Point Cadet Fishing Pier

Point Cadet Fishing Pier is the biggest shore-fishing platform on the Mississippi coast, a concrete drive-on pier nearly a mile long over Biloxi Bay. Locals know it for heavy black drum, and it is lit for night fishing.

• Drive out and fish beside your car, with turnarounds halfway and at the end
• Black drum, speckled trout, redfish and sheepshead
• Overhead lighting and ADA-accessible sidewalks
• Portable restrooms for the public

The pier starts at Point Cadet, at the east end of Howard Avenue past the Palace Casino, and runs northeast across Biloxi Bay beside the modern US 90 bridge to Ocean Springs. The City of Biloxi runs it, and it lists the pier as the Old Biloxi/Ocean Springs Drive-on Fishing Pier.

• Getting there: US 90 or Howard Avenue east through downtown Biloxi to Point Cadet
• On the pier: two 11-foot traffic lanes with a 5-foot sidewalk on each side
• Turnarounds: one at the halfway point and one at the far end
• Fees and hours: none published by the city that we found; obey the posted signs

Biloxi Bay links the Back Bay to the Mississippi Sound, so fish move past the pier on every tide.

• Spring (Mar-May): big black drum gather in the bay, with sheepshead on the pilings and speckled trout returning
• Summer (Jun-Aug): trout under the lights at night, Spanish mackerel and jacks chasing bait, ribbonfish after dark
• Fall (Sep-Nov): redfish and flounder move toward the Sound, and trout fishing peaks
• Winter (Dec-Feb): black drum, sheepshead and white trout in the deeper water

Bring two rods: a stout bottom rod and a lighter one for trout.

• Black drum: a heavy rod, 30 lb line and a fish-finder rig with half a blue crab or a big piece of shrimp; use a leader and strong hooks
• Speckled trout: live shrimp under a popping cork, or a soft plastic worked along the shadow line at night
• Sheepshead: fiddler crabs or shrimp dropped tight to the pilings
• Redfish: cut mullet on the bottom near the far end
• Spanish mackerel: small spoons cast across bait schools
• Bring a drop net or a long-handled pier net for big drum and reds

Biloxi has one high and one low tide on most days, with only a foot or two of range, but the water squeezing through Biloxi Bay gives the pier more current than most.

• Bottom fishing on the late-afternoon tide is a long-standing local favorite for drum
• The far end reaches deeper water; the inshore half is shallow in places
• South winds push water and bait into the bay; north winds drain it
• After heavy rain, fresh water pours out of the Back Bay and the bite moves outward
• Summer nights under the lights are prime for trout

Few piers anywhere are as easy to reach, but cars share it with anglers.

• Watch for vehicles; drive slowly and keep children on the sidewalks
• Leave the pier when lightning is close; it is the highest point over open water
• Plan how you will land a big drum before you hook one; a drop net is the safe way
• Bring water and shade on summer days
• Access: ADA-accessible sidewalks the full length, and you can park beside your spot

The pier is built for long sessions.

• Overhead lights along the pier
• Portable restrooms for public use, according to the city
• Turnarounds at the halfway point and the end
• No bait shop on the pier; buy bait in Biloxi before you drive out
• Point Cadet Marina, a restored living shoreline and casino restaurants are at the landward end

• Half a blue crab on the bottom is the bait for big black drum in early spring
• Park so your rods are on the deeper side of the pier, and keep the traffic lane clear
• Night trips in summer are popular; arrive early to get a spot under a light
• Use a heavy leader; drum and redfish will rub light line on the pilings
• On a strong north wind, fish the end where the channel water stays deeper

The pier belongs to the City of Biloxi and is maintained by its Ports and Harbors office.

• Follow the traffic and parking rules posted on the pier
• Park only where the signs allow and keep the travel lanes open
• 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