Justin Embrey caught his largemouth at Turkey Creek Water Park while fishing with his dad, Eric Embrey. Photo courtesy of Eric Embrey.

For many people, water parks are places you go to enjoy thrill rides, water slides and swimming pools. But for Mississippi bass anglers, especially those in the southeastern portion of the state, a water park is a place to enjoy a day of fishing.

Sure, some of these facilities offer water slides and other attractions for visitors, but bass fishermen are usually too busy landing lunker largemouths to notice.

The Pat Harrison Waterway District offers nine of these water parks featuring scenic beauty, a variety of accommodations, and an array of outdoor recreational opportunities. Each water park is unique, with its own special appeal, and eight of the parks offer bass fishing.

Not a part of the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, the Pat Harrison Waterway District is a separate state agency responsible for managing the tributaries that make up the Pascagoula River Basin. The Pascagoula River drains the southeastern region of the Magnolia State. This is a watershed of many small, clear running streams that converge to form the 90-mile Pascagoula River, which is the largest free-flowing stream the southern states.

Scattered across southeast Mississippi like pellets from a shotgun blast, each of the eight Pat Harrison Water Park lakes has unique bass angling opportunities. Let's take a closer look at each of them, starting in the north and going south.

OKATIBBEE WATER PARK
Located just off State Route 19 to the northwest of Meridian, Okatibbee Water Park is one of the better known of these facilities. With 28 miles of shoreline, this 3,800-acre reservoir offers bass fishing year 'round.

However, with no designated water ski areas or ski times, Okatibbee bass fishermen have to be selective about the time of day and day of the week they choose to fish. Otherwise, working the backwater coves may be the only option. Fortunately, the temperatures in April are a bit on the chilly side for most competing water sports.

TURKEY CREEK WATER PARK
Located just off SR 15, five miles southwest of Decatur, Turkey Creek Water Park and its 250-acre lake attracts bass anglers from many areas. Anglers are partial to Turkey Creek's accessibility, being conveniently located just north of Interstate 20. But it is the excellent bass fishing that keeps them coming back.

According to Eric Embrey of the nearby town of Hickory, April is a great time to wet your line in Turkey Creek. He prefers to "finesse fish" the abundant structure and opts for a 6 1/2-foot rod with 8- to 10-pound line.

"I use a Shakey Head and attach a black, blue or watermelon seed plastic worm," Embrey said. "Since the water is very clear in Turkey Creek, I focus on lake structure and creek channels.

"I prefer Turkey Creek over the other Water Park lakes in the area because of the size of the lake and the size of the fish," Embrey added. "The lake is small enough that you can take your time and fish the entire lake in a single day. And while the average bass caught at Turkey Creek is in the 3-pound range, 10-plus-pound bass are possible."

DRY CREEK WATER PARK
Don't let size fool you. Although Dry Creek is the smallest of the water park lakes, this 150-acre fishery produces some trophy Florida-strain largemouth bass each spring.