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Big Black River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Mississippi’s quiet river: the Big Black runs bass, bream and catfish through the heart of the state.

3/5
Fair. Fish early or late.Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.
Water temp
~84 F est.
Air / High
95 / 95 F
Wind
NE 4 mph

Sources: Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

3/5Fair. Fish early or late.Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.

Big Black River stays in its summer rhythm: early magic, midday siesta, evening reprieve. Today brings cloud cover, wind NE around 4 mph, rising pressure near 1012 hPa and a high of 95. Water sits around 84 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: plan around them and beat the heat.

The plan, species by species

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

Anchor on 20-30 ft baited holes with punch bait or cut shad. They keep biting through the heat when everything else quits.

Largemouth bassFair

Topwater at first light on points and seawalls, then slide out to 12-25 ft brush and points with a Carolina rig, deep crank or drop shot. The bite is dawn, dusk or deep.

White bassFair

Early schooling action over humps; slabs and small spinners under the birds.

CrappieSlow

Straight down on bridge pilings and deep brush at 15-25 ft. Minnows outfish jigs in hot water; move until the graph shows them stacked.

Tomorrow: Similar at 98 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~84 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp95 F
High / Low95 / 75 F
WindNE 4-6 mph
Pressure1012.4 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain100% cloud, 21%
Sunrise / Sunset06:40 / 19:24
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~84 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Showers, 95/75 F, wind 12 mph, rain 21%

Fair or better. A 12 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Big Black River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Largemouth bass illustration

Largemouth bass

Best: spring and fall

The headline act on most American reservoirs. Relates to cover: docks, brush, grass edges and points. Topwater at first light on points and seawalls, then slide out to 12-25 ft brush and points with a Carolina rig, deep crank or drop shot. The bite is dawn, dusk or deep.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: Nov-Mar

Brush piles, bridge pilings and standing timber. The fish fry favorite. Straight down on bridge pilings and deep brush at 15-25 ft. Minnows outfish jigs in hot water; move until the graph shows them stacked.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Good year-round

The most reliable bite on most southern waters. Blues run big; channels fill the cooler. Anchor on 20-30 ft baited holes with punch bait or cut shad. They keep biting through the heat when everything else quits.

White bass illustration

White bass

Best: Mar-May run

River-run spawners and open-water schoolers. Fast limits when you find them. Early schooling action over humps; slabs and small spinners under the birds.

When to come: the Big Black River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Largemouth bass
Crappie
Catfish (blue, channel)
White bass
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 84 F (estimated, not a reading).

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~84 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Big Black River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 94 F, wind to 9 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 95 F, wind to 8 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Catfish (blue, channel) led the card at good. High of 95 F, wind to 9 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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Before you go

License

Mississippi requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Mississippi license. Bass, crappie and catfish limits per current MDWFP regulations.

Access

Road crossings and public access points from Bentonia and Edwards toward Vicksburg.

About this water

A 330-mile river through central Mississippi to the Mississippi River south of Vicksburg.

Fishing Big Black River: the full guide

A river through central Mississippi

The Big Black River flows about 330 miles through central Mississippi to the Mississippi River south of Vicksburg, a winding, sandy, tannin-stained river through farmland and bottomland forest. It holds largemouth and spotted bass, bream, crappie, channel and flathead catfish, and it sees a fraction of the pressure the state’s reservoirs absorb.

Bass and bream

Largemouth and spotted bass hold the log jams, cut banks and deeper bends: spinnerbaits, plastics and topwater fished tight to wood, with the sandy river offering less structure than a reservoir but concentrating fish where cover exists. Bream fishing around the wood in late spring is excellent and a local tradition.

Catfish and the sandbars

Channel and flathead catfish are abundant and grow well, taken on cut and live bait in the deeper holes and around log jams, particularly at night in summer. The river’s sandbars make natural campsites for float trips, and the shifting channel means structure changes with every high water.

Central Mississippi logistics

Access is via road crossings and public areas from Bentonia and Edwards down toward Vicksburg. Services are minimal along the corridor. The river rises quickly with rain and stays turbid: fish the falling water, and watch for deadfalls and shifting sandbars when floating.

Common questions

Is it crowded?

Rarely: it sees a fraction of the pressure Mississippi’s reservoirs absorb, which is much of its appeal.

Where do bass hold?

Log jams, cut banks and deeper bends: the sandy river concentrates fish wherever wood provides cover.

Can I camp on the river?

Sandbars make natural campsites for float trips, though the channel shifts with every high water.

Is fishing good at Big Black River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.

Nearby waters

Ross Barnett Reservoir49 miLake Chicot72 miOuachita River74 miLake D Arbonne94 miWhite River111 miCaney Lake118 mi
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