Lakeshore Beach, Bayou Caddy Fishing

Lakeshore Beach is a quiet stretch of the Hancock County beach in the community of Lakeshore, near where Bayou Caddy runs into the Mississippi Sound. It is a place to wade or launch a kayak for trout and redfish away from the busier Bay St. Louis and Waveland beaches.

• Public sand beach with beach-side parking and a pavilion
• Speckled trout and redfish, especially around the bayou mouth
• Flounder, kingfish and catfish over the sand
• Marsh country and Bayou Caddy's harbor just to the south

The beach runs along Beach Boulevard in Lakeshore, an unincorporated community at the western end of the Hancock County coast, north of the Bayou Caddy harbor and the casino beside it.

• Getting there: follow Beach Boulevard west from Waveland and Clermont Harbor, or Lakeshore Road down to the coast
• Parking: beach-side parking along the sand
• The walk: a few steps across the beach to the water
• Kayaks: easy to carry to the water for the short paddle to the mouth of Bayou Caddy
• Fees: none are listed for the beach

This end of the coast sits between the open Sound and the marshes toward the Pearl River, so the water is brackish and changes with every rain.

• Spring (Mar-May): speckled trout and redfish move along the beach and into the bayou mouths
• Summer (Jun-Aug): trout at first light, Gulf kingfish and catfish on the sand, and Spanish mackerel on calm, clear days
• Fall (Sep-Nov): redfish, trout and flounder feed around Bayou Caddy and the shoreline
• Winter (Dec-Feb): trout and reds hold in the deeper water of the bayous; the beach is slow after cold fronts

Wading or kayak tackle suits this beach: a 7-foot spinning rod with 10 lb braid and a 15 to 20 lb leader.

• Speckled trout: live shrimp under a popping cork, or a soft plastic on a 1/4 oz jig head
• Redfish: a gold spoon or a scented soft plastic worked along the bottom near the bayou mouth
• Flounder: a live minnow or a white grub with a red tail, dragged slowly over sand edges
• Kingfish and catfish: shrimp on a bottom rig cast from the beach
• Kayak anglers can fish the mouth of Bayou Caddy on a falling tide

The tide is small here: one high and one low on most days, a foot or two apart, with some days of almost no movement. Wind and river water decide much of the fishing; check the nearest NOAA station in the Bay St. Louis area.

• A falling tide drains bait out of Bayou Caddy and the marsh and draws fish to the mouth
• Calm, clear mornings are best for wading
• South winds stack water onto the beach and cloud it
• Heavy rain on the Pearl River sends fresh, brown water along this end of the coast and pushes trout east and offshore

The beach is gentle, but the water near the bayou mouth sees boat traffic.

• Shuffle your feet when wading; stingrays bury in the sand
• Keep well clear of the boat channel at the mouth of Bayou Caddy
• In a kayak, wear a life jacket and watch the wind; the Sound gets choppy fast
• MDEQ samples this beach and posts water-contact advisories; check them before you wade
• Leave the water at the first thunder
• Bring water and sun protection; the pavilion is the only shade
• Access: parking beside the sand, but no ramps or mats to the water are listed

Facilities are simple here, so bring what you need for the morning, including drinking water and bait.

• Beach-side parking along the sand
• A pavilion with tables, the only shade on this stretch
• No restrooms, bait shop or lights are listed at the beach
• Buccaneer State Park, a short drive east, has bathhouses, a picnic area and campsites
• Food, fuel and supplies are in Waveland and Bay St. Louis to the east

• Fish the mouth of Bayou Caddy on a falling tide, by kayak if you have one
• Trout and reds use Bayou Caddy in the cooler months, so start there in late fall
• Pick a calm morning with a light north or west wind for the clearest water
• Bring bait with you; there is none on the beach
• If a south wind has muddied the beach, try the more sheltered Bay of St. Louis instead

Lakeshore Beach is part of the public sand beach along the Hancock County shore. No fishing rules are published for it, so read any posted signs and keep away from swimmers.

• Park only in the beach-side spaces, not on the road
• 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