Long Lake Fishing Guides
A Delta oxbow lake behind the levee near Friars Point, fished hard for crappie and bass in the cypress and willow on the Mississippi River floodplain.
Guides on the Long Lake
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About the Long Lake
Long Lake sits in Coahoma County on the Mississippi River floodplain near Friars Point, one of the string of oxbows left behind as the river shifted across the Delta. It lies behind the mainline levee and is connected to the river through a control structure, which is the detail that governs everything about it: when the river is high the lake takes water and comes alive with river fish, and when the river falls it settles back into a quiet, shallow, timber-lined lake. Clarksdale is a short drive south, which makes it one of the more accessible Delta oxbows.
Crappie are the fish that bring people here. Both black and white crappie stack around submerged cypress, willow tops and the brush that accumulates along the old channel, and the spring run is a serious local event. Largemouth bass hold in the same cover and come shallow early, and the shallow stained water suits them well. Channel and blue catfish work the deeper old channel and are the most reliable fish year round, with bowfin and freshwater drum common enough to be expected rather than a surprise. Flat-bottomed boats are the norm because the lake is shallow and the standing timber is unforgiving.
The gauge at the control structure reports stage only, with no discharge, temperature or storage, so the reading is a pool level rather than a full conditions panel. That is still the number that matters most here. Read it against the Mississippi River stage upstream, because the two move together through the structure: a rising river lifts the lake, pushes water into the flooded timber and spreads the fish out, while a falling river concentrates them back into the old channel and makes them much easier to find. The best fishing usually comes on a stable or slowly falling pool rather than during a sharp rise.
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Access
Friars Point - the river town at the lake, with the nearest access and the control structure.
Clarksdale - the nearest city south, with full services, lodging and tackle.
Coahoma - the small community east of the lake.
Mississippi River - the main stem the lake connects to, and the water that governs its level.
Moon Lake - the larger oxbow north, often fished on the same trip.
Jonestown - the town southeast, and the nearest services on that side.
Lula - the small town north along the levee, with river access.
Seasons
Spring: the signature season, with the crappie run on and bass shallow in the timber as the pool rises.
Summer: catfish and bream carry the fishing, worked early and late while the shallow water heats through the day.
Fall: a falling pool concentrates crappie and bass back into the old channel and the fishing sharpens.
Winter: slow and cold, with fish holding in the deepest water and mild spells producing the better days.
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Questions
What species can you catch on the Long Lake?
Anglers target Black Crappie, Blue Catfish, Bluegill, Bowfin, Channel Catfish, Freshwater Drum, Largemouth Bass, White Crappie on the Long Lake in Mississippi.
Where can you access the Long Lake?
Friars Point - the river town at the lake, with the nearest access and the control structure. Clarksdale - the nearest city south, with full services, lodging and tackle. Coahoma - the small community east of the lake. Mississippi River - the main stem the lake connects to, and the water that governs its level. Moon Lake - the larger oxbow north, often fished on the same trip. Jonestown - the town southeast, and the nearest services on that side. Lula - the small town north along the levee, with river access.
When is the best time to fish the Long Lake?
Spring: the signature season, with the crappie run on and bass shallow in the timber as the pool rises. Summer: catfish and bream carry the fishing, worked early and late while the shallow water heats through the day. Fall: a falling pool concentrates crappie and bass back into the old channel and the fishing sharpens. Winter: slow and cold, with fish holding in the deepest water and mild spells producing the better days.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Long Lake?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Mississippi agency site: https://www.mdwfp.com/fishing-boating/