Fishing in Louisiana

Fishing in Louisiana

PiscaMaps covers 1,866 public fishing venues across Louisiana in 4 regions — 558 lakes and reservoirs and 1,284 rivers. The largest is Lake Pontchartrain, at 407,803 acres. Mississippi River is the longest mapped river, running 760 km. North Louisiana has the most venues on file, with 667.

The most commonly recorded species across Louisiana's public waters are Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Black Crappie, Redear Sunfish, White Crappie, Flathead Catfish and Bowfin — the exact mix varies by water type and region. 145 venues have a real boat ramp on file, 59 have nearby camping, and 286 have mapped parking — sourced from OpenStreetMap and recreation.gov's federal facilities database (RIDB) where available.

Fishing Regions in Louisiana

Louisiana's public fishing venues are spread across 4 regions on PiscaMaps:

Species Recorded in Louisiana

The most frequently recorded species across Louisiana's public venues on PiscaMaps:

Fishing Licence in Louisiana

Anyone 18-59 needs a Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries fishing licence — since the 2022 licence overhaul the resident Fishing License (about $17) covers both fresh and salt water, and the non-resident annual is about $68 (short-term non-resident trips are sold). Louisiana residents 60 and older buy a reduced-price Senior licence, and residents born before 1 June 1940 are licence-exempt; anglers under 18 fish free. There is no trout stamp — Louisiana has no freshwater trout ('trout' here means speckled trout, a saltwater fish covered by the base licence). Buy from LDWF at wlf.louisiana.gov. A Louisiana fishing licence covers navigable rivers and bayous. The Mississippi River is fished on a Louisiana, Mississippi or Arkansas licence in the border reaches; the Sabine on a Louisiana or Texas licence.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How many public fishing venues are there in Louisiana?+
  PiscaMaps covers 1,866 public fishing venues across Louisiana in 4 regions — 558 lakes and reservoirs and 1,284 rivers. The largest is Lake Pontchartrain, at 407,803 acres. Mississippi River is the longest mapped river, running 760 km. North Louisiana has the most venues on file, with 667.
• Do I need a fishing licence in Louisiana?+
  Anyone 18-59 needs a Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries fishing licence — since the 2022 licence overhaul the resident Fishing License (about $17) covers both fresh and salt water, and the non-resident annual is about $68 (short-term non-resident trips are sold). Louisiana residents 60 and older buy a reduced-price Senior licence, and residents born before 1 June 1940 are licence-exempt; anglers under 18 fish free. There is no trout stamp — Louisiana has no freshwater trout ('trout' here means speckled trout, a saltwater fish covered by the base licence). Buy from LDWF at wlf.louisiana.gov. A Louisiana fishing licence covers navigable rivers and bayous. The Mississippi River is fished on a Louisiana, Mississippi or Arkansas licence in the border reaches; the Sabine on a Louisiana or Texas licence.
• Are there boat ramps and camping near Louisiana's fishing lakes?+
  145 venues have a mapped boat ramp and 59 have nearby camping on PiscaMaps, sourced from OpenStreetMap and the federal RIDB database.

Notable Lakes & Reservoirs in Louisiana

Rivers in Louisiana

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