Fishes Black Creek
Creek · Forrest and Perry counties, Mississippi's only designated Wild and Scenic river, running southeast through the De Soto National Forest past Brooklyn on white sand bars beneath longleaf pine · Mississippi
Black Creek Fishing Guides
Mississippi's only Wild and Scenic river, a tannin-dark sand-bottomed creek through the De Soto National Forest and the best known canoe and float water in the state.
Gauge location. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Guides on the Black Creek
Claimed profiles take booking requests. Unclaimed profiles are built from public records so the river is never empty; the guide can claim or remove one any time.
Order on this page: premium and outfitter plans first (labelled Premium placement), then claimed free profiles, then unclaimed — one published price, no bidding for position. How placement works
About the Black Creek
Black Creek runs southeast through the De Soto National Forest in Forrest and Perry counties and carries the only federal Wild and Scenic designation in Mississippi. It is a blackwater stream in the proper sense: tannin-stained, clear rather than muddy, running over clean white sand between cutbanks of longleaf pine and cypress, with broad sand bars on every inside bend. Forty-odd miles of it lie within the national forest, and a long designated wilderness reach sits in the middle, which has kept the corridor largely free of houses and made the creek the best known float water in the state by a wide margin.
The fishing is secondary to the float for many visitors, and that is part of its character, but it is real. Largemouth and spotted bass hold against laydowns, root wads and the deep outside corners of bends, running smaller than reservoir fish but present in good numbers and willing. Bluegill, redear sunfish and warmouth fill the shaded margins and the slack water behind sand bars, and they are what most families come for. Channel catfish work the deeper holes, and longnose gar patrol the long straight runs. A canoe or kayak is the right boat, and the sand bars make camping and wade fishing straightforward along most of the creek.
The gauge near Brooklyn reports discharge and stage without temperature, and on a sand-bottomed blackwater creek the stage trace is the number that decides whether a float is a pleasure or a drag. Too low and the shallow crossings between bends become walking; too high and the sand bars disappear along with the places to stop, while the current moves faster than most paddlers want. The useful window sits in the middle of the range, and the creek drops back into it within a few days of a rise. Spring and autumn carry the most dependable water. Late summer is the season that strands boats.
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Access
Brooklyn - the community at the gauge, with the most used launch on the middle creek.
De Soto National Forest - the national forest the creek runs through, with designated launches and camping.
Black Creek Wilderness - the wilderness reach downstream, the least developed part of the corridor.
Hattiesburg - the nearest city, with full services, outfitters and shuttles.
Janice - the small settlement upstream, with forest road access and the Cypress Creek confluence.
Wiggins - the town to the south, and the nearest services on the lower creek.
Fairley Bridge - the landing on the lower creek, and the usual take-out for long floats.
Seasons
Spring: the best water of the year, with strong flows, cool temperatures and bass active against the wood.
Summer: bream and catfish carry the fishing, floats are slow and shallow, and the sand bars make it the busiest paddling season.
Fall: flows return, the crowds thin, and bass feed hard along the cutbanks in clear tannin water.
Winter: low and cold, fished mostly from the bank and the deeper holes, with mild spells producing the better days.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Black Creek?
As of Nov 2, 6:45 am, the USGS gauge BLACK CREEK NR BROOKLYN, MS reads 179 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Black Creek?
Anglers target Black Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Longnose Gar, Redear Sunfish, Spotted Bass, Warmouth on the Black Creek in Mississippi.
Are there fishing guides on the Black Creek?
GuidedFloats lists 1 guide and outfitters on the Black Creek. Claimed profiles accept booking requests; unclaimed profiles are built from public records and link to the business.
Where can you access the Black Creek?
Brooklyn - the community at the gauge, with the most used launch on the middle creek. De Soto National Forest - the national forest the creek runs through, with designated launches and camping. Black Creek Wilderness - the wilderness reach downstream, the least developed part of the corridor. Hattiesburg - the nearest city, with full services, outfitters and shuttles. Janice - the small settlement upstream, with forest road access and the Cypress Creek confluence. Wiggins - the town to the south, and the nearest services on the lower creek. Fairley Bridge - the landing on the lower creek, and...
When is the best time to fish the Black Creek?
Spring: the best water of the year, with strong flows, cool temperatures and bass active against the wood. Summer: bream and catfish carry the fishing, floats are slow and shallow, and the sand bars make it the busiest paddling season. Fall: flows return, the crowds thin, and bass feed hard along the cutbanks in clear tannin water. Winter: low and cold, fished mostly from the bank and the deeper holes, with mild spells producing the better days.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Black Creek?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Mississippi agency site: https://www.mdwfp.com/fishing-boating/