Buccaneer State Park Fishing

Buccaneer State Park is a Mississippi state park on the Waveland waterfront, and its beach across the road faces the open Mississippi Sound. Campers and day visitors wade the shallows here for trout and redfish, with the marshes of Grand Bayou next door.

• Wade fishing on a long public sand beach
• Speckled trout and redfish, plus flounder and black drum
• Beachfront camping, a waterpark and a nature trail in the park
• A good base for fishing the western end of the Hancock County coast

The park is at 1150 South Beach Boulevard in Waveland, at the western end of town where it meets Clermont Harbor. The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks runs it, and State Park Road leads from the park down to the beach.

• Entry: the park charges admission; check current fees with the park office
• The beach: across South Beach Boulevard from the park entrance
• The walk: a short stroll over flat sand to the water, then shallow wading
• Camping: campsites in the park, including beachfront sites
• Grand Bayou and its coastal preserve border the park

The water off the beach is the shallow, brackish edge of the Mississippi Sound, and the marshes and bayous nearby feed it.

• Spring (Mar-May): speckled trout move onto the beachfront as it warms, and redfish cruise the shallows
• Summer (Jun-Aug): trout and reds at first light, Gulf kingfish and catfish on the sand, and Spanish mackerel on calm, clear days
• Fall (Sep-Nov): redfish, flounder and trout all feed hard; often the best fishing of the year
• Winter (Dec-Feb): black drum and sheepshead around the bayou mouths, and slow days after cold fronts

Travel light: a 7-foot medium-light spinning rod, 10 lb braid with a fluorocarbon leader, and a wading belt or stringer.

• Speckled trout: live shrimp under a popping cork, or a soft plastic paddle tail on a light jig head
• Redfish: a gold spoon or a soft plastic worked over the sand, or cut bait in the troughs
• Flounder: a live minnow or a white grub dragged slowly along the bottom
• Kingfish and catfish: small pieces of shrimp on a bottom rig cast from the beach
• Bring a float for live bait and wear wading boots or old shoes

The western Mississippi Sound has one high and one low tide on most days, a foot or two apart, with a few days each fortnight when the water barely moves. The wind often matters more; check the nearest NOAA station in the Bay St. Louis area.

• Calm, clear mornings with light north or west wind give the cleanest water for wading
• A moving tide stirs bait along the beach and brings trout within casting range
• Strong south winds stack water and muddy the shallows
• After heavy rain on the Pearl River, the water off this end of the coast turns fresh and brown

The beach is gentle and shallow, but wading always needs care.

• Shuffle your feet as you wade; stingrays rest on the sandy bottom
• Stay well clear of swimmers and anyone using the beach for play
• Leave the water at the first thunder; summer storms come quickly off the Sound
• Carry water and sun protection; there is no shade on the beach
• Cross South Beach Boulevard with care between the park and the beach
• Access: flat sand from the road, but no ramps or mats to the water are listed

The park itself has plenty for a fishing trip or a family stay.

• Campsites, including beachfront camping
• Bathhouses, a recreation center, a picnic area and a playground
• The Buccaneer Bay waterpark, open in summer
• A disc golf course and a nature trail
• No bait shop is listed, so bring live shrimp or other bait with you

• Wade at sunrise; the trout bite on the beachfront usually fades as the sun climbs
• Look for diving gulls over the Sound in late summer; they show where trout are feeding on bait
• Redfish often feed right in the wash on falling water; do not wade past them
• Camp on the beachfront sites to be on the water before the day crowd arrives
• On blustery south-wind days, try the more sheltered water up the Bay of St. Louis instead

The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks runs Buccaneer State Park; the beach in front of it is a public beach.

• Pay the park's admission when you use the park and follow its posted rules
• Do not fish where people are swimming
• A Mississippi saltwater fishing license is required south of US 90 unless you are exempt; between US 90 and I-10 either a saltwater or a freshwater license will do
• Anglers under 16 are exempt
• Check current MDMR rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything