Mark Your Calendars: Mississippi’s 2026 Shrimp Season Start Date Announced

BILOXI, Miss. (WXXV)-The Department of Marine Resources has set the opening date for the 2026 – 2027 shrimp season. State territorial waters open on May 26th at 6 AM.

All regulations of MDMR will be in full force and full effect. All boats catching or transporting shrimp from state waters must be licensed or permitted by MDMR before beginning operations.

Recreational and commercial shrimp season north of the Intracoastal Waterway will close at 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2027.

For areas south of the Intracoastal Waterway and west of the Gulfport Ship Channel, shrimp season will close at 12:01 a.m. on May 1, 2027.

Licensed live-bait shrimping is open year-round in designated areas.

Staff will continue to sample prior to the opening date. The shrimp season opening date may be postponed if sampling indicates movement of large numbers of juvenile brown shrimp into this area.

Additionally, Marine Patrol officers will be available to perform dockside courtesy inspections of Turtle Excluder Devices upon request of shrimpers.

Shrimpers requesting courtesy inspections should contact Marine Patrol at 228-523-4134.

For information, call the Mississippi Shrimp Information Hotline at 866-938-7295 or the MDMR at 228-374-5000