Ken Combs Pier Fishing

The Ken Combs Pier is a long City of Gulfport pier reaching well out into the Mississippi Sound with a rock jetty beside it. Rebuilt and reopened in 2026, it gives shore anglers a reach of deeper water.

• About 850 feet of pier, protected by a 290-foot jetty
• Rebuilt with flow-through decking, concrete caps and stainless steel
• Speckled trout, redfish, sheepshead and drum
• Spanish mackerel and flounder in season

The pier stands at the foot of Courthouse Road in Gulfport, on the Sound side of US 90, and belongs to the City of Gulfport.

• It reopened in February 2026 after being closed since the 2020 storms
• A large parking lot and a comfort station with public restrooms sit at the shore end
• The rock jetty runs alongside the pier to shelter it
• A boat launch shares the site, and the city says the pier serves its commercial fishing industry as well, so expect boat traffic
• Hours and fees are not published; read the signs at the entrance

The length of the pier is its strength: it reaches water most beach anglers never touch.

• Spring (Mar-May): speckled trout and redfish move in, and sheepshead crowd the pilings and jetty rocks
• Summer (Jun-Aug): trout at dawn, white trout and croaker on the bottom, Spanish mackerel and a few blue runners chasing bait at the far end
• Fall (Sep-Nov): flounder heading for the Gulf, plus redfish, trout and the odd bull red
• Winter (Dec-Feb): sheepshead and black drum along the pilings and rocks, trout on calm days

Medium spinning tackle with 12 to 17 lb line and a 20 to 30 lb leader handles most of what bites here.

• Speckled trout: live shrimp under a popping cork, or a soft-plastic paddletail on a jig head
• Redfish and drum: cut mullet, crab or whole shrimp on a Carolina rig off the far end
• Sheepshead: fiddler crabs or shrimp on a short leader beside the pilings and along the jetty
• Spanish mackerel and blue runners: small silver spoons or Gotcha-style plugs retrieved fast
• Bring a drop net for lifting a big redfish or drum onto the deck

Off Gulfport the tide rises and falls once a day on most days, by only a foot or two, and stalls almost completely a few days each fortnight.

• Moving water brings the bait, and the fish, past the far end
• North winds behind winter fronts drop the water; fish then hold in the deepest water near the end
• Strong south winds pile water up and stir up the shallows
• After heavy rain upstate the Sound runs fresh and brown, and trout move out toward the islands
• Calm, clearer days are best for trout and mackerel; check the Gulfport tide predictions

The rebuilt deck is solid, but the setting has its hazards.

• The jetty rocks are slippery and uneven; fish from the pier rather than the rocks
• Watch for boats coming and going at the launch beside the pier
• Summer thunderstorms move fast over the open Sound; leave at the first thunder
• Handle catfish, stingrays and toothy mackerel with care
• Access: the deck runs straight out from the road end, a long but level walk

The site has the basics, and the rest is up to you.

• The 850-foot pier with its flow-through deck
• A large parking lot at the shore end
• A comfort station with public restrooms
• A pavilion near the foot of the pier
• A boat launch beside the pier
• No bait shop or rod rental could be confirmed; bring bait, water and shade
• The Gulfport beach front stretches either side for a walk between bites

• Walk to the far end for trout, mackerel and the bigger redfish; the near end is mostly small fish
• In late winter and spring, fish fiddler crabs tight to the pilings for sheepshead
• Bring live shrimp from a bait shop on the way; none is listed at the pier
• Go early on summer mornings, before the heat and the afternoon storms
• The city has dealt with vandalism here; report damage and keep the pier clean

The pier is owned and managed by the City of Gulfport.

• Read and follow the rules posted at the pier
• Keep clear of boats using the launch
• 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.