http://www.MS-Sportsman.com April 2015 | Mississippi Sportsman 61
Slab state
Barnett Reservoir
At 33,000 acres, Barnett Reservoir is another sizeable lake,
but is easily manageable to fish once you get your bearings
around the place.
Located about 10 miles north of Jackson, The Rez is easy to
find from the Natchez Trace, Mississippi Highway 43 from
Canton, or Mississippi Highway 471 off State Highway 25
from Flowood.
Sporting goods and tackle shops surround The Rez, and
Flowood, Ridgeland and Madison have ample hotels and res-
taurants to suit your needs with no security issues noted.
Being a top recreation choice for the Metro Jackson area, the
lake can be very busy on weekends, and despite having over
20 boat ramps available, the most popular ones can be hectic.
Expect plenty of pontoon boats, jet skis, and powerboats in
the area.
Fish during the week if you can, especially during the March/
April spawn.
Unlike Sardis and Grenada, cover plays a huge part in find-
ing crappie. The lake is full of it, from shallow stump flats and
vegetation for spawning and standing timber and old sloughs
and lakebeds. During the prespawn, hot crappie areas include
the Pelahatchie Creek channel in Pelahatchie Bay, and the
many sloughs along the old river bottom covered by the lake
and the smaller pools, ponds, or lakes you can access off themain lake body.
“Look for visible structure that you can easily spot like the
standing tree trunks and stumps in the area known as the
Oil Well Woods Field just south of Tommy’s Trading Post on
Highway 43, which has a dock and ramp situated right on the
lake,” says Mark Cockrell of Brandon. “Ease into these struc-
ture areas watching depths and engine prop levels. You can hit
stuff in these areas with the boat and prop, so go easy.Mississippi’s crappie lakes includes seven of
the country’s Top 20, all offer a variety of cover
and structure that fish need.