Best Times & Seasons to Fish in Mississippi (Full Guide)

Mississippi has some of the best fishing on the Gulf Coast. Understanding the best times to fish in these rich waters of this state can make a huge difference in your fishing success.

The best time to fish in Mississippi is from March through October for bass, cobia, grouper, speckled trout, tuna, and tarpon. Summer is the slowest fishing season for local redfish.

Fish Species	Best Times to Fish in Mississippi
Redfish	January-June & September-November are the best times.
Cobia	March-July & September-October are the best times.
Black Drum	January-March & September-November are the best times.
Speckled Trout	January-June & October-December are the best times.
Blacktip Sharks	May through August is the best shark season.
Spanish Mackerel	July through September is the best fishing season.
Largemouth Bass	Spring & Fall are the prime bass fishing seasons.
Crappie	Spring is the best season for the Mississippi crappie.
Catfish	Late March through early June is the best fishing season.
Jack Crevalle	May through September is the best fishing season.

There are many other incredible freshwater fisheries on the territory of the state. Mississippi is the place where anglers can experience inshore fishing, offshore fishing, lake fishing, and river fishing. Anglers can also enjoy fishing in the ocean, on the Mississippi River, and on numerous lakes.

Best Time to Fish in Mississippi

Mississippi is a region with very productive fishing grounds. It is home to a number of fish species. Here, anglers can target saltwater and freshwater species. So, anglers can enjoy fishing in the state at any time of the year.

The best time of year to fish Mississippi depends on the fish you want to target. The vast majority of species are active between March and September.

Anglers need to create a list of their favorite fish species before they prepare for any fishing trip in Mississippi. Go fishing when your target fish species are the most active and fishing is the most productive. 

Spring is a great time of the year to target such fish species as amberjack, black drum, bonito, cobia, jack crevalle, king mackerel, redfish, speckled trout, and walleye.

Such fish species as bass, bonito, cobia, catfish, grouper, jack crevalle, flounder, mahi-mahi, redfish, sharks, Spanish mackerel, speckled trout, tarpon, tripletail, yellowfin tuna, and wahoo are active during the summer months. 

Black drum, catfish, flounder, grouper, redfish, snapper, king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, speckled trout, and tripletail bite well in the fall.    

Recommended Fishing Charters in Mississippi

These Mississippi-based charters have earned great reviews from anglers and will offer you a tremendous service. The captains are knowledgeable, friendly, and are sure to put you on fish. By clicking the links below, you will be taken to the charter’s respective profile on Fishing Booker where you can read reviews, learn more about the charter, view photos, and book online at the best rate.

Recommended Fishing Charters	Location
Big Fish Charters	Biloxi, MS
Sting Raye Fishing Charters	Biloxi, MS
Double Hooker Charters	Biloxi, MS
Fishing Frenzy Charters	Gulfport, MS
Impulsive Charters	Gulfport, MS
Island Time Charters	Biloxi, MS
Skipper Fishing Charters	Biloxi, MS
Fish-On Charters	Biloxi, MS
Shearwater Fishing Charters	Biloxi, MS
Barlow’s Charters & Guide Services	Biloxi, MS
Dailey Fishing Charters	Long Beach, MS
Fishing Frenzy Charters – Pescadox	Gulfport, MS
Fish Assassin Saltwater Charters	Gulfport, MS

Mississippi Species Breakdown: Best Times & Seasons

Black drum

Fishing for black drum in Mississippi is best between January and March and between September and November. Gulfport is the right place to fish for black drum.

Blacktip shark

The season to fish for blacktip sharks starts in the late spring and ends in the early fall. Blacktip sharks are the most active in Mississippi during the summer months. Blacktip shark bites well at dawn and at dusk. Blacktip sharks can be found near Long Beach.

Catfish

Fishing for catfish is the most productive between late March and early May. Oftentimes, anglers catch trophy-sized fish during these months. Catfish are active at night.

Anglers choose to start fishing for catfish one hour before sunset and finish fishing two hours after sunrise. Go fishing in Ross Barnett Reservoir if you want to catch catfish during your Mississippi angling adventures.        

Cobia

Cobia fishing season in Mississippi is good between March and July and between September and October. Fishing for cobia is the most productive in the region in May, June, and October. Long Beach is a good place to go fishing for cobia in the region.

Crappie

The best time of year to fish for crappie is spring. Grenada Lake is the perfect place to target crappie in the region. Here, fishermen often catch trophy fish.      

Jack Crevalle

The best season to fish for jack crevalle starts in the early spring and ends in the early winter. The best months to target jack crevalle are May – September. Biloxi is one of the best places to fish for jack crevalle in Mississippi.   

Redfish

Fishing for redfish in Mississippi is good year-round. However, the fishing season is high between January and June and between September and November. Early morning is the best time of day to fish for redfish. Pass Christian is the best place to target redfish in the region.

Spanish mackerel

Mississippi Spanish mackerel fishing is the most productive between April and November. The best months to target Spanish mackerel in the region are July – September. Gulfport is an ideal place to target Spanish mackerel in the region. 

Speckled trout

Speckled trout fishing in Mississippi is best between January and June and between October and December. Speckled trout bites well in the late evening. Go to Pass Christian to fish for speckled trout. 

Tripletail

The season to catch tripletail in Mississippi starts in the early summer and finishes in the early winter. Fishing is the most productive between July and November. Pass Christian is one of the best fishing destinations in Mississippi.    

I recommend this Penn Pursuit Spinning Rod & Reel combo (available on Amazon) for inshore and nearshore fishing. It can handle everything from redfish to snapper and king mackerel. The Penn Battalion Series Spinning Rod and the Penn Battle Spinning Reel are fantastic if you want to create your combo.

Mississippi Regions: Best Fishing Times

Biloxi

Fishing in Biloxi is the most productive between June and October. 

Gulfport

A fishing season in Gulfport begins in April and ends in November. The best time of the year to fish Gulfport is between June and September. 

Long Beach

Long Beach fishing season starts in May and finishes in October. 

Bay St Louis

Fishing in Bay St Louis is good during the spring, summer, and fall months. The best time of the year to fish in the region is summer. 

Best Time of Day to Fish in Mississippi

Choosing the right time of the day to go fishing in Mississippi is the key to success in fishing. The vast majority of anglers in Mississippi prefer to go fishing either early in the morning or in the evening. 

However, the best time of day to fish in Mississippi depends on many factors. A fishing trip in Mississippi always requires meticulous planning. 

Anglers need to decide where they want to fish in the region, what types of fish they want to target during their trips, and in what season of the year they are planning to fish in Mississippi.    

Mississippi Fishing & Tidal Impacts

Mississippi fishing depends a lot on tides. That’s why it’s so important for anglers to study tide times carefully when planning fishing adventures. Anglers should find out when tides are low and when tides are high in the region. 

It would be better to fish Mississippi during an incoming tide. During an incoming tide, oxygen-rich waters are brought to the area, and the activity of fish increases.

As a result, fish begin to search for food actively. So, anglers find it easy to catch fish and demonstrate excellent results during the rising tides.     

Is Winter Fishing Bad in Mississippi?

Winter fishing in Mississippi is less productive compared to fishing during spring, summer, and fall months. It’s getting colder and that’s why many fish species are inactive. Nevertheless, fishing is not bad and anglers can target some fish species during the winter months. 

In winter, fishermen can target seasonal species and species which are active all year-round. Winter is a great time to catch such fish species as black drum, bluefish, redfish, pike, redfish, sheepshead, and speckled trout.

Top Fishing Spots in Mississippi

Mississippi Gulf Coast

Mississippi Gulf Coast attracts a lot of anglers. Both beginners and professionals can experience fishing in this area. It’s the perfect place to try deep-sea fishing.

Also, it’s possible to do inshore fishing and pier fishing in the region. Here, there’s plenty of fish for everyone. Anglers can catch drum, flounder, redfish, sheepshead, speckled trout, tripletail, and other species.

Ross Barnett Reservoir

Ross Barnett Reservoir is another popular fishing spot where anglers can try different fishing techniques and test their skills. Here, the top catches include bass, crappie, bream, and catfish. 

Calling Panther Lake

Calling Panther Lake is located near Jackson. This lake has gained huge popularity among the anglers, who are interested in targeting bass.

The lake’s waters are full of largemouth bass. Besides bass, anglers can target such fish species as bream, catfish, and crappie. 

Lake Washington

Lake Washington is the perfect place to enjoy fishing and have family weekend getaways. If you would like to target crappie during your fishing adventures in Mississippi, then you should visit Lake Washington. It’s one of the best crappie fishing spots in the region. Besides crappie, you can target such fish species as bass, bream, and catfish. 

Enid Lake

Enid Lake is the ideal spot for those anglers, who want to try such fishing techniques as fly fishing and spinning.

The lake offers great opportunities to anglers, who are interested in crappie fishing. Here, the chances to catch a trophy-sized fish are always high. Enid Lake is also home to such fish species as bass, bream, and catfish. 

Booking Guides & Charters in Mississippi

– Best season to go 

A fishing season in Mississippi starts in the early spring and ends in the late fall. However, the weather is hot in summer and cold in winter.

It’s also important to note that flooding often happens during the spring months. Nevertheless, it makes sense to visit the area during the fall months.

It’s a period of time when the weather is comfortable and the demand for fishing is not high. Also, fishing is good in the fall. So, fall is the best season to go fishing in the region.         

– Morning vs. afternoon 

Fishermen choose to fish Mississippi either in the morning or in the afternoon. Your choice depends on the fish species that you are targeting, the season of the year, and your preferences.  

Morning fishing is good during the hot summer months. The surface of the water is getting colder during the nighttime and fish begin to feed actively. It’s also important to note that many fish species prefer to feed during low light conditions.

That’s why anglers can get effective results if they choose to fish in the morning. It’s comfortable to fish in the early morning because anglers can avoid the summer heat. 

However, fishing in the morning has its own drawbacks. It’s necessary to wake up early if you want to go fishing during the morning hours. Also, fish don’t always bite well in spring, fall, and winter.

It’s a good idea to go fishing in the afternoon during the cold months. The water heats up in the afternoon and the activity of fish increases. Also, you don’t have to be an early riser in order to experience fishing during the afternoon hours.

However, days are short during the cold months. That means that your time on fishing will be limited if you plan your Mississippi angling adventures for the afternoon.       

– 1/2 day, full-day, multi-day charters 

Half-day trips last 4 – 8 hours only. Half-day fishing trips are a good choice for those anglers, who are interested in inshore fishing.

Half-day trips don’t require too much time. It’s a great idea to book a 1/2 day trip for beginners, who are taking the first steps in mastering the art of fishing. Such trips allow anglers to develop basic fishing skills. Anglers, who don’t have too much time for fishing, can consider booking 1/2 trips as well.

It also makes sense to book a 1/2 day trip if you are going to fish with families and kids. But most importantly, 1/2 day trips are the cheapest option. So, it’s suitable for anglers on a budget. However, anglers have a lower chance to catch a trophy fish during 1/2 day trips. 

Deep-sea fishing trips require more time. It takes some time to get to offshore fishing spots. That’s why anglers, who are planning deep sea fishing adventures in Mississippi, need to consider booking a full-day trip.

Full-day fishing charters are a good option for experienced anglers, who want to catch trophy fish during their trips. However, full-day fishing trips are more expensive than 1/2-day ones.  

If you are an avid angler, then you should consider booking multi-day charters. Such trips last several days and increase anglers’ chance to catch trophy fish.

It’s also important to note that anglers are provided with meals and drinks. On the other hand, multi-day fishing trips are the most expensive option. That means that such trips are not suitable for anglers on a budget.         

For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Biloxi, please check out this helpful guide. For a complete breakdown of the best times to fish in Louisiana, please check out this helpful guide.