Louisiana
Fishing License 2026.

License required?

Yes

Where to apply?

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF). Online at wlf.louisiana.gov, LDWF offices, and 600+ license vendors (Walmart, Academy, local bait shops).

Cost

Resident Basic: $17. Resident Saltwater add-on: $15 (both required to fish salt). Non-resident Basic annual: $60. Non-resident Saltwater annual: $30. Non-resident 1-day (fresh or salt): $5. Non-resident Saltwater 3-day Charter Passenger: $20.

Validity

Annual (Jul 1 – Jun 30) or 1-day / 3-day non-resident

Available online?

Yes

Louisiana is the redfish capital of the world — the Mississippi River delta's marsh maze out of Venice and Hopedale holds the highest density of slot and bull redfish on earth. Required for ages 18+. Saltwater anglers need BOTH the Basic and Saltwater license (combined $32 resident). Charter-boat passengers on licensed vessels in salt water can skip the state license if they buy the 3-day Charter Passenger ($20) — covers you while on the guide's boat only.

Closed seasons

Red snapper (federal season): private recreational typically opens mid-May to late July (NOAA quota-dependent). Speckled trout: year-round open. Redfish: year-round open. Flounder: fall peak October–November but no closure.

Catch limits

Redfish: 4/day within 18–27" slot (2026 regulation). Speckled trout: 15/day 13" min in most parishes, tighter 12-fish slot on Calcasieu / Sabine lakes. Largemouth bass: 10/day 14" min. Red snapper: 2/day 16" min when federal season open.

Prohibited methods

No gigging redfish. Cast nets legal for bait, not game fish. Trot lines and jug lines must be tagged with name + license number.

Catch & Release

Bull reds over 27": mandatory release (breeding stock protection). Tarpon: catch-and-release only, IGFA-style measured release encouraged.

Hurricane Ida (2021) reshaped the marsh but the fishery rebounded by 2023. Federal + state jurisdiction overlap offshore — state waters run to 3 nautical miles, federal from 3 to 200. Redfish regulations tightened in 2023 (from 5/day to 4/day with the 18–27" slot) to rebuild breeding stock after the 2020–2022 Deepwater Horizon + hurricane combo hit populations.

Best season

Redfish: year-round, peak fall (October–December) when bulls push into the marsh. Speckled trout: April–October. Tarpon Grand Isle: July–August. Bass Toledo Bend: February–May spawn.

Freshwater

Toledo Bend + Atchafalaya Basin for bass + catfish. Red River for stripers. Inland bayous for warm-water panfish.

Saltwater

Marsh fishery is unique in the US — a brackish maze of bayous, ponds, and passes from the Texas line to the Mississippi Sound. Offshore out of Venice + Grand Isle for tuna, marlin, and red snapper at the rigs.

Equipment

Academy Sports stores statewide. Puglia's Sporting Goods (New Orleans). Bass Pro on the Causeway. Live shrimp and cocahoe minnows at every marina.

Fishing guides

$500–$700/day inshore redfish guide (2 anglers, Venice / Hopedale). $1,200–$2,000/day offshore tuna out of Venice. $350–$500/day bass guide on Toledo Bend.

Transport

MSY (New Orleans) is the main hub — Venice is 90 minutes south down LA-23. BTR (Baton Rouge) for Atchafalaya. Rental truck or SUV useful; some marsh launches are gravel/mud.

Safety

Hurricane season Jun–Nov — storms can form fast in the Gulf. Alligators in every freshwater bayou and marsh — do not wade bass ponds. Summer heat + humidity 35°C + 90% — hydrate aggressively. Mosquitoes brutal May–October.

License fees

$5–$90 depending on duration + residency + saltwater add-on

Guide prices

$500–$700 inshore; $1,200–$2,000 offshore tuna

Daily budget

Budget DIY kayak marsh: $100/day. Inshore charter: $500–$700. Offshore tuna: $1,500/day.