Lower Mississippi River Conservation Committee

Restoring America's Greatest River

FISHING

The Lower Mississippi River and its floodplain lakes and backwaters offer a wide range of fishing opportunities. And now anglers have access to the first comprehensive guide to sport fishing this productive waterway.

Fisherman in a boat holding up a hybrid striped bass
Hybrid Striped Bass are among the prized species on the Lower Mississippi River. Photo by Sidney Montgomery.

Interactive Guide: Fishing the Lower Mississippi River

  • Download the fishing guide (PDF, 11 MB for laptops, desktop, or mobile device)

Information in the guide includes:

  • Information on the fish in the Mississippi River: how to catch crappie, catfish, white bass and other game fish in a variety of river and floodplain habitats
  • Important boat safety and access information
  • Links to detailed fishing maps covering more than 950 river miles from Cairo, Illinois, to the Gulf of Mexico. The maps show boat ramps, dike fields, public lands and other features.

How to Use the Guide

The guide can be viewed online, downloaded as an Adobe Flash file (the best version for reading on a desktop or laptop) or downloaded as a pdf (the best version for printing or viewing on an iPad or other mobile device). In the guide, internet links are provided to information on river stages, fishing regulations, safety information and other topics.

Acknowledgements

Content was provided by experienced river angler Tommy Shropshire and a panel of experts. LMRCC staff supervised the design and editing of the document. The nearly 100-page guide was produced with support from the Walton Family Foundation.