Mississippi Spearfishing Rules Card

Legal status

Saltwater LegalFreshwater Permitted

Spearfishing is legal in Mississippi in both salt and fresh water, and, unlike neighboring Alabama, Mississippi requires NO separate spearfishing license.

License

Required: Mississippi recreational fishing license (saltwater recreational fishing license issued by MDMR, or freshwater fishing license issued by MDWFP), there is NO.

Resident: Saltwater: $13.49 for the annual resident recreational saltwater fishing license ($10 base + $3.49 processing/agent fees); residents 65+ buy a one-time lifetime saltwater license for $8.49 ($5 + $3.49 fees).

Non-resident: Saltwater: MDMR states nonresident fees 'may vary' and directs anglers to call 228-374-5000 for the current amount. Freshwater (MDWFP): nonresident annual $68.00, 3-Day $30.00, 1-Day $10.00, before processing (~$4.42) and agent fees.

Gear rules

• Spearguns: Allowed. Mississippi's marine rules list 'bow, spear or gig' as a legal method with 'no restriction on number of prongs' and do not single.
• Pole spears: Allowed. A pole spear is a 'spear' under the same provisions that permit 'bow, spear or gig' in salt water (no prong-count limit).
• On scuba: Not addressed in the primary rules reviewed.
• Fresh water: spear/gig/bow may be used only for the listed nongame/rough fish; game fish are off-limits to these methods.
• Fresh water: catfish may not be taken by spear or gig from May 1 through July 15.
• Salt water: reef fish taken by spear (snapper, grouper, amberjack, triggerfish, hind, cobia) require the free Recreational Offshore Landing.
• Salt water: in the permitted artificial-reef areas (Fish Havens and Cat Island Reef, coordinates listed in Title 22 Part 03, Chapter 14) it.

Do not spear

• Fresh water, all GAME fish may not be speared, gigged or bow-fished
• Salt water, NO-TAKE species
• Salt water, Atlantic Bluefin Tuna is NOT a lawful spearfishing target and is NOT flat no-take: Title 22 Part 03, Chapter 10 makes it unlawful to take or possess bluefin EXCEPT incidental recreational catches, capped at one
• Salt water, billfish and tarpon are NOT no-take but carry very large minimum sizes and tight limits

Area restrictions

• Gulf Islands National Seashore (barrier-island waters administered by the National Park Service): the Park Service prohibits commercial fishing.
• Salt water: gill/trammel nets, seines and fish traps are barred within 100 feet of the mouth of any bay, bayou, creek, canal, stream, lake, inlet.
• No statewide distance-from-swimmers/pier/beach spearfishing setback was found in the primary rules reviewed; local municipal, harbor, marina or park.

Before you dive

• Never dive alone: one up, one down.
• Check current seasons and sizes the morning of the dive.
• Confirm with Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR) — saltwater/marine waters; Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP) — fresh waters: https://dmr.ms.gov