What is the largest shark in the Mississippi River?

Researchers have documented at least two bull shark sightings in the Mississippi River. Female bull sharks can reach up to 11 feet long and weigh 500 pounds.



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Common Sharks in Mississippi Waters
  • Bull Shark. Carcharhinus leucas.
  • Blacktip Shark. Carcharhinus limbatus.
  • Spinner Shark. Carcharhinus brevipinna.
  • Atlantic Sharpnose Shark. Rhizoprionodon terraenovae.


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The short answer is yes. Over the last century, researchers have documented at least two bull shark sightings in the Mississippi River. One in Alton, Illinois, in 1937 and another in Saint Louis, Missouri, near Rush Island Power Station in 1995; both are exceptionally rare.

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Unlike most sharks, bull sharks can survive in freshwater for long periods of time. They have even been found in the Mississippi and Amazon Rivers. They prefer shallow coastal water, which means they can often come into contact with humans.

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In Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana a boy was attacked by a bull shark in 2014; bull sharks have also been caught by anglers on this lake. The sharks move into the lake more in the summer months but swim back out to the Gulf of Mexico in the later part of the year.

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The World's Most Shark-Infested Beaches
  • New Smyrna Beach, Florida. West Coast Scapes/Shutterstock. ...
  • Makena Beach, Maui. Billy McDonald/Shutterstock. ...
  • Bolinas, California. cdrin/Shutterstock. ...
  • Lake Nicaragua, Nicaragua. ...
  • West End, Grand Bahamas. ...
  • Umhlanga Rocks, South Africa. ...
  • Coffin Bay, Australia. ...
  • Topsail Island, North Carolina.


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Florida (259 bites) Volusia, home to world-famous Daytona Beach, has the dubious honor of being known as the “shark bite capital of the world.” New Smyrna Beach, just south of the city, is an epicenter of shark activity.

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Lake Nicaragua is one of the largest freshwater lakes in the Americas and bull sharks travel up the San Juan River and through a series of eight rapids in a similar manner to salmon to reach the lake, where they may stay for several years.

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Lake Nicaragua is the only freshwater lake containing oceanic animal life, including sharks, swordfish, and tarpon.

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There have been no confirmed reports of a bull shark being caught in any of the Great Lakes. While bull sharks are known to inhabit freshwater bodies, they typically prefer estuaries and brackish waters where salt and freshwater mix.

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