Bouie Creek Fishing Guides
A sand and clay creek on the north edge of Hattiesburg, fished and paddled close to town before it joins the Leaf River.
Guides on the Bouie Creek
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About the Bouie Creek
Bouie Creek drains the pine country north of Hattiesburg and runs south along the edge of the city to its junction with the Leaf River. The spelling varies on older maps and in local use, but the water is consistent: a medium coastal plain creek with a sand and clay bed, stained rather than clear, running between wooded banks that screen out most of the development on either side. Its real value is proximity. This is a genuine float and fish creek within minutes of a city of forty-odd thousand people, and the university sits a short distance from its banks.
The fishing is straightforward bottomland work. Largemouth and spotted bass hold against laydowns, undercut clay banks and the deeper outside bends, and they are consistent if not large. Bluegill and warmouth fill the shaded margins through the warm months and are what most local families fish for, taken on crickets, worms and small poppers. Channel catfish work the bottom in the deeper holes and are the most dependable fish in the creek when everything else is slow. Black crappie stack around submerged brush in the slower pools, and longnose gar are common in the long straight runs. Kayaks and small boats suit it best.
The gauge near Hattiesburg reports discharge and stage without temperature, and on a creek this size and this close to a city the stage trace matters for access as much as for fishing. Bouie Creek is flashy: rain over Forrest and Lamar counties lifts it within hours and the water turns the color of coffee with milk, while a settled dry week leaves it low, clear and easy to read. Fish the recession two or three days after a rise, when the level is still generous and the water has cleared enough to be worth casting into, and expect the shallow upper reaches to be walking in late summer.
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Access
Hattiesburg - the city the creek skirts, with full services, outfitters, tackle and lodging.
Leaf River - the main stem downstream, with developed launches and much larger water.
Petal - the town east across the Leaf, with additional access near the confluence.
Lamar County - the county west of the creek, with road crossings on the upper reaches.
Sunrise - the community north of the city along the middle creek.
Eatonville - the small settlement upstream, with crossings on the headwaters.
Paul B Johnson State Park - the state park south of the city, with camping and a lake for a change of water.
Seasons
Spring: the strongest season, with good flows, bass on the wood and crappie in the slower pools.
Summer: bream and catfish carry the fishing, worked in the shade early and late while the creek runs low.
Fall: flows and clarity return together, and bass feed hard along the clay banks.
Winter: low and cold, with catfish and crappie in the deep bends and mild afternoons fishing best.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Bouie Creek?
As of Nov 2, 7:45 am, the USGS gauge BOUIE CREEK NR HATTIESBURG, MS reads 136 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Bouie Creek?
Anglers target Black Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Longnose Gar, Redear Sunfish, Spotted Bass, Warmouth on the Bouie Creek in Mississippi.
Where can you access the Bouie Creek?
Hattiesburg - the city the creek skirts, with full services, outfitters, tackle and lodging. Leaf River - the main stem downstream, with developed launches and much larger water. Petal - the town east across the Leaf, with additional access near the confluence. Lamar County - the county west of the creek, with road crossings on the upper reaches. Sunrise - the community north of the city along the middle creek. Eatonville - the small settlement upstream, with crossings on the headwaters. Paul B Johnson State Park - the state park south of the city, with camping and a lake for a change of water...
When is the best time to fish the Bouie Creek?
Spring: the strongest season, with good flows, bass on the wood and crappie in the slower pools. Summer: bream and catfish carry the fishing, worked in the shade early and late while the creek runs low. Fall: flows and clarity return together, and bass feed hard along the clay banks. Winter: low and cold, with catfish and crappie in the deep bends and mild afternoons fishing best.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Bouie Creek?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Mississippi agency site: https://www.mdwfp.com/fishing-boating/