesting! Good post.