St. Louis Bay Redfish: Pass Christian's Backwater Bonanza
The Bay Behind the Beach
Most visitors to Pass Christian focus on Mississippi Sound and the offshore run to the barrier islands. They drive across the St. Louis Bay bridge on Highway 90 without realizing that the shallow, tea-colored water below holds one of the most productive redfish fisheries on the Mississippi coast. St. Louis Bay is a large, shallow estuary fed by the Jourdan River and Wolf River, with oyster reefs, marsh grass, and mud flats that produce quality redfish from March through December.
Reading St. Louis Bay
The bay averages 3–5 feet deep with a dredged Intracoastal Waterway channel cutting east-west through the center. The northern and eastern shores are lined with marsh grass and tidal creeks that flood and drain with the tide cycle, creating feeding opportunities for Redfish in Pass Christian. The western shore near the community of Waveland features harder bottom with scattered oyster clumps—a magnet for reds during falling tides when fish get pushed off the marsh flats.
Redfish Patterns by Season
| Season | Redfish Behavior | Key Areas | Top Approach |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring (Mar–May) | Spreading onto warming flats | Jourdan River mouth, eastern marsh | Live shrimp under cork, gold spoon |
| Summer (Jun–Aug) | Early/late feeding, deep midday | Grass flats at dawn, ICW channel midday | Topwater dawn, Carolina-rigged shrimp |
| Fall (Sep–Nov) | Aggressive schooling, pre-spawn push | Entire bay—oyster bars, marsh edges, points | Gold spoon, soft plastic, cut mullet |
| Winter (Dec–Feb) | Deeper water, slow feeding | ICW channel bends, deep holes | Slow-retrieve soft plastics, live shrimp on bottom |
St. Louis Bay in October is the easiest place in Mississippi to find a school of 30 slot-sized reds. Look for mullet jumping along the marsh edge, cast a gold spoon past the disturbance, and hang on. They run in tight packs and once you find them, you can catch fish on every cast until the school moves.
Jourdan River Mouth
The Jourdan River dumps freshwater and nutrients into the northwest corner of St. Louis Bay. The mixing zone where river current meets tidal flow creates a seam of turbid water that holds redfish and Speckled Trout from Pass Christian year-round. Work the edges of the current seam with natural-colored soft plastics or live bait. After rain events, the fresh water pushes farther south, expanding the productive zone.
Wolf River Delta
The Wolf River enters from the northeast through a shallow delta of marsh islands and tidal cuts. This area is kayak and shallow-draft boat territory—don't try to run a deep-V hull through the delta at low tide. The marsh drains and oyster-studded shorelines hold redfish that feed on fiddler crabs and mud minnows. This is premium sight-fishing water on calm, clear mornings.
Access and Logistics
- Bayou Portage ramp: Free public ramp on the east shore, good access to the ICW and eastern flats
- DeLisle ramp (north shore): Access to the upper bay and Wolf River delta
- Pass Christian Harbor: Marina access to Mississippi Sound and the south end of St. Louis Bay
- A shallow-draft bay boat (draft under 12 inches on plane) is ideal for working the flats
- Kayaks excel in the upper bay and marsh areas where motorboat access is limited
Combining the Fisheries
The beauty of fishing Pass Christian is the ability to hit St. Louis Bay for morning redfish action, then run through the pass into Mississippi Sound for afternoon trout on the grass flats. Two distinct fisheries within a 15-minute boat ride. Current regulations at MDWFP.