Mississippi Fishing Regulations: Offshore Rules by Species

Mississippi saltwater anglers fishing out of Gulfport, Biloxi, Pascagoula or Ocean Springs follow the same rules from the barrier islands out to the rigs and artificial reefs. The regulations for fishing in Mississippi are set by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR), NOAA Fisheries and the Gulf of America Fishery Management Council. Check the agency page for your species before you fish.

Mississippi Fishing Official Government Organizations

MDMR sets and enforces saltwater rules in Mississippi state waters. Its size and bag limits are in Title 22, Part 3, Chapter 7 of the Mississippi Administrative Code.

State waters have two outer lines. For reef fish (snappers, groupers, amberjacks, triggerfish and tilefish), state waters extend 9 nautical miles from the baseline, a distance set by federal appropriations law. MDMR publishes that line as a map with 16 coordinate points. For all other fisheries, state waters extend 3 nautical miles. Beyond those lines, NOAA Fisheries and the Gulf of America Fishery Management Council set the rules out to 200 nautical miles, under federal rules in 50 CFR part 622. Other Gulf and Atlantic states set their own state-water rules.

• Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR) – Sets and enforces saltwater fishing rules through Marine Patrol, from 1141 Bayview Avenue, Biloxi, 228-374-5000.
• Commission on Marine Resources – The body behind the Title 22 rules.
• Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP) – Sells the recreational fishing licenses and manages freshwater.
• NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office – Administers federal Gulf rules in 50 CFR part 622 and announces federal openings and closures.
• Gulf of America Fishery Management Council – Develops the federal reef fish and coastal migratory pelagic management measures.
• NOAA HMS Management Division – Issues the federal permits for tunas, billfish and swordfish.
• U.S. Coast Guard and NOAA Office of Law Enforcement – Inspect vessels for valid federal permits.

Mississippi Offshore Fishing Regulations by Species

Some rules apply to every species. The MDMR saltwater licensing page explains the license requirements. A saltwater fishing license is required south of Highway 90. Between Highway 90 and Interstate 10, either a saltwater or a freshwater license is valid. People under 16 are exempt.

License fees:

• Resident: $10 plus a $1 agent fee and a $2.49 process fee.
• Nonresident annual: $30 plus a $3 agent fee and a $4.42 process fee.
• Nonresident 3-day: $15 plus a $2 agent fee and a $4.42 process fee.
• Louisiana residents: the nonresident LA saltwater privilege ($60 plus fees), bought together with a nonresident freshwater privilege.

Licenses expire one year from purchase. You can buy one online through MDWFP, at the MDMR licensing office in Biloxi, or from authorized agents.

The Recreational Offshore Landing Permit (MS-ROLP) is required to possess any snapper, amberjack, grouper, hind, triggerfish or cobia. It is free, limited to one per calendar year, and expires December 31. Get it at rolp.mdmrapps.org with your MDWFP Customer ID before the trip. On a private trip, every angler aboard needs one. On a charter trip, the captain’s permit covers paying passengers. Lifetime license holders must renew it each year. For red snapper, one angler per vessel creates a Tails n’ Scales trip number before departing. Reef fish carry a 20-fish aggregate per person per day.

Gear rules for federal reef fish are the same wherever you fish them. Use non-stainless steel circle hooks with natural bait. Carry at least one dehooking device, and keep a descending device or venting tool rigged and ready. Fish must stay whole, with head, tail and flesh on, until you reach your final destination on land, though gutting, scaling and gilling are allowed. On a trip longer than 24 hours with a float plan filed with MDMR before departure, you may carry filleted fish up to one day’s bag limit per species. In federal waters, keep head and fins intact. Fish caught elsewhere may be landed if they meet the limits where caught, except red snapper caught outside Mississippi territorial waters. On the permitted reef areas (FH 4, FH 8, FH 9/11, FH 10, FH 14 and Cat Island Reef), use no more than 3 hooks per line and no spear gear with power heads. Selling recreationally caught seafood is unlawful. These regulations cover Gulf offshore fishing from state waters to 200 nautical miles.

Vermilion, Lane and Other Snappers in Mississippi

Vermilion, lane and the other non-red snappers have their own size limits but share the reef fish aggregate.

• LengthVermilion: 10 inches total length. Lane: 8 inches total length. Mutton: 18 inches total length. Gray, schoolmaster, cubera, dog, mahogany and yellowtail: 12 inches total length. Queen, blackfin, silk and wenchman: no size limit.
• Bag limitVermilion: 10 per person, inside the 20-fish aggregate. Lane: inside the 20-fish aggregate. Other snappers: 10 per person combined, no more than 5 mutton. Same in state and federal waters.
• SeasonNo closed season in state rules. No federal closed season listed.
• Gear and permitsMS-ROLP required, except for gray snapper caught north of the Intracoastal Waterway. Federal reef fish gear applies.

Check the MDMR recreational catch limits before fishing.