Old Ice Wharf, Biloxi Fishing

Old Ice Wharf is a shaded, easygoing Back Bay pier in east Biloxi, with a pavilion at the end to sit out the heat. It is a good choice when the Sound is rough or when you want a short walk from the car.

• A 300-foot city pier with a pavilion at its end
• A public parking lot right next to it
• Speckled and white trout, croaker and sheepshead
• Calm, brackish water on the north side of town

The wharf is on Bayview Avenue at Parker Street, on the Back Bay of Biloxi between the IP and Boomtown casinos. The City of Biloxi owns and maintains it.

• Getting there: from US 90 take Main Street or Lameuse Street north to Bayview Avenue, then head west to Parker Street
• Parking: a public lot beside the pier
• The walk: about 300 feet of level deck to the pavilion
• Hours and fees: none published that we found; follow the posted signs

Fresh water from the rivers and salt water from Biloxi Bay meet here, so the catch changes with the weather.

• Spring (Mar-May): sheepshead around the pilings, croaker arriving and speckled trout moving in
• Summer (Jun-Aug): croaker and catfish on the bottom, trout at dawn and after dark, flounder along the edges
• Fall (Sep-Nov): white trout and speckled trout at their best, with redfish cruising the shoreline
• Winter (Dec-Feb): black drum and sheepshead, and trout on mild afternoons

A light or medium spinning rod with 8 to 12 lb line handles the Back Bay's fish.

• Speckled trout: live shrimp under a cork, or a soft-plastic shrimp tail on a 1/4 oz jig
• White trout and croaker: a two-hook bottom rig with pieces of shrimp or squid
• Sheepshead and black drum: shrimp or crab pieces fished tight to the pilings on a short leader
• Redfish: a gold spoon or a shrimp cast along the shoreline either side of the wharf
• Flounder: a mud minnow worked slowly over the bottom

The Back Bay rises and falls once a day on most days, by only a foot or two, and some days it hardly moves.

• Fish the hours when the water is moving, rising or falling
• North winds behind cold fronts drop the water and send fish to deeper holes
• A south wind fills the bay and draws bait close to the wharf
• After heavy rain upriver the water turns fresh and brown; trout move toward Biloxi Bay
• Calm summer evenings are pleasant and productive under the pavilion

The wharf is short and level, which makes it a comfortable spot for families.

• Keep children back from the edges
• Shrimp boats and pleasure boats pass on the bay; keep lines out of their way
• Leave the pier at the first sign of a thunderstorm
• Bring repellent on still evenings
• Handle catfish with care because of their spines
• Access: a flat walk from the parking lot to the pavilion

Basic facilities only.

• A pavilion at the end of the pier for shade
• A public parking lot next to it
• No bait shop, restrooms or lights confirmed at the pier; bring bait and a headlamp
• The casinos nearby have restaurants and restrooms for customers

• Use the pavilion's shade for long summer sessions and fish the shady side of the pilings
• Fresh shrimp from a Biloxi seafood dock makes good bait
• When the Sound is blown out by a south wind, this pier stays fishable
• In fall, try a small jig for white trout off the end at first light
• Weekday mornings are quietest along Bayview Avenue

The Old Ice Wharf is a public pier owned by the City of Biloxi.

• Follow any rules posted at the pier and in the parking lot
• 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