An Overview of Mississippi's Rivers, Lakes, Reservoirs & Gulf Coast Bays
Largest and Most Notable Rivers & Lakes
The Mississippi River defines the state’s western edge and feeds a vast Yazoo Basin of distributary and tributary streams — including the Tallahatchie, Yalobusha, Sunflower, Yocona, Coldwater, and the Big Black River. Central Mississippi is anchored by the Pearl River and the Ross Barnett Reservoir near Jackson. To the southeast, the Pascagoula River — formed by the Leaf and Chickasawhay — is among the largest free‑flowing river systems in the lower 48. The northeast is tied to the Tombigbee River and the Tennessee‑Tombigbee Waterway (with Bay Springs, Aberdeen, and Columbus Lakes) linking inland ports to the Gulf. Major reservoirs include Grenada, Enid, Sardis, and Arkabutla (USACE’s “Big Four”), plus Okatibbee, Okhissa, and reaches of Pickwick Lake on the Tennessee River. Along the coast, Biloxi Bay, the Bay of St. Louis, Pascagoula Bay, and the Mississippi Sound frame barrier‑island waters.
Water Sources & Flow
Most rivers are low‑gradient coastal‑plain streams with broad floodplains, oxbows, and backwater areas. Spring rains and upstream snowmelt on the Mississippi can drive Yazoo backwater flooding; elsewhere, flashy tributaries respond quickly to heavy convectional storms. Many lakes are oxbows (e.g., Lake Washington, Eagle Lake, Lake Ferguson), while large reservoirs are flood‑control and multi‑use projects built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Navigation, Flooding & Shoreline
Barge traffic runs the Mississippi River past Vicksburg, Greenville, and Natchez; the Tenn‑Tom provides an alternative route to the Gulf. On the coast, ports at Pascagoula, Gulfport, and Biloxi serve commercial and fishing fleets. The Mississippi Sound and barrier islands (Ship, Horn, Petit Bois, Cat) buffer storm energy but are exposed to surge and hurricane waves.
Recreation
National‑class crappie on Grenada, Enid, Sardis, and Arkabutla; bass and water sports on Ross Barnett; blackwater paddling on Okatoma Creek, Black Creek, and the Chunky–Sucarnoochee; and inshore redfish, speckled trout, and flounder in Biloxi Bay, Bay St. Louis, and Pascagoula Bay.