Trip Information — Simpson County Lake

How to get there: 76-acre Simpson County Lake is located, between Magee and Mendenhall about 40 miles south of Jackson on U.S. Highway 49. Simpson County Lake is open year round and provides great boating, fishing and also supports a small, well-maintained campground. The street address is 137 Legion Lake Rd, Mendenhall, MS 39114. GPS – N31 54.796 W89 47.481

Best fishing tactics: Simpson County Lake is stocked with largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, redear, and channel catfish. According to Lake Manager John Lee, Simpson County Lake is best known in the fall for its crappie fishing. The lake has three populations of crappie, white, black, and the Magnolia crappie, as well as hefty-sized largemouth bass, which are most prevalent in the spring.

Crappie: The lake has man-made fish attractors in close proximity to the public fishing pier as well as on the deeper end of the lake near the earthen dam. Anglers using live shiner minnows or trolling crankbaits catch the majority of crappie in the fall on and around those attractors. The limit on crappie is 30 per day per person.

New fish attractor coordinates:

N 31.916785 W 89.791770

N 31.916099 W 89.792330

N 31.914229 W 89.794108

N 31.914486 W 89.789613

N 31.914242 W 89.789604

N 31.914266 W 89.789305

N 31.914308 W 89.789105

Bass: The lake record at Simpson County is a 13½-pound largemouth bass. Lake manager John Lee stated that bass fishing is slow in the fall, with anglers catching smaller bass mixed in with the crappie around man-made structure. In the spring, local anglers catch large live shiners from the lake and use them for bait to catch pre-spawn bass in the shallows.

Bream: Lee also reports the fall bream bite was typically slower than the spring at Simpson County. Use red worms and night crawlers fished on the bottom to target redears and use crickets to catch bluegill around the man-made structure or off the deeper end of long points. Either of the two wooden piers located on the lake are also good places to catch bream. The limit on bream is 100 per day per person.

Channel catfish: The average catfish ranges between 4 and 8 pounds. Cut bait, chicken livers or dip baits fished on the drop where a long point reaches out to deep water are all good bets. There is a 10 fish per day limit on catfish.

Launching: An onsite boat ramp is available at Simpson County with no restrictions on the size boat or motor launched on the lake. Boats must stay below idle speed except during water ski periods. The daily ramp fee is $7 per boat.

Accommodations: Simpson County Lake offers 11 campsite pads with RV hookups providing power, water, and picnic tables at each site. Camping permits are $18 per day and a 30-day camping permit is $360. Magee has several motels.

More Information: Simpson County Lake, 137 Legion Lake Rd, Mendenhall, MS 39114. Phone: (601) 849-4886 Lake manager John Lee.

Maps: Lake and Campsite Maps, online at www.mdwfp.com/fishing-boating/state-fishing-lakes/central-region/simpson-county-lake.aspx