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Pascagoula River Fishing Report

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

The last free river: the Pascagoula runs undammed to the gulf, holding bass, bream and coastal species in its swamps.

3/5
Fair. Fish early or late.Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.
Flow
1,640 cfs
Air / High
82 / 85 F
Wind
SW 6 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 02479000, 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.

Pascagoula River stays in its summer rhythm: early magic, midday siesta, evening reprieve. The river is running 1,640 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings cloud cover, wind SW around 6 mph, steady pressure near 1013 hPa and a high of 85. Water sits around 85 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

Redfish (red drum)Excellent

Dawn topwater over grass flats and shorelines, then follow them to deeper guts and channel edges with gold spoons and paddletails. Look for wakes and nervous bait.

Speckled troutGood

First light topwater over grass and shell, then deeper: free-lined live shrimp or croaker over 4-8 ft structure. The bite dies with the sun; night lights fish well.

Tomorrow: Warmer at 90 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 from Pascagoula River at Merrill.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 02479000.

1,8312,1852,5391,640 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp82 F
High / Low85 / 76 F
WindSW 6-9 mph
Pressure1013.2 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain77% cloud, 56%
Sunrise / Sunset06:32 / 19:14
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~85 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 · Storms, 85/76 F, wind 10 mph, rain 56%

Fair or better. Cloud and a rain chance can stretch the morning bite well past breakfast: keep moving baits tied on.

Species guide

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

Redfish (red drum) illustration

Redfish (red drum)

Best: Sep-Nov bull run

The copper-flanked king of the flats and surf: tailing in inches of water, schooling by the hundred in fall. Dawn topwater over grass flats and shorelines, then follow them to deeper guts and channel edges with gold spoons and paddletails. Look for wakes and nervous bait.

Speckled trout illustration

Speckled trout

Best: spring and fall

The Gulf coast's everyday obsession: soft mouths, violent topwater strikes and a fishery that lives by tide and bait. First light topwater over grass and shell, then deeper: free-lined live shrimp or croaker over 4-8 ft structure. The bite dies with the sun; night lights fish well.

When to come: the Pascagoula 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
Redfish (red drum)
Speckled trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 85 F (estimated, not a reading).

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~85 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 Pascagoula 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. Redfish (red drum) led the card at excellent. High of 94 F, wind to 8 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Redfish (red drum) led the card at excellent. High of 95 F, wind to 13 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Redfish (red drum) led the card at excellent. High of 94 F, wind to 7 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, with saltwater rules applying in the tidal reaches. Bass and inshore limits per current MDWFP and DMR regulations.

Access

Ramps at Cumbest Bluff, Wade and near Moss Point; extensive WMA land along the river.

About this water

An 80-mile undammed river through southeast Mississippi to the gulf, George and Jackson counties: the largest free-flowing river system in the lower 48.

Fishing Pascagoula River: the full guide

America’s last free-flowing large river

The Pascagoula River flows 80 miles through southeast Mississippi to the gulf, and its distinction is that no dam blocks it anywhere: the largest undammed river system by flow in the lower 48. That freedom shows in its ecology: a river of sandbars, oxbows and cypress swamps supporting largemouth bass, bream, catfish, and in the tidal lower reaches redfish and speckled trout.

Bass and bream

The bass fishery follows river level: high water spreads fish into the flooded timber and sloughs, low water concentrates them on the sandbars, cutbanks and deeper bends. Spinnerbaits, plastics and topwater all work, with the oxbows off the main channel holding the best cover. Bream fishing around the cypress in late spring is exceptional and a local tradition.

The tidal reach

Below the confluence with the Escatawpa, the river becomes tidal and species change: redfish and speckled trout hold the marsh edges and deeper bends, taking plastics and live bait on moving tides. Anglers can genuinely catch largemouth and redfish in the same day by moving between reaches, one of the river’s appeals.

South Mississippi logistics

Ramps serve the river at Cumbest Bluff, Wade and near Moss Point, with the Pascagoula River Wildlife Management Area protecting extensive bottomland. Sandbar camping is a tradition, and the river passes through some of the wildest country left on the Mississippi coast. Watch for deadfalls and shifting sandbars, which change with every high water.

Common questions

Why is it famous?

It is undammed: the largest free-flowing river system by volume in the lower 48, with an ecology that reflects that rarity.

Can I catch bass and redfish the same day?

Yes: the freshwater upper reaches and the tidal lower river are close enough to fish both.

Is navigation tricky?

Deadfalls and shifting sandbars change with every high water: run carefully and expect the channel to move between visits.

Is fishing good at Pascagoula 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

Biloxi42 miMobile Bay53 miDauphin Island61 miGulf Shores78 miEscambia River91 miPensacola97 mi
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