Ocean Springs Fishing Pier

Ocean Springs Fishing Pier runs out into Biloxi Bay just north of the big US 90 bridge, with Biloxi's Point Cadet across the water. It is the longest public pier on the Ocean Springs side and the best place in town to reach the current that pours through the bay mouth.

• A long county pier with four shaded pavilions
• Bridge pilings and a tidal channel close by
• Black drum, redfish and sheepshead are the headline fish
• Trout, croaker and flounder fill in through the year

The pier sits on the Ocean Springs shore of Biloxi Bay, on the north side of the Ocean Springs to Biloxi bridge, at the western end of Front Beach Drive. Jackson County lists it among its public piers and boat ramps.

• Getting there: follow Front Beach Drive west toward the bridge; walkers on the beach path pass under the bridge to reach the pier
• Parking: a small parking area sits at the landward end of the pier
• Fees: the county lists none
• Surface: a long deck with covered pavilions spaced along it, its decking rebuilt in 2022-2023 after Hurricane Zeta
• Hours: none published that we could confirm, so read the posted signs

The bay mouth mixes Mississippi Sound water with what drains out of Biloxi Bay, so the catch follows the seasons and the salinity.

• Spring (Mar-May): sheepshead finish their run on the pilings; speckled trout and redfish move back onto the bay edges
• Summer (Jun-Aug): Spanish mackerel and jacks chase bait schools; croaker, flounder and hardhead catfish on the bottom
• Fall (Sep-Nov): bull redfish and big black drum push through the pass; trout feed hard on falling water
• Winter (Dec-Feb): white trout and black drum hold in the deeper channel; sheepshead return to the bridge pilings

Medium spinning tackle with 15 to 20 lb line covers most days; step up to 30 lb and a stout rod if you are after big black drum, which run to well over 20 lb in this part of the bay.

• Black drum and redfish: half a blue crab or a chunk of cut mullet on a fish-finder rig with a 3/0 to 5/0 circle hook
• Sheepshead: fiddler crabs or shrimp on a short leader dropped tight to the pilings
• Speckled and white trout: live shrimp under a popping cork, or a soft plastic on a 1/4 oz jig worked through the current
• Spanish mackerel: a small silver spoon or a Gotcha plug cast and ripped back fast
• Bring a drop net or pier gaff so a big drum or red is not lost at the rail

This coast sees one high and one low tide on most days, and the range is only a foot or two, so wind and river flow matter as much as the tide table. Check the Biloxi area tide predictions before you go.

• The hours either side of the tide change, when water moves through the bay mouth, fish best
• A falling tide pulls bait and trout out of Biloxi Bay past the pier
• North winds behind winter fronts drain the bay and stack fish in the deeper channel
• After heavy rain the bay runs brown and fresh, and the better fishing shifts toward the Sound side
• Calm, clear mornings are best for mackerel

The pier is a railed public deck, which makes it one of the easier places on this shore to fish from.

• Leave at the first sign of a summer thunderstorm; there is no cover from lightning on a long pier
• Boats and personal watercraft run the channel by the bridge, so keep lines clear of passing traffic
• Decking gets slick after rain and where fish are cleaned
• Hardhead and gafftopsail catfish carry sharp spines; handle them with a towel or pliers
• Carry water and shade in summer; the walk out is long and exposed

Facilities here are basic.

• Four covered pavilions along the pier for shade
• A parking area at the landward end of the pier
• Restrooms, showers and food are found along Front Beach and in downtown Ocean Springs rather than on the pier itself
• No bait shop on the pier that we could confirm, so bring bait from a tackle shop in town

• Big black drum often bite late in the afternoon as the tide turns; have a heavy outfit rigged and ready
• Sheepshead fishing on the bridge pilings peaks from late winter into early spring
• Walk to the pavilions toward the far end for the deepest water and the strongest current
• After a cold front, work the deeper water slowly; fish hold tight and bite light
• Front Beach and its walking path make this an easy outing to combine with a family beach day

The pier is a Jackson County facility on Biloxi Bay.

• Follow the rules posted at the pier
• 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
• Recreational size, bag and season limits are set by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources at dmr.ms.gov
• Check current MDMR rules for size, bag and season limits before keeping anything