UTERSpotted seatrout fishing in Mississippi & Alabama Coast
In Mississippi & Alabama Coast, spotted seatrout peak May–July and October–November and are around year-round, spawning in May–July, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. May: Spawning trout on the barrier islands — Ship, Horn, Petit Bois, Dauphin — and the Gulf beaches.
The easiest bite of the year on the Biloxi Marsh and the oyster-lease poles.
Spotted seatrout in Mississippi & Alabama Coast, month by month
- JanuaryAroundSheepshead on the pilings; trout up the rivers. Fiddlers or shrimp tight to the bridges; slow jigs in the Pascagoula and the Delta.
- FebruaryAround
- MarchAround
- AprilArrivingGrass beds of the Biloxi Marsh and the Mobile Bay causeway as the water nears 70.
- MaySpawningSpawning trout on the barrier islands — Ship, Horn, Petit Bois, Dauphin — and the Gulf beaches.
- JuneSpawningIsland grass beds and the surf at dawn; live shrimp and croaker.
- JulySpawningNorth side of the islands, the rigs and the Pass Christian reefs early.
- AugustAround
- SeptemberArrivingTrout move back toward the marsh and the river mouths.
- OctoberPeakThe easiest bite of the year on the Biloxi Marsh and the oyster-lease poles.
- NovemberPeakPascagoula, Mobile Delta and the bayous fill with trout ahead of winter.
- DecemberAroundWinter on the pilings. Bridges and docks for sheepshead; deep river bends for trout.
Where to fish spotted seatrout near Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi
The Mississippi Sound behind Cat, Ship, Horn and Petit Bois islands, the Biloxi Marsh to the west, Mobile Bay and the Mobile–Tensaw Delta, the Dauphin Island bridge and causeway, Perdido Bay and the Alabama beaches — with the world's biggest artificial-reef zone just offshore of Orange Beach.
Fish Scouter charts 36 grass flat, 1 dock / pilings, 1 pass / inlet spots in the Mississippi Sound & Mobile Bay map area — the kinds spotted seatrout hold on.
What to use for spotted seatrout
- Live shrimpUnder a popping cork or free-lined, hooked under the horn on a #1 to 2/0 circle hook; on a jig head for the bottom. The universal inshore bait.
- Pilchards (whitebait)Free-lined or under a cork, hooked through the nose on a #1 to 2/0 circle hook. The one bait that catches everything inshore.
- PigfishFree-lined or under a cork on a 2/0 circle hook for gator trout; on the bottom for grouper.
- PinfishHooked through the back ahead of the dorsal on a 2/0 to 4/0 circle hook; the small ones free-lined, the big ones on a fish-finder rig.
- CroakersHooked through the back on a 2/0 to 3/0 circle hook, free-lined or on a Carolina rig — big trout and redfish can't leave them alone.
- Leader15–25 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook#1–1/0
- Jig head1/8–1/4 oz
- Braid10–15 lb
Feeds in 54–86°F water, best at 62–78°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch spotted seatrout in Mississippi & Alabama Coast?
Peak season is May–July and October–November, with fish spawning in May–July (often a closed or catch-and-release window — check the rule). Spotted seatrout are here year-round. May: Spawning trout on the barrier islands — Ship, Horn, Petit Bois, Dauphin — and the Gulf beaches.
Where do spotted seatrout hold in Mississippi & Alabama Coast?
Look on grass flat, channel edge, pass / inlet — around Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, Ocean Springs, Pascagoula, Dauphin Island.
What is the best bait for spotted seatrout in Mississippi & Alabama Coast?
Live bait: live shrimp, pilchards (whitebait), pigfish, pinfish. Live shrimp: Under a popping cork or free-lined, hooked under the horn on a #1 to 2/0 circle hook; on a jig head for the bottom. The universal inshore bait. Tackle: leader 15–25 lb fluorocarbon, hook #1–1/0, jig head 1/8–1/4 oz, braid 10–15 lb.
Fish it with the tide in your pocket
Fish Scouter scores spotted seatrout for this hour on this water, draws every reef, wreck and access point near you, and keeps your spots. $9.99 a month, 14 days free.
Start 14 free daysMore
All about spotted seatrout · Mississippi Sound & Mobile Bay, the whole year