Ross Barnett Reservoir

A closer look at Ross Barnett Reservoir

The center of the lake is at 32.4581, -90.0053. Outflow feeds the Pearl River. It reaches roughly 60 feet at its deepest. The surface sits around 295 feet above sea level.

No agency lists a named swimming spot at Ross Barnett Reservoir. Shoreline access here is likely informal. County parks and private resorts sometimes provide access that federal datasets never record.

Check the operating agency for advisories before any water contact, especially for blue-green algae in late summer. Swimming season in Mississippi runs through the warm months, and day-use areas set their own opening dates. Water temperature is not measured at this lake by any public agency we read.

Station 02485600, ROSS BARNETT RESERVOIR NR JACKSON, MS, publishes the water surface elevation used here. The last value stored here, 297.16 ft, is from 2026-09-09. Over the record shown on the level page the gauge has moved between 296.00 ft and 298.19 ft (low on 2025-11-29, high on 2026-06-21). When the pool drops, shoreline beaches grow and shallow ramps can run out of concrete.

If Ross Barnett Reservoir is busy, the nearest alternatives here are Okatibbee Lake (Mississippi, 72 mi), Wolf Lake (Mississippi, 87 mi) and Grenada Lake (Mississippi, 95 mi). In all, 11 lakes in Mississippi are covered here.