Mississippi provides strong freshwater fishing opportunities for catfish. Lakes, rivers, and reservoirs across the state offer reliable action for anglers.
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Regulations for Catfish in Mississippi
Disclaimer: Always check local fishing regulations, water access rights and land ownership before fishing, regardless of any catches logged in that area by the Fishbrain community. Fishbrain has mapped millions of acres of government-owned land across the USA to help you identify potential fishing access, but you are responsible for ensuring compliance with all legal requirements.
Fishing regulations in Mississippi can change throughout the year. Make sure to check this page before fishing for the most up to date rules and regulations for the current season. Local regulations govern when you can fish, the max size of the fish you can keep, how many fish you can keep, and more.
Below you will see fishing regulations for catching Channel catfish as of May 16th, 2026. To view regulations for a different fish species, please click on your preferred species in the drop-down.
Channel catfish
Seasons
Open
There is no statewide minimum size limit for catfish (blue, channel, and flathead).
There is no statewide creel limit on catfish. The length limit on catfish (blue, channel and flathead) shall be no more than 1 catfish over 34-inches per person on reciprocated waters with AL and TN.
The following waterbodies have modified creel limits for catfish (blue, channel, and flathead):
Choctaw Lake; Choctaw County: no minimum size; creel limit = 5 catfish (blue, channel, and flathead)
Lake Okhissa; Franklin County: no minimum size; creel limit = 5 catfish;
ReCon Lake; Bolivar County: no minimum size; creel limit = 10 catfish;
All MDWFP State Fishing and Park Lakes Statewide: no minimum size; creel limit = 10 catfish.
These species can be found in many coastal waters, rivers and streams, lakes throughout the area. If you are targeting a specific species, you can use the to filter catches by species and see where anglers are catching them and which baits they are using.
Catfish are caught in coastal waters, rivers and streams, lakes throughout Mississippi. Popular fishing waters reported by Fishbrain members include Mississippi Sound, Pearl River, and Ross R Barnett Reservoir.
The allows anglers to see exact catch locations shared by other members, helping you discover productive fishing spots where Catfish have recently been caught.