Best time to fish in Pascagoula
Today, Wednesday, October 28, 2026 · local time (CDT) · Mississippi, United States Today, Wed, Oct 28 · CDT- High tides
- 11:30 pm
- Major periods
- 1:31–3:31 am and 2:03–4:03 pm
- Solunar activity
- Medium
- Sun
- 7:06 am–6:10 pm
Today, Wednesday, October 28, the best time to fish in Pascagoula is 8:20 am to 10:20 am, with the 9:25 am low tide and moonset. It's an average day (6/10). The best day this week is Friday, October 30, at 7/10.
Your day in Pascagoula at a glance
The strip runs from midnight to midnight, local time. Night in gray, daylight in yellow; the blue curve is the tide; below, the solunar periods and the best windows.
Fishing forecast for the next 7 days
| Day | Rating | Best times | High tides | Moon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today | 6average day | 8:20–10:20 am10:30 pm–12:00 am | ▲ 11:30 pm | Waning gibbous |
| Thu 29 | 4fair day | 10:10 am–12:10 pm11:20 pm–12:00 am | — | Waning gibbous |
| Fri 30 | 7good day | 5:30–6:10 pm11:50 am–1:50 pm | ▲ 12:20 am | Waning gibbous |
| Sat 31 | 7good day | 5:30–6:30 pm12:50–2:50 pm | ▲ 1:16 am | Waning gibbous |
| Sun 1 | 7good day | 5:40–6:40 am12:40–2:40 pm | ▲ 1:17 am | Last quarter |
| Mon 2 | 6average day | 5:40–6:40 am2:30–3:20 pm | ▲ 2:16 am | Waning crescent |
| Tue 3 | 4fair day | 5:50–8:20 am6:40–8:40 pm | ▲ 3:08 am ▲ 9:42 pm | Waning crescent |
Each day's rating comes from the tide, the solunar periods, the light and, when we have the forecast, the weather.
What can you catch in Pascagoula?
Sport fishing species with the most records within about 19 mi of Pascagoula: spot, Atlantic croaker, southern kingfish, striped mullet and ladyfish. October is one of the months when these are seen most: southern kingfish and red drum.
- Spot Leiostomus xanthurus · fish · 3,518 records Photo: NOAA's Fisheries Collection; Collection of Brandi Noble · public domain · Wikimedia Commons
- JanJ
- FebF
- MarM
- AprA
- MayM
- JunJ
- JulJ
- AugA
- SepS
- OctO
- NovN
- DecD
- Atlantic croaker Micropogonias undulatus · fish · 2,782 records Photo: Carvalho-Souza, Gómez & González-Ortegón (2024) · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- JanJ
- FebF
- MarM
- AprA
- MayM
- JunJ
- JulJ
- AugA
- SepS
- OctO
- NovN
- DecD
- Southern kingfish Menticirrhus americanus · fish · 685 records Photo: Cláudio D. Timm · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- JanJ
- FebF
- MarM
- AprA
- MayM
- JunJ
- JulJ
- AugA
- SepS
- OctO
- NovN
- DecD
- Striped mullet Mugil cephalus · fish · 188 records Photo: Roberto Pillon · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- JanJ
- FebF
- MarM
- AprA
- MayM
- JunJ
- JulJ
- AugA
- SepS
- OctO
- NovN
- DecD
- Ladyfish Elops saurus · fish · 93 records Photo: Wikimedia Commons · public domain
- JanJ
- FebF
- MarM
- AprA
- MayM
- JunJ
- JulJ
- AugA
- SepS
- OctO
- NovN
- DecD
- Spotted seatrout Cynoscion nebulosus · fish · 75 records Photo: United States Fish Commission · public domain · Wikimedia Commons
- JanJ
- FebF
- MarM
- AprA
- MayM
- JunJ
- JulJ
- AugA
- SepS
- OctO
- NovN
- DecD
- Red drum Sciaenops ocellatus · fish · 45 records Photo: Hines, Robert W. · public domain · Wikimedia Commons
- JanJ
- FebF
- MarM
- AprA
- MayM
- JunJ
- JulJ
- AugA
- SepS
- OctO
- NovN
- DecD
- Southern flounder Paralichthys lethostigma · fish · 41 records Photo: SEFSC Pascagoula Laboratory; Collection of Brandi Noble, NOAA/NMFS/SEFSC · public domain · Wikimedia Commons
- JanJ
- FebF
- MarM
- AprA
- MayM
- JunJ
- JulJ
- AugA
- SepS
- OctO
- NovN
- DecD
These are sightings and catches recorded since 1970 (reports from divers and anglers, scientific surveys and museum collections), not a promise that you will catch them. The months come from sightings only, adjusted for how many there are each month; hatched months have too few to tell.
Source: GBIF.org, which also gathers OBIS data. Only records licensed CC0 or CC BY 4.0, from 1,130 datasets (retrieved October 24, 2026). Where the data comes from
Photos: each species' image on Wikidata (Wikimedia Commons) or, if there isn't one, one from GBIF; only licences that allow this use, each with its author and licence.
What anglers catch most in Mississippi
Recreational saltwater catch across the whole state in September and October (2021–2025 average), from NOAA's recreational fishing survey (MRIP). It counts fish kept and fish released; bait fish are left out.
From shore
Beaches, piers, jetties and rocks
- Sand seatrout 540,000 * 40% released
- Atlantic croaker 440,000 * 75% released
- Hardhead catfish 270,000 100% released
- Pinfish 210,000 80% released
- Southern flounder 98,000 * 80% released
Private or rental boat
Private boats and rentals without a captain
- Sand seatrout 640,000 25% released
- Spotted seatrout 330,000 75% released
- Hardhead catfish 280,000 100% released
- Red drum 140,000 75% released
- Red snapper 120,000 * 90% released
Charter or party boat
Charters and party (head) boats
- Red drum 1,900 55% released
- Hardhead catfish 1,800 * 100% released
- Sand seatrout 1,500 * 15% released
- Spotted seatrout 970 75% released
- Black drum 910
Fish a year · * Less precise figure: use with caution
All year: the top three every two months
| Months | Species |
|---|---|
| Jan–Feb | Black drum, Hardhead catfish, Spotted seatrout |
| Mar–Apr | Atlantic croaker, Hardhead catfish, Sand seatrout |
| May–Jun | Atlantic croaker, Hardhead catfish, Sand seatrout |
| Jul–Aug | Atlantic croaker, Hardhead catfish, Sand seatrout |
| Sep–Oct | Sand seatrout, Atlantic croaker, Hardhead catfish |
| Nov–Dec | Sand seatrout, Black drum, Atlantic stingray |
| Months | Species |
|---|---|
| Jan–Feb | Spotted seatrout, Sheepshead, Red drum |
| Mar–Apr | Spotted seatrout, Sand seatrout, Atlantic croaker |
| May–Jun | Spotted seatrout, Sand seatrout, Hardhead catfish |
| Jul–Aug | Spotted seatrout, Sand seatrout, Hardhead catfish |
| Sep–Oct | Sand seatrout, Spotted seatrout, Hardhead catfish |
| Nov–Dec | Spotted seatrout, Sand seatrout, Red drum |
| Months | Species |
|---|---|
| Jan–Feb | No data |
| Mar–Apr | Sand seatrout, Sheepshead, Red drum |
| May–Jun | Spotted seatrout, Red snapper, Red drum |
| Jul–Aug | Spotted seatrout, Sand seatrout, Hardhead catfish |
| Sep–Oct | Red drum, Hardhead catfish, Sand seatrout |
| Nov–Dec | Sand seatrout, Largemouth bass, Sheepshead |
These are estimates from a survey of anglers, not a count, and they cover the whole state, not this exact spot. Each figure is the average for one year in those two months, rounded. Only species with a relative standard error of up to 50% are shown, NOAA's standard; those marked * are between 30% and 50%, and NOAA advises using them with caution.
Source: NOAA Fisheries, Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP), wave-level catch estimates for 2021–2025. Courtesy: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Where the data comes from
Piers, ramps and tackle shops nearby
Map: OpenFreeMap · © OpenMapTiles · © OpenStreetMap contributors
- Fishing pier 2.1 mi
- NOAA 0.4 mi
- USCG 2.2 mi
- Jetty 2.2 mi
- NOAA GMSF 0.4 mi
- Boat ramp 0.5 mi
- Boat ramp 1.4 mi
- Pascagoula Inner Harbor 1.2 mi
- Pascagoula Yacht Club 2.7 mi
- CC's Bait Shop 3.0 mi
- Master bait more 3.7 mi
- Sector Energy 3.0 mi
Within 9.3 mi. A spot may be missing or closed. Open the map on OpenStreetMap · Missing one? Add it to OpenStreetMap
Spots: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps.
Artificial reefs and wrecks to fish from a boat
Artificial reefs and wrecks draw fish, so they make good spots to fish from a boat. The nearest ones, within 16 mi.
- Pascagoula River Site 1 1.3 mi
- Pascagoula Municipal Pier 2.2 mi
- Pascagoula Front Beach 2.5 mi
- Pascagoula West River Mouth 2.6 mi
- Round Island Jetty 5.6 mi
- Graveline 7.0 mi
Check the rules before you go: some have closed seasons, protected zones or banned gear. Wreck and reef positions are approximate and not for navigation; a wreck’s depth runs from the top of the hull to the seabed.
Artificial reefs: NOAA and BOEM (MarineCadastre.gov), a U.S. Government work.
How we work out the best time
We score every moment of the day, every 10 minutes, with simple rules anglers have used for decades:
- Tide: 2 to 3.5 points in the hour before and the hour after each high and low tide. Spring tides (high coefficient) score more, because the water moves faster.
- Solunar: 2.5 points in the major periods (moon overhead or underfoot) and 1.5 in the minor ones (moonrise and moonset).
- Light: 2 points at dawn and dusk, from first light to the end of the morning golden hour and from the evening golden hour to the end of twilight.
- Weather: falling pressure adds 1 point and rising pressure takes 1 away; wind takes points away from force 4 (about 12 mph), up to 5 points in a gale; waves of 1.6 ft to 4.9 ft add half a point (they stir up the water) and from 8.2 ft they take points away (up to 4).
- Best windows: the stretches of 40 minutes to 3 hours with the most points, at least an hour apart.
- Day's rating out of 10: the best window (up to 5), the moon (up to 2, near new or full moon), the tide coefficient (up to 2) and whether a solunar period lines up with sunrise or sunset (1). Without a tide, we score out of 8 and scale it to 10. Good weather adds up to 1 point and bad weather pulls it down.
Today: best window 3.0 of 5, moon 1 of 2, coefficient 2 of 2 and lineup 0 of 1.
It's a guide, not a guarantee: fish don't read tide tables. Always check the sea conditions and local fishing rules before you go.
Learn more
Fishing rules in Pascagoula
Licenses, size limits, bag limits and closed seasons are set by the authorities and change often. We don't copy them here: check the official website before you go.
Questions about fishing in Pascagoula
What's the best time to fish in Pascagoula today?
8:20 am to 10:20 am, with the 9:25 am low tide and moonset. Also 10:30 pm to 12:00 am and 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Today's rating: 6/10 (average day).
What about tomorrow? When's the best time to fish in Pascagoula?
Tomorrow, Thursday, October 29: 10:10 am to 12:10 pm, with a rating of 4/10.
Which day this week is best for fishing in Pascagoula?
Friday, October 30, at 7/10. Its best window is 5:30 pm to 6:10 pm.
What can you catch in Pascagoula?
Sport fishing species with the most records within about 19 mi of Pascagoula: spot, Atlantic croaker, southern kingfish, striped mullet and ladyfish. October is one of the months when these are seen most: southern kingfish and red drum. These are sightings and catches recorded in GBIF and OBIS, not a promise that you will catch them.
When are the solunar periods in Pascagoula today?
Major: 1:31–3:31 am and 2:03–4:03 pm. Minor: 9:27–10:27 am and 7:36–8:36 pm. Solunar activity today: medium.
Does the tide affect fishing in Pascagoula?
Yes. Today high tide is at 11:30 pm and low tide at 9:25 am, with a tide coefficient of 116 (big spring tides). The hours around each tide change tend to fish best, because moving water carries food.
How is the rating worked out?
From the tide, the solunar periods, the light at dawn and dusk, the moon phase and, when we have the forecast, the pressure, the wind and the waves. Each factor gives a fixed number of points and the rating sums them up out of 10.
Does it take the weather into account?
Yes. During today's best window: steady pressure (30.21 inHg), light offshore wind (6 mph) and calm sea (1.3 ft waves). Strong wind and big waves lower the rating; falling pressure raises it a little.
What are the fishing rules in Pascagoula?
Recreational fishing rules in Pascagoula (licenses, size limits, bag limits and closed seasons) are set by the authorities: Mississippi Department of Marine Resources; offshore, NOAA Fisheries. They change often: check the official website before you go.
More about Pascagoula today
Our own calculation: tide from Pascagoula NOAA Lab (NOAA), sun and moon with astronomy-engine and, when available, weather and sea from Open-Meteo (ECMWF, NOAA GFS and Copernicus Marine, CC BY 4.0). Slackwater database (https://github.com/openwatersio/slackwater-database)