Chester McPhearson Jr. Pier Fishing

Chester McPhearson Jr. Pier is the fishing pier at the heart of Ocean Springs' Front Beach, with a city park, a sand beach and the shaded streets of downtown a short walk away. It is a relaxed, lit pier where a family can fish into the evening.

• A city pier across the road from Fort Maurepas Park
• Fish cleaning stations and lighting listed by the city
• Trout, croaker and redfish over the sandy edge of the Sound
• Restrooms and a playground in the park opposite

The pier stands on Front Beach in Ocean Springs, directly across Front Beach Drive from Fort Maurepas Park, which the city lists at 499 Front Beach. The City of Ocean Springs looks after both.

• Getting there: Front Beach Drive runs along the shore from the Biloxi Bay bridge east to the harbor
• Parking: the city lists parking at Fort Maurepas Park
• Fees: none that we could confirm
• Work: the city was awarded state Tidelands money in 2025 to rehabilitate the pier, so all or part of it may be fenced off while repairs go on; check before a long drive
• Hours: not published that we could confirm; read the posted signs

Shallow sand flats and the deeper water at the end of the pier give a mix of school fish and bottom feeders.

• Spring (Mar-May): speckled trout and redfish return to the flats; sheepshead still on the pilings early in the season
• Summer (Jun-Aug): croaker, white trout and hardhead catfish on the bottom; Spanish mackerel and ladyfish chase bait off the end
• Fall (Sep-Nov): the best trout and redfish of the year as bait moves out of the bays; flounder on the sand
• Winter (Dec-Feb): slower days; white trout and black drum on the deeper end, sheepshead on the pilings

Light to medium spinning gear with 10 to 15 lb line suits most of what bites here.

• Trout: live or fresh dead shrimp under a popping cork, or a 1/4 oz jig with a soft plastic tail
• Croaker and white trout: a two-hook bottom rig with small pieces of shrimp
• Redfish and black drum: cut mullet or half a crab on a fish-finder rig with a 2/0 to 4/0 circle hook
• Sheepshead: a fiddler crab or shrimp on a short leader by the pilings
• Spanish mackerel: a small spoon cast off the end and reeled fast
• Under the pier lights at night, a small shrimp-pattern jig works for trout

Expect one high tide and one low tide on most days here, with a small range of a foot or two; on a few days each fortnight the water barely moves. Wind often decides the day.

• Moving water around the tide change is the time to be on the pier
• A light south breeze keeps the water clearer; a hard south wind muddies the flats
• North winds behind cold fronts pull water off the shallows and push fish to the deep end
• Heavy rain upstate can turn the Sound brown and fresh for days
• Evenings under the pier lights are productive in summer and fall

This is a city pier beside a busy family beach, so it is easy to reach and gentle to fish.

• Get off the pier when thunder is heard; summer afternoon storms build fast over the Sound
• Keep casts clear of swimmers and paddlers along Front Beach
• Watch children at the rail, especially after dark
• Catfish spines and stingray barbs can injure; use pliers and a towel
• Respect any fencing or closed sections during the rehabilitation work

The pier and the park across the road cover the basics.

• Fish cleaning stations and lighting on the pier, as listed by the city
• Fort Maurepas Park: parking, pavilions, picnic areas, a playground, a splash pad, a stage and restrooms
• A sand beach along Front Beach Drive
• No bait shop on site that we could confirm; buy bait in town before you arrive

• Fish the deep end of the pier on falling water in fall for the best trout of the year
• Bring the children; the splash pad and playground across the road make breaks easy
• After dark, work the edge of the light where trout ambush shrimp
• If the pier is busy, the Ocean Springs Fishing Pier under the Biloxi Bay bridge is a short drive west
• Rinse your catch at the cleaning station and leave the deck clean for the next angler

The pier and Fort Maurepas Park belong to the City of Ocean Springs.

• Follow the city's posted pier and park rules, and stay out of any area closed for repairs
• 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. Children under 16 are exempt
• Size, bag and season rules come from the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (dmr.ms.gov)
• Check current MDMR rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything