This Mississippi state lake is closed due to tornado damage. When will it reopen?

Tornadoes that swept through Mississippi in late March devastated towns such as Rolling Fork and Silver City.

One also caused extensive damage at Lake Monroe and forced its closure.

So, when will it reopen?

"I went up there a couple of weeks ago and it was something to see," said Jerry Brown, director of Fisheries at the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. "It was the same tornado that hit Amory.

"It went directly over the lake. There was damage to our office building and the campground bath house and our equipment buildings."

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Piers and boat ramp are blocked by debris

While the buildings were left unusable, the piers and boat ramp were unharmed. However, trees are blocking access.

"We've got a lot of trees down," Brown said. "Pine trees were broken off and debris is all over the grounds.

"We'll start the debris cleanup this week, then we'll turn our focus to the repair of the buildings."

The 99-acre lake is known for quality fishing. It has produced a 10-pound, 13-ounce bass, a 1.8-pound redear and a 1.4-pound bluegill. Because of the amount of cleanup ahead and damaged restroom facilities, Brown said it will take time to get the lake open to fishing again.

"I would think it would be a couple of months before we could entertain opening it to fishing," Brown said.

In the mean time, Brown said there are good alternatives for fishing in the area.

"You've got Trace State Park, Tombigbee State Park and you've got Lake Lamar Bruce in Saltillo just outside Tupelo," Brown said.

Lake Monroe at a glance

• Size: 99 acres

• Location: Aberdeen

• Camping: 14 camping pads with electrical and water hookups. Dump station onsite.

• Manager: Charles Mullins

• Contact: 662-256-9637

• More information: www.mdwfp.com

Have a story idea? Contact Brian Broom at bbroom@gannett.com or 601-961-7225.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: When will tornado-damaged Lake Monroe reopen?