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River · Dyer, Lake and Shelby

Fishing Mississippi River, Tennessee

6 public access points across 3 counties, with directions to every one.

Jump to the access listLicence and limits

Every access point

Public access on Mississippi River, county by county

All 6 public access points TWRA records on Mississippi River. Each card opens its own page with written directions, coordinates and a link straight to Google Maps.

Tap a pin for the spot page and directions. Open the full Tennessee fishing map.

Mississippi River access in Dyer County

Free3 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRABungee Access Area1 ramp, 2 lanesDirections and detail →36.11390, -89.59875

Mississippi River access in Lake County

Free2 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · USACEWhite RockFrom Ridgely: South on Hwy 78 to Hwy 791 ramp, 1 lanecanoe / kayak landingDirections and detail →36.23842, -89.58419

Mississippi River access in Shelby County

Free3.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · TWRA/State ParkMeeman ShelbyHWY 51 N to N. Watkins Rd to Benyrstown, Left on Benyrstown, Right at Central Store, follow signs to River1 ramp, 2 lanescanoe / kayak landingaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.32650, -90.09400Free4.5 out of 5facilitiesBoat Launch · CityMemphis Yacht ClubI-240 North to Auction St, West on Auction St to River, South to Yacht Club2 ramps, >3 lanescanoe / kayak landingrestroomsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.15000, -90.05720Launch fee4.5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · MarinaMud Island MarinaI-240 North to Auction St, West to River then North to boat ramp1 ramp, 2 lanescanoe / kayak landingrestroomsrentalsaccessible parkingDirections and detail →35.14860, -90.05760Launch fee4.5 out of 5facilitiesMarina · City / MarinaRiverside Park MarinaI-55 North to Mallory Exit, enter Martin Luther King Park and follow signs1 ramp, >3 lanescanoe / kayak landingrestroomsDirections and detail →35.09670, -90.08280

What to bring

Tackle for Mississippi River

Three picks from the largemouth bass checklist that work for the fish here. Affiliate links: buying through them pays this site a small commission at no extra cost to you.

RodUgly Stik GX2 7 ft medium-heavy casting rodStiff enough to set a hook in grass, tough enough to live in a truck bed.Shop on Amazon →Why it is on the list
ReelAbu Garcia Black Max baitcasting reelAn inexpensive baitcaster that casts cleanly once the brakes are set.Shop on Amazon →Why it is on the list
Soft plasticZoom Trick WormThe Tennessee standard on a Texas rig or weightless along docks and grass edges.Shop on Amazon →Why it is on the list
Full largemouth bass checklist (11 items)All gear checklists

Spending more? The bigger purchases, compared side by side:

Crappie checklistBluegill and Panfish checklistStriper and Hybrid checklistFish Finders comparedTrolling Motors comparedLithium Marine Batteries comparedShallow Water Anchors compared

The water

Mississippi River boat ramps and fishing access

Mississippi River has 6 public access points: 6 boat ramps and 5 kayak launches, in Dyer, Lake and Shelby counties.

6public access points
6boat ramps
5kayak and canoe launches
3counties

River levels

Mississippi River level and flow today

The latest USGS gauge readings on the Mississippi River, the seven-day trend and the forecast.

Mississippi River level

What Mississippi River is actually like

Mississippi River, county by county

Mississippi River does not fish the same at both ends. This is what the research for each county on it turned up.

Shelby County

From the Shelby County page

The lowest point in Tennessee is on this river in Shelby County. It is a big, dangerous, commercially-trafficked river fished mainly for catfish, with blue cats over 100 pounds documented; the productive water is in the sloughs, chutes and dike fields rather than the main channel.

Dyer County

From the Dyer County page

Dyer County fronts the Mississippi at Heloise, the county’s sole river village, and carries the only highway bridge over the Mississippi between Cairo, Illinois and Memphis

Lake County

From the Lake County page

Big, commercial, current-driven water with one public ramp in the county. Fished mostly for catfish, and it produced two state records.

What it looks like

Mississippi River in photographs

What Mississippi River looks like through the year. Every picture opens that water’s own page.

Mississippi River, TennesseeMississippi RiverOpen the Mississippi River page →Ceptember / CC BY-SA 4.0Forked Deer River, TennesseeForked Deer RiverOpen the Forked Deer River page →Malepheasant at en.wikipedia / Public domainObion River, TennesseeObion RiverOpen the Obion River page →David.k.hochreiter / CC BY-SA 3.0Reelfoot Lake, TennesseeReelfoot LakeOpen the Reelfoot Lake page →User:JeremyA / CC BY-SA 2.5Wolf River, TennesseeWolf RiverOpen the Wolf River page →U.S. Army Corps of Engineers / Public domainMississippi River, TennesseeMississippi RiverOpen the Mississippi River page →Bjoertvedt / CC BY-SA 4.0

What you can catch

Fish in Mississippi River

What Mississippi River actually holds, from the county research behind this site and TWRA’s own species notes. A licence is required for all of it.

largemouth basscrappiebluegillwhite basssaugerchannel catfishblue catfishflathead catfishgar
Guides who fish Mississippi River

What you can keep

Fishing limits on Mississippi River

TWRA sets 6 rules just for Mississippi River. They replace the statewide limit for those fish. Everything else follows the statewide limit.

FishDaily limitLengthWhere or when
Black bass (combined)10No length limitIncludes adjacent sloughs, bayous, chutes and river runs reachable by boat from the river
Crappie50No length limitMississippi River rule
Striped bass6 striped/hybrid combinedNo length limitMississippi River rule
Sauger6No length limitMississippi River rule
White bass30No length limitMississippi River rule
Bluegill50 sunfish/breamNo length limitMississippi River rule
Channel catfishNo limit under 34 inOnly one over 34 inStatewide
Blue catfishNo limit under 34 inOnly one over 34 inStatewide
Flathead catfishNo limit under 34 inOnly one over 34 inStatewide

From the 2026–27 Tennessee Fishing Guide (TWRA), in effect 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2027, checked 25 September 2026. Rules change, so check the guide before you keep a fish.

Statewide limits and licenses

Eating what you catch

Mississippi River fish consumption advisory

TDEC’s fish consumption advisory for Mississippi River, from its August 2026 list of posted waters.

From Mississippi state line to just downstream of Meeman-Shelby State Park (31 miles) including Wolf River Harbor/Lagoon.

Chlordane, Endrin, Dieldrin, Dioxin, PCBs. Mercury

Do not eat any fish except silver carp and bighead carp. Commercial fishing prohibited by TWRA for all species excluding silver carp and bighead carp.

Every Tennessee fish advisory

By county

Counties on Mississippi River

Mississippi River touches 3 Tennessee counties. The county page has the bait shops, the bank access and the local limits.

DyersburgDyer County1 access point on Mississippi River, plus the rest of the county’s water.See the spots →TiptonvilleLake County1 access point on Mississippi River, plus the rest of the county’s water.See the spots →MemphisShelby County4 access points on Mississippi River, plus the rest of the county’s water.See the spots →

6 public access points on Mississippi River, every one with directions.

By town

Towns on Mississippi River

These pages measure from the middle of town rather than the county line, which is usually the number that matters when you are deciding where to drive.

Dyer CountyFishing near DyersburgPublic water within about 30 miles of Dyersburg, closest first.See the spots →Lake CountyFishing near TiptonvillePublic water within about 30 miles of Tiptonville, closest first.See the spots →Shelby CountyFishing near MillingtonPublic water within about 30 miles of Millington, closest first.See the spots →Shelby CountyFishing near MemphisPublic water within about 30 miles of Memphis, closest first.See the spots →

Common questions

Questions about fishing Mississippi River

How many public boat ramps are there on Mississippi River?

TWRA lists 6 public boat launches on Mississippi River, with 7 ramp lanes between them, across 3 Tennessee counties. Every one of them is listed on this page with directions.

What fish can you catch in Mississippi River?

Mississippi River holds largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, white bass, sauger, channel catfish, blue catfish, flathead catfish and gar. Which of those is actually worth chasing depends on the season, and TWRA sets size and creel limits that change, so check before you keep anything.

Which counties does Mississippi River run through?

Dyer, Lake and Shelby counties. Each has its own page on this site with the local bait shops, ramps and bank access.

Can you fish Mississippi River from the bank?

Yes, though no public fishing pier is recorded on Mississippi River. Bank fishing here means the shoreline and parking areas at the public ramps, plus road and bridge crossings where there is public right of way.

Do you need a licence to fish Mississippi River?

Yes. Anyone 13 or older needs a Tennessee fishing licence, and a trout supplemental on top if you plan to keep trout. Non-residents can buy a three-day or ten-day licence rather than a full year.

Is Mississippi River free to fish?

The water is. Some of the ramps are not, Corps of Engineers sites, state park ramps and marinas often charge to launch or park. Each listing below shows the owner, which is the best guide to whether you will be asked for money.

Keep going

More Mississippi River water, and who fishes it

Every guide and charter on this site is listed by the water they run, so you can call the captain direct. Licences, limits and the state record list are one click away too.

Guides by waterLicence and limits