Mississippi Fishing Regulations
Not legal advice. Compiled from official government summaries. Regulations change each year — always check the official source before relying.
General Rules (barbless hooks are the #1 cause of fines)
- ⚠ Game fish: bream (redear, bluegill, longear, warmouth, green sunfish), crappie, black bass, shadow bass, walleye, sauger, yellow perch, striped/hybrid/white/yellow bass, pickerel.
- ⚠ Game fish may be taken by hook and line, trotlines, throwlines, limblines, set hooks, jugs, and yo-yos (max 100 hooks/person).
- ⚠ Illegal: muddying, lime, poison, explosives, electrical devices, wire baskets, fish traps, dip nets for game fish.
- ⚠ No person may transport more than 7 daily creel limits of fish.
- ⚠ Creel limits on waters shared with adjacent states follow the adjacent state or MS limit, whichever is greater.
- ⚠ Sale of game fish is unlawful.
Species Limits
| Species | Limit | Size / Season |
|---|---|---|
| Black bass (largemouth, spotted, smallmouth combined) | 10 per day | |
| Crappie (black & white combined) | 30 per day | |
| Bream (bluegill, redear, other sunfish combined) | 100 per day | |
| Striped bass & hybrids | 6 per day | Min 15 in |
| Walleye | 3 per day | Prohibited on several lakes/rivers |
| Sauger | 10 per day | |
| Alligator gar | 2 per day | Prohibited at Bee Lake |
| Paddlefish | 2 per day | Max 30 in (eye to fork); prohibited in Tenn-Tom, Tombigbee, Pickwick |
| Catfish (state fishing lakes only) | 10 per day | No creel limit on other waters; border waters with AL/TN: 1 catfish over 34 in/day |
Waterbody-Specific Rules
Lake Lamar Bruce, Elvis Presley Lake, Lake Monroe, Choctaw Lake, Old Tombigbee River north of Hwy 278
- Walleye harvest/possession prohibited.
Bee Lake (Holmes Co.)
- Alligator gar harvest prohibited.
Tenn-Tom Waterway, Tombigbee River, Pickwick Lake
- Paddlefish harvest prohibited.
Sardis Lake
- Black bass: 10/day statewide (check specific creel); crappie 30.
Ross Barnett Reservoir
- Black bass: 10/day; crappie 30; no limit catfish.
Pickwick Lake
- Paddlefish harvest prohibited; black bass 10/day.
Grenada Lake
- Black bass: 10/day; crappie 30.
Eagle Lake (Warren Co.)
- Black bass: 10/day; catfish no limit.
Mississippi River
- Creel limits per adjacent-state agreements (greater of MS or adjacent state limit).
Seasons
Most species open year-round.
Licence Fees
Mississippi fishing license required (resident/non-resident); fees per MDWFP.
Edition: 2026 Mississippi Statewide Creel & Size Limits (MDWFP) · Effective: 2026 season · Source: Mississippi Dept. of Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks (mdwfp.com)
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