Discover the Newest Lake in All of Mississippi

Mississippi is full of interesting things, from the Mississippi River to miles and miles of fluffy cotton fields. One unique attraction to the state is its newest lake, which opened in 2007. Lakes are some of the most popular tourist attractions in every state. People love flocking to lakes to go fishing, do watersports, or simply spend the day on the water.

Every state has at least a few lakes, but some have more than others. Mississippi ranks 36th in the nation for lakes, with 119 lakes. That may not sound like a lot, but the lakes that Mississippi does have are unique and beautiful. Today, we’ll be focused on its newest, Okhissa Lake.

When Did Okhissa Lake Open?

Okhissa Lake first opened in 2007 after eight years of planning and building. It features over 34 miles of shoreline and depths that reach up to 80 feet, making it the state’s deepest lake. The lake is inside the Homochitto National Forest and has multiple swimming beaches, picnic areas, and a few trails. 

Okhissa Lake is one of Bill Dance’s Signature. Bill Dance is a famous fisherman and TV host who created the Bill Dance Signature Lakes to provide anglers with great fishing. Okhissa Lake was actually the first of Bill Dance’s signature lakes, which has now expanded to a collection of over 10. He was a part of the original planning of the lake and designing the fish habitat. Because Bill Dance helped create the lake, anglers started flocking to it instantly. 

With such high traffic and so many anglers excited to fish Bill Dance’s first Signature Lake, there were some unavoidable issues. Exposure to non-native weeds quickly led to an unbalanced ecosystem and the decline of fish populations. The lake’s management team sprung into action and closed the lake for maintenance 14 years after it first opened. 

The Newest Lake to Re-Open

Not only is Okhissa Lake the newest lake to open in Mississippi, but it’s also the newest lake to re-open. The lake was closed from November 2021 until March 2023 to improve the habitat for the fishery. There were a few issues that had come up over the past few years since the lake’s first opening. 

For one, there was a major problem with an overgrowth of the non-native giant salvinia weed. It spreads by attaching to boats, birds, and other animals traveling to different lakes. Once the weed attaches to it, the watercraft or animal spreads the nodes to the next lake it enters, and it only takes a small amount to invade a whole area relatively quickly. Giant salvinia can cover a quarter-acre pond in as little as six weeks. Okhissa Lake was exposed to this invasive weed and it made the lake’s ecosystem unbalanced. It took over native plant habitats and caused the fish quality to decline. 

When Okhissa Lake was built, the ground was fertilized and agricultural lime was spread to increase the alkalinity. Unfortunately, since the opening of the lake, the effectiveness of the fertilizer and agricultural lime began dissipating. After a while the lack of alkalinity and nutrients caused the fish population to become unhealthy and decline in number. 

Improving the Lake

After the Forest Service noticed the issues going on, they implemented a drawdown, which is a process of reducing the water level in the lake. The reduction of water helped healthy vegetation to establish an ecosystem at the bottom of the lake. It also improved the fish populations as the nutrients in the water increased in number.

After improving the health of the fish population and removing as much as they could of the invasive giant salvinia, the Forest Service also extended the boat ramp. This makes it so that anglers can still use the boat ramp after a drawdown is put in place. They also stocked the lake with additional panfish and catfish and introduced a new bait fish — gizzard shad. 

Where Is Okhissa Lake?

Okhissa Lake is located inside the Homochitto National Forest, just off Highway 98 in Meadville. You can take Bude Tower Road off the main highway, which will lead to the boat ramp, fishing pier, 3 gravel parking areas, and recreational areas. 

How Can You Explore the Lake?

You can get to the lake by taking Bude Tower Road and paying for entry. It’s $5 per vehicle, or $1 per person for school buses, bikes, and walkers. Once you’re in the area, you’ll have access to restrooms, the boat ramp, and areas for picnicking. 

The entire lake is available for boating or fishing, but there are a few areas designated for specific activities. The ski area is the northernmost portion of the lake, just south of the north boat ramp and the town of Bude. Aside from this portion, most of the rest of the lake is a no-wake, “idle only” zone. Keeping it “idle only” helps to protect the fish and their habitat. 

You can ski, wakeboard, and do traditional boating activities in the northernmost part of the lake. You’ll know the area because it is separated from the fishing portion of the lake by buoys. 

Fishing Okhissa Lake

When it comes to fishing, Okhissa Lake is definitely where it’s at. The lake is pretty much made for fishing, from the 500 man-made beds at the bottom to the fishing-only area that makes up over 80% of the water. It’s regularly stocked with bluegill, crappie, catfish, largemouth bass, fathead minnows, and bream.

There are a few things to keep in mind while fishing at Okhissa Lake. The most important thing to be aware of is the fish slot limits. There is an 18 to 22-inch limit on bass, with the allowance for one over 22 inches. This means that any bass between 18 and 22 inches will need to be released immediately. Any smaller bass can be kept and one larger bass can be kept as well. There is also a limit on crappie, which must be over 10 inches. Any crappie that are 10 inches or less should be returned to the water immediately. 

Besides size limits, there are also limits to how many of each type of fish that you can keep. Anglers have a daily limit of 10 bass, 50 bream, 10 crappie, and 5 catfish. 

Keep in mind that you will have to pay a $5 per day use fee to use the lake, including for fishing. You will also need a valid Mississippi fishing license and boater’s license. 

Wildlife Around The Lake

Okhissa Lake is inside the Homochitto National Forest, a huge, 191,839-acre area that spans the following counties: Franklin, Amite, Wilkinson, Adams, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Copiah. The forest was the first national forest to be constructed in the state. Naturally, the national forest is full of many different animals and plants that call the area home. There are plenty of hunting opportunities for deer, turkey, and small game. 

The wildlife in the lake includes fish species like bass, crappie, and catfish along with alligators and some waterfowl. 

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/Norm Lane