Mississippi
Fishing License 2026.

License required?

Yes

Where to apply?

Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP) — mdwfp.com/licenses-permits online, MDWFP mobile app, 1-800-5GO-HUNT phone, and ~500 agent locations.

Cost

Freshwater: resident annual $17; senior (65+) $5 lifetime; non-resident annual $60; non-resident 3-day $30. Saltwater recreational: resident annual $10; non-resident annual $30; 3-day $15. All-Game (hunt + freshwater fish) resident $32. Sportsman (all licenses incl. saltwater) resident $45.

Validity

April 1 – March 31 (MS fiscal year).

Available online?

Yes

Residents 65+ get free Lifetime Sportsman license (one-time purchase $5). Under-16 and landowners fishing their own property exempt. Saltwater license required SEPARATELY from freshwater for Gulf Coast / tidal waters — a freshwater license does NOT cover saltwater. Free Fishing Weekend first weekend of June.

Closed seasons

No closed seasons on black bass, crappie, or catfish statewide. Paddlefish and sturgeon closed year-round (no harvest). Alligator gar regulated — 1/day, permit required on some waters.

Catch limits

Crappie 30/day (12" min on Grenada, Sardis, Arkabutla, Enid — the 'Big Four' reservoirs, where state-record 5+ lb slabs come from). Largemouth bass 10/day (12" min on major reservoirs, no min in rivers). Saltwater: speckled trout 15/day (15" min); red drum 3/day (18–30" slot, 1 over 30"); tripletail 3/day (18" min); sheepshead 15/day.

Prohibited methods

No game-fish snagging. Trotlines and yo-yos legal with 100-hook max and name-tag requirement. Gigging legal for rough fish and frogs. Bowfishing for non-game fish only.

Catch & Release

Voluntary. MDWFP encourages release of trophy bass on Ross Barnett and crappie over 15" on the Big Four.

Crappie capital of the world — Grenada Lake produces multiple 3+ lb fish annually and holds near-state-record class. Minimum length limits on crappie are enforced only on the 4 flood-control reservoirs; elsewhere no size minimum but 30/day still applies.

Best season

March–April (pre-spawn crappie explosion on Big Four lakes), September–November (fall speckled trout + redfish on Gulf Coast), June–August (tarpon off Biloxi).

Freshwater

Grenada, Sardis, Enid, Arkabutla (flood-control Big Four); Ross Barnett; Pickwick (TN border); Mississippi River and oxbows (Eagle, Ferguson, Washington).

Saltwater

Gulf Coast from Pearl River (LA border) to Pascagoula — 62 miles of shoreline including Biloxi Marsh, Chandeleur Sound, Mississippi Sound barrier-island chain (Horn, Ship, Cat).

Equipment

Bass Pro Shops Memphis (TN, 45 min to north MS lakes), Academy Jackson, Biloxi/Gulfport coastal tackle shops for saltwater. Live shiners + shad at marinas.

Fishing guides

Crappie guides on Grenada/Sardis $350–$450/day (up to 4 anglers); Ross Barnett bass $400–$500/day; Gulf Coast inshore (redfish/trout) $600–$800/day for 4; offshore tuna/snapper $1,500–$2,500/day.

Transport

Jackson JAN (central, 1 h to Ross Barnett, 1.5 h to Big Four), Memphis MEM (45 min to Sardis), Gulfport GPT (on the coast), New Orleans MSY (1 h west to MS Gulf Coast).

Safety

Hurricane season June–November on Gulf Coast. Cottonmouths and alligators in Delta oxbows and Ross Barnett sloughs. Summer heat indexes 105°F+ — start at dawn. Tornadoes spring on inland lakes.

License fees

$17 FW resident / $10 saltwater resident; $60 FW + $30 SW non-resident

Guide prices

$350–$2,500/day depending on crappie vs offshore

Daily budget

$40–$70 DIY bank/boat; $100/angler split crappie guide; $200/angler Gulf inshore; $400+/angler offshore