Back in Black: Canoeing Black Creek provides beautiful fishing trip

More people canoe the creek than ever before, but you can easily get away from the crowds.

Flowing through the heart of the Desoto National Forest, there is an often overlooked waterway that provides a challenging yet rewarding fishing adventure for anyone looking for something unique.

Black Creek is a beautiful South Mississippi stream located just southeast of Hattiesburg, and is known for its sprawling white sandbars and its tea-stained waters. The sandy terrain filters much of the sediment, leaving clear waters that become tinged by the decaying leaves that the overhanging canopy of trees impart to the water.
Rippling through shallow gravel bars followed by frequent log jams, the current often subsides, yielding to lazy deep bends in the creek. Much of the land bordering the creek is national forest land, some of which lies in the newly created Black Creek.

In 1986, 21 miles of Black Creek — from Fairley Bridge Landing upstream to Moody’s Landing — was designated as a National Wild and Scenic River. Black Creek is Mississippi’s only National Wild and Scenic River.

Uncompromised beauty hides beneath a canopy of bald cypress, longleaf pine, various varieties of oak, poplar and many other species of trees. The forest is broken only by the roadways at the respective launch points. With five launch points, canoe enthusiasts have plenty of opportunities to access the creek. Because of its frequent shallow runs often littered with tree logs, travel by canoe is the best choice.

The scenery alone makes a float trip down this stream worthwhile. However, for the fisherman interested in a challenging yet memorable experience, float fishing from a canoe on Black Creek is lots of fun.

Click here to read the rest of this story, which first appeared in the September 2006 issue of MS-Sportsman.com. Subscribe to ensure you don’t miss a single information-packed issue.

About Bradley Williams 5 Articles
Bradley Williams is a lifelong Mississippi resident and freelance outdoor writer currently living in Brandon. His passion for the outdoors and his love for hunting and fishing in the Magnolia State began as a child and continues today.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply