We study the feasibility of a sterile neutrino search at the China Advanced Research Reactor by measuring $bar { u}_e$ survival probability with a baseline of less than 15 m. Both hydrogen and deuteron have been considered as potential targets. The sensitivity to sterile-to-regular neutrino mixing is investigated under the 3(active)+1(sterile) framework. We find that the mixing parameter $sin^2(2theta_{14})$ can be severely constrained by such measurement if the mass square difference $Delta m_{14}^2$ is of the order of $sim$1 eV$^2$.