Lake Mars Pier, Gulf Park Estates Fishing

Lake Mars Pier juts into the open Mississippi Sound from the Gulf Park Estates shore, one of the few public piers between Ocean Springs and Gautier. The view runs across the Sound to the barrier islands, and redfish are the fish to watch for.

• A rebuilt county pier with a gazebo
• Open-Sound water rather than a sheltered bayou
• Redfish, speckled trout and croaker
• A popular boat ramp for runs to the islands

The pier and ramp are at the south end of Lake Mars Road in Gulf Park Estates, an unincorporated community east of Ocean Springs. Jackson County built and runs them.

• Getting there: from US 90 east of Ocean Springs, follow the roads south through Gulf Park Estates to the end of Lake Mars Road
• Parking: a lot shared with ramp users
• Fees: none listed by the county
• The pier: rebuilt on concrete pilings, with a gazebo part of the way out
• Hours: none published that we could confirm

This is open water on the Sound, so fish come and go with bait, wind and salinity.

• Spring (Mar-May): speckled trout and redfish move onto the flats; sheepshead around the pilings early in the season
• Summer (Jun-Aug): redfish on afternoon tides, croaker and white trout on the bottom, Spanish mackerel and jacks chasing bait
• Fall (Sep-Nov): the best mix of the year, with trout, bull redfish and flounder
• Winter (Dec-Feb): slower; black drum and white trout on milder days

Medium spinning tackle with 12 to 20 lb line covers it.

• Redfish: cut mullet or half a crab on a fish-finder rig with a 3/0 circle hook, or a gold spoon cast along the shoreline
• Speckled trout: live shrimp under a popping cork, or a soft plastic on a 1/4 oz jig
• Croaker and white trout: a two-hook bottom rig with small shrimp pieces
• Flounder: a live minnow dragged slowly along the sand near the pier
• Spanish mackerel: small spoons ripped back fast when birds show

The Sound has one high and one low tide on most days, with a range of only a foot or two, and the wind often decides how the water looks.

• A local regular says redfish come past in mid-afternoon
• Moving water around the turn of the tide fishes best for trout
• A light breeze from the north or east keeps the water cleaner along this shore
• Strong south winds stir up the shallows and turn the water brown
• After heavy rain the Sound freshens, and fish can move farther offshore for days

The pier is a modern, railed structure, easier to walk than most coastal docks.

• Get off the pier when storms approach; there is nothing taller than you out there
• Keep clear of the boat ramp and of trailers in the lot
• Shuffle your feet if you wade off the shoreline; stingrays rest on the sand
• Bring shade and water in summer; the Sound offers little cover
• Handle catfish with care

Facilities are simple.

• The fishing pier with a covered gazebo
• A public boat ramp with two launch lanes
• A parking lot
• Restrooms are not confirmed on site; earlier inventories listed portable toilets
• No bait shop at the pier; bring bait from Ocean Springs or Gautier

• Plan an afternoon session; one local regular says redfish pass the pier around mid-afternoon
• Watch for birds working bait over the Sound; trout and mackerel are often beneath them
• The ramp is a common launch for Deer, Horn and Ship islands, so weekends get busy
• Bring a long-handled net; a big red can be hard to lift at the rail
• A calm, cool fall morning is the best time for trout here

Jackson County manages the Lake Mars Pier and Boat Ramp.

• Follow posted county rules at the pier and ramp
• 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
• The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (dmr.ms.gov) publishes current limits
• Check current MDMR rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything