Share your catch

Ross Barnett Reservoir Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Jackson’s big water: the Rez spreads 33,000 acres of cypress, grass and crappie across the Pearl River.

3/5
Fair. Fish early or late.Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.
Flow
116 cfs
Air / High
94 / 95 F
Wind
NW 5 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 02482550, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

3/5Fair. Fish early or late.Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.

Ross Barnett Reservoir stays in its summer rhythm: early magic, midday siesta, evening reprieve. The river is running 116 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings cloud cover, wind NW around 5 mph, rising pressure near 1012 hPa and a high of 95. Water sits around 84 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: plan around them and beat the heat.

The plan, species by species

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

Anchor on 20-30 ft baited holes with punch bait or cut shad. They keep biting through the heat when everything else quits.

Largemouth bassFair

Topwater at first light on points and seawalls, then slide out to 12-25 ft brush and points with a Carolina rig, deep crank or drop shot. The bite is dawn, dusk or deep.

White bassFair

Early schooling action over humps; slabs and small spinners under the birds.

CrappieSlow

Straight down on bridge pilings and deep brush at 15-25 ft. Minnows outfish jigs in hot water; move until the graph shows them stacked.

Tomorrow: Similar at 94 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Pearl River near Carthage (inflow).

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 02482550.

132163194116 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp94 F
High / Low95 / 75 F
WindNW 5-9 mph
Pressure1012.4 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain85% cloud, 16%
Sunrise / Sunset06:37 / 19:20
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~84 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Storms, 95/75 F, wind 16 mph, rain 16%

Fair or better. A 16 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Ross Barnett Reservoir: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Largemouth bass illustration

Largemouth bass

Best: spring and fall

The headline act on most American reservoirs. Relates to cover: docks, brush, grass edges and points. Topwater at first light on points and seawalls, then slide out to 12-25 ft brush and points with a Carolina rig, deep crank or drop shot. The bite is dawn, dusk or deep.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: Nov-Mar

Brush piles, bridge pilings and standing timber. The fish fry favorite. Straight down on bridge pilings and deep brush at 15-25 ft. Minnows outfish jigs in hot water; move until the graph shows them stacked.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Good year-round

The most reliable bite on most southern waters. Blues run big; channels fill the cooler. Anchor on 20-30 ft baited holes with punch bait or cut shad. They keep biting through the heat when everything else quits.

White bass illustration

White bass

Best: Mar-May run

River-run spawners and open-water schoolers. Fast limits when you find them. Early schooling action over humps; slabs and small spinners under the birds.

When to come: the Ross Barnett Reservoir calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Largemouth bass
Crappie
Catfish (blue, channel)
White bass
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 84 F (estimated, not a reading).

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~84 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Ross Barnett Reservoir today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 96 F, wind to 11 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 95 F, wind to 14 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 95 F, wind to 8 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

Mississippi requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Mississippi license. Crappie and bass limits per current MDWFP regulations.

Access

Multiple public ramps around the reservoir (Pearl River Valley Water Supply District), marinas and shoreline parks.

About this water

A 33,000-acre reservoir on the Pearl River near Jackson, Madison and Rankin counties, Mississippi.

Fishing Ross Barnett Reservoir: the full guide

Mississippi’s reservoir

Ross Barnett Reservoir impounds the Pearl River across 33,000 acres northeast of Jackson, the largest water body in Mississippi and the recreational center of the state’s capital region. It is shallow, fertile and full of cover: cypress trees, hydrilla and lily pads across the upper end, open water and channel structure below. Crappie define its reputation, with largemouth bass, white bass, bream and catfish filling out a productive warm-water fishery.

Crappie country

The Rez is a crappie factory: spring pushes fish into the shallow cypress and brush where jigs and minnows under corks produce limits, while summer and winter find them deeper on the channel edges and around bridge structure. Spider-rigging and long-lining are the local methods, and the fish run heavy in good years. Fall brings another shallow push that many anglers miss.

Bass in the grass

Largemouth relate to whatever vegetation the year provides: hydrilla edges, pad fields and cypress knees in the upper river section, with the lower lake offering points, riprap and boat docks. Frogs and flipping baits work the cover, spinnerbaits and lipless cranks the edges. The upper river above the reservoir proper fishes like a river and is worth exploring when the main lake is windy.

Jackson-area logistics

Numerous public ramps ring the lake, managed by the Pearl River Valley Water Supply District, with marinas, parks and camping along the shoreline. Summer weekends bring heavy recreational traffic to the open water: fish the upper river or early mornings. Wind on the open lower lake builds chop fast in a shallow basin.

Common questions

What is the Rez best known for?

Crappie: spring fishing in the cypress and brush is a Mississippi institution, with heavy fish in good years.

Where is the best bass cover?

The upper end, where cypress, hydrilla and pads concentrate fish. The lower lake offers docks, riprap and points.

How rough does it get?

Shallow and wide means wind builds chop quickly on the lower lake: the upper river section offers shelter.

Is fishing good at Ross Barnett Reservoir right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.

Nearby waters

Big Black River49 miOkatibbee Lake73 miLake Chicot94 miGrenada Lake98 miEnid Lake119 miWhite River121 mi
Share your catch