Jim Simpson Sr. Memorial Pier Fishing

The Jim Simpson Sr. Memorial Pier is the long pier on the west side of Long Beach Harbor, back open in fall 2026 after six years shut by Hurricane Zeta. It is a relaxed bottom-fishing spot rather than a big-fish pier.

• Rebuilt by Harrison County, with flow-through decking
• Croaker, white trout and catfish for steady action
• Speckled trout and redfish when the water is moving
• Sheepshead and black drum on the pilings in the cool months

The pier leaves the shore on the west side of Long Beach Harbor, on the Sound side of US 90 at the foot of downtown Long Beach. Harrison County rebuilt it; the City of Long Beach runs the harbor around it.

• It reopened at the end of September 2026 with a few finishing touches still to come, so expect the odd fenced-off area
• The city has been finishing repairs to the inner harbor after Hurricane Zeta
• New boat ramp docks opened at the east end of the harbor in 2026
• Parking: around the harbor, plus free spaces at the nearby beach pavilion, which fill quickly in summer
• No hours or fees have been published; read the signs at the entrance

The harbor is shallow, sheltered water, so small and medium fish make up most catches.

• Spring (Mar-May): speckled trout and redfish arrive with warming water; sheepshead and black drum still on the pilings
• Summer (Jun-Aug): croaker, white trout and hardhead catfish on the bottom, with gafftopsail catfish and a few trout at dawn
• Fall (Sep-Nov): flounder moving out to the Gulf, redfish and trout feeding before winter
• Winter (Dec-Feb): sheepshead and black drum around the pilings and walls; quiet days in between

Keep it light: a 7-foot spinning rod with 10 to 12 lb line suits the pier.

• A double-hook bottom rig with small pieces of shrimp for croaker and white trout
• Live shrimp under a popping cork, drifted along the harbor edge, for speckled trout
• Cut mullet or a whole shrimp on a Carolina rig for redfish and drum
• Fiddler crabs on a short leader beside the pilings for sheepshead
• Bring a cutting board; the city asks anglers not to cut bait on the benches

The Sound off Long Beach has one high and one low on most days, rarely more than a foot or two apart, with a few slack days each fortnight.

• Moving water, in either direction, brings the best bite
• After a winter cold front, north winds drain the shallows and fish slide into the harbor's deeper water
• A steady south wind raises the water and muddies it
• After heavy rain upstate the Sound turns fresh and brown and trout move offshore
• The Gulfport tide predictions are the closest guide

The pier is an easy, low-risk spot, but it shares the water with boats.

• Watch for boats entering and leaving the harbor and using the ramp
• Summer thunderstorms come up quickly over the Sound; head in at the first rumble
• Wet wood and fish slime get slippery
• Catfish spines and stingrays deserve respect
• Access: the pier is reached from the parking around the harbor; there are no lifeguards on the nearby beach

Facilities are simple, so come prepared.

• The city's pier rules ask that no bait be cut and no fish waste be left on benches, tables or other wood
• New boat ramp docks at the east end of the harbor
• Parking around the harbor and at the nearby beach pavilion
• Trash cans, though the city bars fish waste from them; take scraps home
• No bait shop could be confirmed at the harbor; buy live shrimp on the way

• Take children here for croaker and white trout; the rules keep it tidy and family-friendly
• Fish the first hour of moving water after a slack tide
• Pack out everything, including spent line, hooks and corks; the city enforces it
• On busy summer weekends arrive early to get a parking space
• Bring a drop net or a long-handled landing net for a heavy redfish or drum

Harrison County rebuilt the pier, and the City of Long Beach, which runs the harbor, posts its own fishing pier rules there.

• No more than three rods in use per licensed angler at a time
• No alcohol, no glass, and no fires, grills, heaters or fireworks
• No littering, including spent line, leaders, weights, corks and hooks; no fish waste in the trash cans or on wood surfaces
• 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.