Historically, fluctuations in oyster stocks track cycles of extreme discharge and drought in Mississippi. A recent cycle occurred between 2019 and 2023. During the dramatic discharge event of 2019, unprecedented freshwater discharge from the Bonnet Carré spillway completely decimated adult oysters, effectively eliminating early oyster recruitment. Extreme regional rainfall depressed salinities throughout the oyster recruitment period of 2021. Recruitment limitation of oysters continued for several years. The cycle culminated with a historic drought in 2023, in conjunction with high spat settlement. Interannual and spatial variation in spat settlement corresponded with salinity throughout the five-year study period. Relative abundances of spat at inshore and offshore sites varied inversely between 2021 and 2023, indicating distinct hydrological regimes. Growth rates of transplanted juvenile oysters varied interannually and spatially with respect to salinity. Salinity likely serves as a proxy for a host of other concurrent ecological factors affecting early oyster recruitment in Mississippi, potentially including currents, temperature, DO, predation, and food quality. Extreme discharge-drought cycles thereby mediate early oyster recruitment in the Mississippi Sound estuary. Current environmental challenges demand an adaptive oyster management strategy in Mississippi.