Mississippi fishing reports
184 reports for Mississippi — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Red snapper season closes as redfish action heats up in MS Sound
Mississippi's recreational red snapper season closed in state waters at 11:59 p.m. on September 27, per an MS DMR order that keeps it shut for the remainder of 2026 — anglers can no longer land or possess red snapper in Mississippi waters. Water temperatures in the Sound are easing from summer peaks, reading 86.7°F at the eastern NOAA CO-OPS station (8747437) and 83.8°F at the western station (8741533) as of this morning. With snapper off the table, attention shifts closer to shore. Salt Strong's inshore team reports redfish stacking up on dark-colored soft plastics this fall, singling out a near-black lure profile that drew repeated strikes when lighter colors came up empty, a pattern worth testing around the Sound's structure and grass lines.
Pearl and Mississippi River systems turn the corner into fall
The Mississippi and Pearl River systems are making their seasonal turn this week, with cooling water nudging baitfish schools out of open water and into tighter cover near the bank. That shift is the signal freshwater anglers in this region wait for all summer — fish start feeding harder and holding closer to structure as surface temperatures slide through the 70s into the 60s over October. Early fall on these rivers typically means a window where current breaks, laydowns, and creek-mouth confluences outproduce open-water structure that carried the bite through August and September.
Redfish hold steady in Mississippi Sound as oyster season nears
Mississippi Sound is holding onto summer heat as September closes out, with NOAA CO-OPS stations reading 87.3°F at one station and 84.2°F at the other this morning, warm enough to keep the Sound in a late-summer pattern rather than a fall one. Coastal Angler Magazine flagged a win for Fish Face Charters on redfish, landed between passing showers and afternoon heat, a sign reds are still working structure in the Sound despite the high water temps. The bigger local marker this week is a calendar one: Mississippi DMR has ordered the 2026-2027 oyster season open at legal sunrise Thursday, October 1, with morning-only harvest hours and Sunday closures, meaning more boat traffic converging on Sound reefs starting this week.
Full moon marks early fall shift on Mississippi's rivers
The full moon overhead this week lines up with the early stage of Mississippi's fall transition, the point in the season when river and backwater fish start responding to shorter days and cooling surface water rather than the summer heat pattern. On the Mississippi and Pearl River corridors, that shift typically shows up first as baitfish schools tightening into eddies, current seams, and slack water along the main channel, with predator activity following close behind as the pattern sets in.
Mississippi Sound holds summer warmth ahead of oyster season opener
Water in the Mississippi Sound is still running summer-warm heading into the final days of September, with NOAA CO-OPS stations 8747437 and 8741533 reading 85.3°F and 84.7°F respectively as of this morning. The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources has set the 2026-2027 oyster season to open at legal sunrise on Thursday, October 1, with harvest running daily except Sundays and a noon check-out, across the approved Area I "B" (St. Joe reefs) and Area II "B" (Waveland and St. Stanislaus reefs). Tonight's full moon is adding extra tidal push through the Sound's passes as that opener approaches.
Mississippi Sound holds summer warmth as oyster season nears
Water in Mississippi Sound is still running in summer territory, with NOAA CO-OPS readings of 84.9°F and 82.2°F taken this afternoon at the Sound's two monitored stations. That's warm for the final week of September, and it comes as MS DMR announces the 2026–2027 Mississippi oyster season opens at legal sunrise on Thursday, October 1, running to a noon check-out and closed Sundays across the approved and conditionally approved reef areas. Tonight's full moon strengthens the tidal push through the Sound, the kind of current anglers rely on to concentrate bait around passes and reef edges as the water begins its slow turn toward fall.
MS Sound holds summer warmth as oyster season nears
Water in Mississippi Sound is still running summer-warm heading into the last days of September, with NOAA CO-OPS station 8747437 reading 84°F and station 8741533 at 85.8°F Saturday evening. The bigger story locally is regulatory rather than a bite report: MS DMR confirmed the 2026-27 oyster season opens at legal sunrise October 1, running until check-out at noon with Sundays closed, covering the approved and conditionally approved reefs including St. Joe, Waveland and St. Stanislaus. That opener typically pulls more boat traffic into the same nearshore flats and passes anglers work, so expect company on the water in early October. Tonight's full moon adds extra tidal push through the Sound's passes and marsh drains, which is worth building a trip around even without a specific bite report to point to yet this week.
Redfish and trout stir as Mississippi Sound eases into fall
Mississippi Sound is holding onto summer warmth this week, with our two coastal CO-OPS stations reading 82°F and 85.6°F even as the calendar pushes into the fall transition. That gap between the water and the calendar is the story: Sport Fishing Mag's fall-transition coverage notes Gulf snook feeling the shorter days and beginning to work toward their winter holding areas, with swimbaits like the Z-Man Mulletron and Diezel MinnowZ drawing strikes from aggressive fish on the move. Salt Strong is making the same seasonal call from the lure box, sizing up to bigger paddletails for redfish, trout, and snook as water cools and bait becomes more visible. Locally, Mississippi DMR has the 2026-2027 oyster season opening October 1 at legal sunrise, which means more boat traffic working the reefs starting next week, worth planning around if you're running the same water. With the Sound still this warm, the fall bite described in those regional reports is arriving right at the edge of turning on, not fully switched on yet.
Redfish and Speckled Trout Settle Into a Fall Pattern in Mississippi Sound
Water in Mississippi Sound is still running summer-warm: NOAA CO-OPS station 8747437 read 83.8°F this morning and station 8741533 read 85.5°F. MS DMR confirms the 2026-2027 oyster season opens at legal sunrise on October 1, with harvest running until the 12 p.m. check-out and Sundays closed, a sign the Sound is turning toward its cooler-season calendar even as the water itself hasn't caught up. Redfish and speckled trout remain the two species carrying inshore action along this stretch of the Gulf. Salt Strong's fall tackle rundown this week points anglers toward bigger paddletails for redfish and trout as the seasonal lure switch takes hold, and Sport Fishing Mag's report on nearby Calcasieu Estuary notes speckled trout still feeding hard in Gulf Coast estuaries through the transition. With the Sound still sitting in the mid-80s, both species should still be holding summer patterns rather than pushing hard into fall structure.
Full moon tides keep Mississippi Sound in late-summer mode
NOAA CO-OPS gauges across Mississippi Sound are reading 83.3°F and 86.4°F this morning (stations 8747437 and 8741533), holding firmly in late-summer territory even as the calendar turns toward October. Tonight's full moon is pushing a bigger tidal swing through the Sound: predicted highs land near 11:11 a.m. and 12:37 p.m. local time, with a low around 6:01 p.m. at the eastern station, per NOAA CO-OPS. On the regulatory side, the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources certified several new state saltwater fishing records this month and has a Notice of Intent to update sections of Title 22 filed with the Secretary of State, both signs of steady angler activity and active fishery management along the coast this fall.
Mississippi Sound holds summer warmth under this week's full moon
Water in the Mississippi Sound is still running hot for late September. NOAA CO-OPS stations in the region read 86.7°F and 87.8°F this week, readings that keep the Sound's late-summer pattern in place rather than tipping toward the cooler-water shift anglers watch for heading into fall. On the regulatory front, MS DMR filed a Notice of Intent on September 17 to update sections of Title 22 Part 3, following approval at the September 15 Mississippi Advisory Commission on Marine Resources meeting, so check the department's published notice before your next trip if new gear, area, or harvest rules could apply to you. MS DMR also certified several state saltwater finfish records this month, a sign the broader Mississippi and Gulf fishery is still producing quality fish through the late-summer stretch even without a dramatic pattern change this week.
Rising Pearl River flow sets the pace for MS anglers this week
The USGS gauge on the Pearl River (07289000) is reading flow well above typical late-September levels, a sign that recent rain has pushed the system higher than the seasonal norm. With a full moon overhead and the river running high, this is a week defined by moving water rather than a settled pattern. Expect fish pushed off typical holding water and into eddies, backwaters, and current breaks along the margins where the flow relents.