Answers to FAQ
Mississippi
Department of Marine Resources
Yes, a saltwater fishing license at a cost of $11.85 is required to fish South of Highway 90. Above Highway 90 and below I-10 either a saltwater or freshwater license will suffice, and above I-10 a freshwater license is required. Persons under the age of 16 and over 65 are exempt.
You can purchase a saltwater license at the Department of Marine Resources headquarters in the Bolton State Office Building at 1141 Bayview Avenue in Biloxi or at any K-Mart or Wal-Mart. Many tackle shops will also offer licenses for sale.
- I've caught a big fish. Is it a record breaker?
Maybe! Check out our records page for current record holders and forms for submitting your catch.
Yes, piers are regulated activities requiring a wetlands permit from the Department of Marine Resources.
- Where is a good place to catch fish without a boat?
The entire front beach offers excellent wade fishing during the spring, summer, and fall months; and there are numerous public fishing piers and jetties in the three coastal counties that also provide good fishing opportunities.
- What is the best way to catch saltwater fish?
The ways to catch fish are as different as the fishermen who try to catch them, but live shrimp fished under a popping cork is, by far, the most popular among local anglers.
- How deep is the water in Mississippi Sound?
From the near shore beaches to the offshore barrier islands, the Sound averages only about eleven feet in depth, including the deepwater channels that run in excess of thirty feet.
- Where can I get coordinates for Mississippi’s offshore fishing reefs?
Both offshore and near shore reef coordinates (GPS) are available on the Department of Marine Resources web site.
- When is the best time to go saltwater fishing?
For most of us, anytime we get the chance is a good time to go fishing. As the saying goes, "even a bad day fishing is better than a good day at the office." If you want to improve your chances of catching fish though, you should fish when the tide is moving strongly – either right as it begins to fall or several hours before it reaches its peak height.
- How do I report a fishing violation?
Fishing violations can be called in to the Marine Patrol through a toll-free number (1-800-294-5551).
Processing times for permits for wetlands construction activities vary greatly, depending on the extent of the work involved and the anticipated impacts. For a typical bulkhead construction involving no complications, the permit could be obtained in as little time as two weeks to a month.
- Where can I get a Boat and Water Safety certificate?
Boat and water safety certification training is periodically offered by the Department of Marine Resources. Contact the Marine Patrol Office
for the time and place of the next classes offered near you.
- When is the next meeting of the Commission on Marine Resources?
The Commission on Marine Resources meetings begin at 9 a.m. on the third Tuesday of the month unless otherwise posted. Unless otherwise posted, they are held in the Mississippi State Extension Center, 1815 Popps Ferry Road, Biloxi, MS 39532, until the Bolton Building repairs are completed. The public is invited to attend.
A “jubilee” occurs whenever the dissolved oxygen in the water reaches critical levels for fish, causing them to come to the surface and even run up onto the shore in an attempt to breathe. This is most common during the hot summer months when the oxygen carrying capacity of the water is at its lowest.
- Can I harvest oysters by hand from the seawall or other near shore structures?
Generally, no, the variable water quality in these near shore areas has resulted in many of them being classified as prohibited or restricted to protect public health.
- Do I need a license to catch bait with a minnow seine?
You do not need a license to catch bait using a small mesh beach seine provided that it is under 100‘ in length.
- How do I submit a fish for state record consideration?
If you have caught a fish that you feel qualifies as a new state record, you can obtain an application from the Office of Marine Fisheries or from the records web page. You will need a photograph of the fish as well as a photograph of you and the fish, a positive identification by a qualified individual, and witnesses to the catch and weighing.
- Where can I get a copy of the latest tide tables for Mississippi Sound?
You can click here: Tide Table
Tide tables are also published daily in the Sun-Herald newspaper, available at newsstands across the coast. The Mississippi Sea Grant Advisory Service also publishes annual Tide Tables for Mississippi waters.
Besides Marine Fisheries Management and Wetlands Permitting, the agency is also responsible for seafood plant inspection and certification, coastal preserves management, installation of marine pump out stations, removal of derelict vessels, administration of boat and water safety programs, marine law enforcement, shellfish growing-waters management, saltwater fish/shrimp/oyster licensing, Tidelands program administration, and management of the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.
Contact the Public Affairs Office
- What is the current size limit for specific fish in federal waters?
Contact the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council at 888-833-1844 or access their Web page at http://www.gulfcouncil.org.
Boats are registered by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife Fisheries and Parks in Jackson MS . Their phone number is (601) 364-2036, and their web site is http://www.mdwfp.com/.
- Where can I buy a state duck stamp?
The Department of Marine Resources sells the state duck stamp at 1141 Bayview Ave, Biloxi, Mississippi.
The Department of Marine Resources does sell hunting and fishing licenses at 1141 Bayview Ave, Biloxi, Mississippi.
No. With a recreational license, it is illegal to sell any of your catch.
See our licensing web pages at Licensing and Shrimp Licensing.
You can apply for a Captain's License at the Biloxi Marine Training Center, the address is 717-A Water St., Biloxi MS. Phone (228) 436-3110.
A saltwater sports fishing license costs $11.85 and fish caught cannot be offered for sale. A commercial license costs $200.00, which allows you to sell your catch.
The precise date is set after it has been determined that the shrimp have reached the minimum legal size of 68 to the pound. Shrimp season has historically opened sometime during the first two weeks of June. When the shrimp reach the specified size, the Executive Director of The Department of Marine Resources will declare the season open and the season will close December 31.
Your hunter education card is issued by the Department of Wildlife Fisheries and Parks, and their phone number is 1-800-670-9616.
Commercial speckled trout season opens on October 1st and closes on or before September 30th of the following year when the established 40,000 pound catch limit has been reported. When this quota has been met, The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources will issue a public notice closing state waters to commercial speckled trout fishing.
How do I know the oysters I buy are safe to eat?
The seafood health safety program is managed by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources through its Seafood Technology program that includes seafood sanitation and health safety inspections of certified shellfish dealers.
Sanitation and health safety processing guidelines for molluscan shellfish are developed by the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference. These guidelines are published in the National Shellfish Sanitation Program (NSSP) Guide For The Control Of Molluscan Shellfish. These guidelines are standardized, revised as needed and applied nationwide in all states involved in the handling molluscan shellfish. The DMR applies the NSSP guidelines when conducting sanitation and health safety compliance inspections of all Mississippi certified molluscan shellfish dealers.
The US Food and Drug Administration periodically reviews the program for compliance with the NSSP guidelines.
In the long history of oyster processing in Mississippi, there have been no documented disease outbreaks caused by the processing procedures used by certified Mississippi oyster dealers.
This record reflects the success of a program that provides consumers of Mississippi oysters the utmost confidence that they have purchased a safe an wholesome product.
The following activities require permits:
- Dredging of channels, canals, boat slips, marinas
- Construction of bulkheads, piers, boat ramps, boat houses, structures on designed sites for water dependent industry (Coastal area only)
- Any type of filling
- Burning
- Clearing
- Seismic Exploration
If in doubt, call the Coastal Ecology Permitting Department for an inspection to help determine your requirements. Please provide the exact location with directions to the property and landmarks. Lot numbers are insufficient directions. These directions may be faxed to (228) 374-5008 or emailed
Call the Permitting Department at (228) 374-5000 ext. 4106, and give the representative your name and mailing address. A packet with the necessary forms and instructions will be mailed to you within 24 hours or download it on our permitting web page.
Yes. The following fees, payable to State of Mississippi, apply:
- $50.00 Residential
- $500.00 Commercial
- $50.00 Cost of Public Notice Fee
As the weather warms, the number of permits applications increases. Applications are processed upon receipt and property inspections are scheduled in the order of receipt of the application.
We ask for your patience during the peak season; however, if you have a questions regarding the status of your application, please call the Permitting Department at (228) 374-5022 ext. 5180. Please have the following information ready:
- First and last name
- Mailing address
- Project description
- Project location
- Impacted waterway
- Impacted waterway's county
Call the Permitting Department and ask for a "Request for Disclosure of Public Records" form. There is a small fee for reproductions of the public records which is explained in these instructions.
- My neighbor is filling in some marshland, is
he/she in compliance?
Call the Permitting Department and ask for a "Request for Disclosure of Public Records" form. There is a small fee for reproductions of the public records which is explained in these instructions.