A gravel road curving into a high mountain valley at first light, the peaks catching the sun.

Forest Service campground

Choctaw Lake

Forest Service campground in National Forests in Mississippi, Choctaw County, Mississippi. 526 feet. 3.1 miles from Ackerman.

Managed by
Forest Service National Forests in Mississippi
Elevation
526 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
21 21 standard electric
Longest rig
55 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
Electric, Water
Reservations
Recreation.gov

Overview

Scenic Choctaw Lake Campground wraps around Choctaw Lake in the Tombigbee National Forest of Mississippi. It's location provides visitors with ample opportunities for recreation, including fishing, boating, hiking and biking. A day-use area is popular for picnicking and has a swimming beach.

Recreation

Choctaw Lake Recreation Area offers a range of outdoor opportunities, including camping, picnicking, hiking and biking. The lake offers boating, swimming and fishing. Anglers can look forward to a catch of largemouth bass, bream, catfish and crappie.

An accessible walking trail around the lake is available for a leisurely stroll, as well as a moderate skill level, 3-mile trail, that takes off from the campground. A variety of birds and wildlife may be seen along these paths.

Facilities

The campground offers nearly two dozen campsites, some of which are accessible. Additional sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Each site is equipped with both water and electric hookups, a picnic table and a campfire ring with grill. Sites do not have sewage hook ups; however, there is a dump station located adjacent to the entrance.

Individual and group picnic shelter sites are also available within the day-use area and swimming beach. Accessible flush toilets, showers drinking water are provided. A campground host is on-site.

Natural Features

The campground is situated between smaller Cabin Lake and larger, 100-acre Choctaw Lake. It is near the Natchez Trace Parkway, Noxubee Wildlife Refuge and French Camp, all popular destinations in the area.

Nearby Attractions

The campground is located 5 miles south of the town of Ackerman, 11 miles northwest of Louisville and 20 miles southwest of Starkville.

The Noxubee Hills hiking and biking trailhead is located at the Choctaw Lake Recreation area as well. The 26-mile trail has vault toilets at each end and is rated moderate-to-experienced, for biking and hiking.

The Choctaw Lake recreation area is also within 20 miles of Mississippi State University. Athletic, cultural and scholastic events abound there.

The description, directions and fees are the Forest Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • biking
  • boating
  • camping
  • fishing
  • hiking
  • swimming site
  • wildlife viewing

The land around Choctaw Lake

The ringed pin is this campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Interactive map. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select any point to see which agency manages the land. Arrow keys pan and the plus and minus keys zoom when the map has focus. A list of every state with its share of federal land is on the Explore page.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated May 22, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.