Jourdan River Fishing Guides
A tidal river emptying into St. Louis Bay, where the salt wedge moves up and down the channel with wind and rain and takes the fishing with it.
Guides on the Jourdan River
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About the Jourdan River
The Jourdan River drains the pine flatwoods of Hancock County and empties into St. Louis Bay near Bay St. Louis, at the western end of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. It is a proper estuary rather than a river with a tidal reach tacked on: for many miles above the mouth the water is brackish, the banks are marsh and cypress rather than beach, and the salinity at any given point depends on the balance between tide, wind and how much fresh water the catchment has delivered in the preceding week.
The gauge near Bay St. Louis reports stage, and on this water the stage record is largely a tide record with the weather written over it. Gulf estuaries are wind-driven as much as tide-driven, and a persistent southerly will hold water in the bay and push salt further up the river, while a hard northerly in winter can empty the marsh and drop the level well below the predicted tide. Heavy rain inland does the opposite and pushes the salt wedge back toward the bay. Reading the stage against what the weather has been doing is the way to guess where the brackish transition is sitting on any given day.
That moving boundary is what makes the fishing interesting, because the species change with it. Speckled trout and redfish work the lower river and the bay shoreline, and follow the salt up the channel when conditions allow, holding on points, drop-offs and the mouths of feeder bayous. Flounder use the sandy edges and the cuts. Black drum and sheepshead hold around any hard structure, of which the bridges are the most reliable. Further up, where the water turns fresh, largemouth bass, bream and catfish take over, and on the right day a single trip can cover both fisheries without much running.
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Access
Bay St. Louis - the town at the mouth, with launches, bait, fuel, lodging and restaurants.
St. Louis Bay - the receiving bay, holding trout, redfish and flounder on the shorelines and reefs.
Diamondhead - upriver on the north bank, with a marina and access to the middle river.
Kiln - inland up the river, the nearest access to the fresh upper reaches.
Wolf River - the neighbouring river entering the same bay, of very similar character.
Pass Christian - east across the bay, with a large harbour and full coastal services.
Waveland - west along the coast, with beach access, lodging and further launches.
Seasons
Spring: warming water brings trout and redfish back up the river as the bait moves in behind them.
Summer: hot and productive early and late, with trout on the deeper edges and redfish working the marsh.
Fall: the best of the year, as falling temperatures and moving bait concentrate trout and redfish hard.
Winter: cold fronts drop the water and push fish deep, though redfish and black drum remain reliable.
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Questions
What species can you catch on the Jourdan River?
Anglers target Atlantic Croaker, Black Drum, Blue Catfish, Blue Crab, Bluegill, Bowfin, Channel Catfish, Gafftopsail Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Red Drum, Sheepshead, Southern Flounder, Spotted Seatrout, Striped Mullet on the Jourdan River in Mississippi.
Where can you access the Jourdan River?
Bay St. Louis - the town at the mouth, with launches, bait, fuel, lodging and restaurants. St. Louis Bay - the receiving bay, holding trout, redfish and flounder on the shorelines and reefs. Diamondhead - upriver on the north bank, with a marina and access to the middle river. Kiln - inland up the river, the nearest access to the fresh upper reaches. Wolf River - the neighbouring river entering the same bay, of very similar character. Pass Christian - east across the bay, with a large harbour and full coastal services. Waveland - west along the coast, with beach access, lodging and further lau...
When is the best time to fish the Jourdan River?
Spring: warming water brings trout and redfish back up the river as the bait moves in behind them. Summer: hot and productive early and late, with trout on the deeper edges and redfish working the marsh. Fall: the best of the year, as falling temperatures and moving bait concentrate trout and redfish hard. Winter: cold fronts drop the water and push fish deep, though redfish and black drum remain reliable.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Jourdan River?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Mississippi agency site: https://www.mdwfp.com/enforcement-education/general-fishing-rules-regulations