Wondering Where to Fish in Mississippi? These Top Spots Are Worth the Drive

Quick Take

• One small Mississippi lake holds a world fishing record that has stood since 1951, yet many anglers drive right past it. Discover Enid Lake's record →
• Mississippi's best trophy bass spot is not a massive reservoir but rather a 230-acre lake tucked inside a state park. Explore Natchez State Park →
• One of these spots lets you target sharks, snappers, and trophy bass, all within the same state. See Gulf Coast fishing →
• Mississippi's largest fishing destination holds over 119 species, and the best catches come from spots most visitors overlook entirely. Explore the Mississippi River →

You’re bound to find a favorite fishing spot when you visit Mississippi. The state has ten river basins with over 86,000 miles of rivers and streams. From the mighty Mississippi River to the Gulf Coast bays, whatever your angling style or skill level, Mississippi has a place for you. Read on to discover some of Mississippi’s best fishing spots.

1. Pickwick Lake

The 43,000-acre Pickwick Lake spans three states: Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi. The lake is famous for trophy smallmouth and largemouth bass, catfish, and crappie. You can also find spotted bass, bluegill, and redear sunfish. Yellow Creek Cove is a favorite spot for Mississippi anglers, and J.P. Coleman State Park near Iuka has a boat launch and marina with three docks.

2. Grenada Lake

Grenada Lake is a 35,000-acre reservoir located on the Yalobusha River in the north-central part of the state. The lake is called the “Crappie Capital of the World” because it regularly produces trophy-sized crappie. Anglers can also expect to catch bass, catfish, and bream. You can buy a day or annual pass either online or at recreation areas at the lake from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Vicksburg District.

3. The Mississippi Gulf Coast

The Mississippi Gulf Coast is the place to go for saltwater and inshore fishing. Common nearshore and offshore species include Spanish mackerel, cobia, red snapper, jack crevalle, and even sharks. Top inshore species include speckled trout, flounder, redfish (red drum), black drum, and sheepshead. Biloxi and Gulfport are popular locations for inshore bayou and marsh fishing, while the Barrier Islands and Bay St. Louis are good spots for speckled trout, among others.

4. Natchez State Park

Natchez State Park near Natchez, Mississippi, has a 230-acre lake that is best known for producing the rod and reel state-record largemouth bass, weighing 18.15 pounds. Target fish include Florida largemouth bass (a larger strain than regular largemouths, with most averaging 10+ pounds and some reaching 20+ pounds), crappie, catfish, and bream. The park has a boat ramp and plenty of shoreline access.

5. Sardis Lake

Sardis Lake is a 98,000-acre reservoir in northwest Mississippi. The lake is primarily known for trophy black and white crappie, largemouth bass, and blue catfish. The lake has also produced a number of state record holders, including hybrid striped bass and bighead carp. There are boat ramps maintained by the USACE, as well as a full-service marina and boat rentals. The USACE also offers campgrounds, picnic areas, beaches, playgrounds, and a wide variety of camping and lodging options.

6. Enid Lake

Enid Lake covers 6,100 acres in north-central Mississippi. The lake is famous for producing a world record-breaking 5-pound, 3-ounce white crappie caught in 1957. The fishery also holds healthy populations of largemouth bass, catfish, and bream. Managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, there are boat launches, as well as modern campground facilities and activities such as hiking, swimming, picnicking, horseback riding, and hunting.

7. Ross Barnett Reservoir

The Ross Barnett Reservoir covers 24,000 acres, located on the Pearl River in central Mississippi a few miles northeast of Jackson. At the Ross Barnett Reservoir, top target fish include largemouth and spotted bass, white and black crappie, bream, and flathead, blue, and channel catfish. Anglers can also sometimes catch striped bass and hybrid striped bass, which have been stocked into the lake. There are over 30 public boat launches for easy access to the different areas of the reservoir. The Ross Barnett Reservoir also hosts paid fishing tournaments throughout the year.

8. Mississippi River

Rounding out our list of the best fishing spots in Mississippi is the Mississippi River. Home to more than 260 fish species, you could spend weeks fishing here and never get bored. Crappies, bluegill, northern pike, channel catfish, smallmouth bass, sauger, walleye, and largemouth bass are just a few of the species you can target here. You can also catch riverine species like bigmouth buffalo, shorthead redhorse, blue suckers, and more. The oxbow lakes and backwaters are also excellent places to fish. Columbus-Belmont State Park and Wickliffe Mounds State Historic Site are two popular fishing locations along the Mississippi River.