Collinsville Beach
Collinsville, Mississippi · on Okatibbee Lake · Okatibbee Recreation Area
Verified · 4 independent sources
- WATER
- reservoir
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- $4/vehicle
- SEASON
- Best in summer
About Collinsville Beach
Collinsville Beach is one of three official U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-designated swimming areas on Okatibbee Lake, an 11,000-acre reservoir behind Okatibbee Dam near Collinsville, Mississippi, about 8 miles north of Meridian. It is a developed, fee-based beach with buoy-marked swim zones rather than a backcountry or informal swimming hole.
The beach sits on the shore of Okatibbee Lake, a Corps of Engineers flood-control reservoir on Okatibbee Creek with roughly 28 miles of shoreline, within the larger Collinsville recreation area that also includes a campground, fishing dock, picnic areas, and group shelters.
Swimming at Collinsville Beach
Swimming is confined to a roped/buoy-marked designated zone with a sandy beach entry; one recent visitor describes the water as clear and calm and the marked zone as easy to navigate, making it well suited to families with young children. Outside the marked swim lines the Corps has noted the lake bottom is uneven with hidden hazards and proximity to boat traffic, which is why the swim zone is fixed and can be closed independently of the rest of the park.
How to get to this swimming hole
Located at 8604 Okatibbee Dam Rd, Collinsville, MS 39325, within the Okatibbee Lake recreation area about 8 miles north of Meridian on Mississippi Highway 19.
The walk in
No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. Developed drive-up USACE beach; the parking area adjoins the sandy swim zone directly, no trail or hike is involved. Multipurpose trails exist elsewhere in the Collinsville recreation area but are not required to reach the swim beach.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
Sandy, buoy/rope-marked swim zone is described by one recent visitor as clear, calm, and easy for young kids to navigate. However, no lifeguard presence was confirmed at this or any Okatibbee Lake beach, the Corps has noted an uneven lake bottom with hidden hazards just outside the marked lines, boat traffic operates nearby, and a 2019 local-news piece flagged occasional alligator sightings in the area, so supervision is warranted.
Parking
Paid, $4/vehicle (reported by a third-party travel blog; not confirmed against a current official USACE fee schedule)
A per-vehicle beach entrance fee (with an additional $3 for boat launching) has been reported historically; exact current signage/rates were not found on an official source.
Water clarity
Mostly clear
Only one first-hand account was located, a visitor describing the water as 'clear, calm water that is genuinely inviting.' No additional visitor reports specifically about Collinsville Beach/Okatibbee Lake water clarity could be found, so this rating rests on a single account rather than multiple corroborating visitor reports.
On the water
Restrictions: The Collinsville swim area itself is a fixed buoy/rope-marked zone kept separate from boat traffic; the Corps has cited an uneven, hazardous lake bottom and proximity to boats as reasons the swim lines are not moved. Elsewhere on the lake, general boating and water-skiing are confirmed activities (four boat ramps lake-wide per USACE facility data), but no official source enumerating rules for kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, or jet skis specifically was found, so those are left unconfirmed rather than assumed.
A tourism listing (visitmeridian.com) describes a 'full-service marina with boat rentals' at Okatibbee Lake, implying motorized boat use is standard lake-wide, but does not itemize permitted craft types.
Rentals nearby
Cove's Nest Marina
Described by a Meridian-area tourism listing as part of Okatibbee Lake's 'full-service marina with boat rentals; fuel is also available.' Recreation.gov/RIDB facility data places a marina named 'Cove's Nest Marina' about 2.2 miles from Collinsville Beach on the same lake, but this pass could not independently confirm the marina's rental fleet (motorboat/pontoon vs. kayak/canoe/paddleboard), so exact offerings are unconfirmed.
On Okatibbee Lake, approximately 2.2 mi from Collinsville Beach (per Recreation.gov/RIDB facility listing)
What regulars say
The only informal first-hand account found comes from a visitor traveling with children, who described the water as clear and calm and the marked swim zone as easy for families with young kids to navigate, and noted the Corps-managed grounds as generally clean and well-kept; treat this as a single visitor's impression rather than a broad consensus.
Backstory
Okatibbee Dam was completed in 1968 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for flood control on Okatibbee Creek (part of the Pascagoula River Basin); the lake celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2019 and draws an estimated 750,000 to 1 million visitors annually.
Collinsville Beach: FAQ
Does Collinsville Beach charge a fee?
A per-vehicle entrance fee (reported by visitors as $4/vehicle, with an additional $3 for boat launching) has historically applied for beach access; exact current rates were not confirmed on an official fee schedule.
Is Collinsville Beach kid friendly?
Sandy, buoy/rope-marked swim zone is described by one recent visitor as clear, calm, and easy for young kids to navigate. However, no lifeguard presence was confirmed at this or any Okatibbee Lake beach, the Corps has noted an uneven lake bottom with hidden hazards just outside the marked lines, boat traffic operates nearby, and a 2019 local-news piece flagged occasional alligator sightings in the area, so supervision is warranted.
Do I need to hike to reach Collinsville Beach?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Collinsville Beach?
A per-vehicle beach entrance fee (with an additional $3 for boat launching) has been reported historically; exact current signage/rates were not found on an official source.
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Collinsville Beach?
A tourism listing (visitmeridian.com) describes a 'full-service marina with boat rentals' at Okatibbee Lake, implying motorized boat use is standard lake-wide, but does not itemize permitted craft types.
When is the best time to visit Collinsville Beach?
Summer; described as a frequent multiple-times-a-week destination for local teens during summer break.
What are the rules at Collinsville Beach?
Glass containers, alcohol, and pets are prohibited in the beach areas. Swimming is restricted to the buoy/rope-marked designated swim zone; the Corps has closed the beach when low lake levels make the marked zone unsafe to maintain.
What water body is Collinsville Beach on?
Collinsville Beach is on Okatibbee Lake, a natural reservoir verified in USGS hydrography data.
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