2026 regulation year
Louisiana Fishing Regulations 2026 — License Fees, Seasons, Bag Limits
Last updated
Louisiana fishing licences are sold by the Department of Wildlife & Fisheries and, since the 2022 licence restructure, are valid for one year (365 days) from the date of purchase rather than a fixed fiscal year. The restructure consolidated Louisiana's older patchwork of licence types but kept freshwater and saltwater separate: a resident needs a Basic Fishing Licence ($17) for freshwater plus a separate Saltwater Licence ($15) add-on to fish in saltwater (non-residents $68 / $60). There is no single combined fresh-plus-salt 'recreational fishing licence' — the only all-in-one package is the Sportsman's Paradise combination hunt + fish licence. Louisiana is a freshwater + saltwater double-state: Toledo Bend Reservoir on the LA/TX border is one of the BASS Magazine top-10 trophy bass lakes in the country and a recurring BASS Elite + MLF Bass Pro Tour venue, the Atchafalaya Basin is the largest river swamp in North America (1.4 million acres of largemouth + crappie + blue catfish + flathead catfish), Caney Lake held the LA state-record largemouth (15 lb 15 oz, 1994), and the Mississippi River Delta from Venice through Lake Pontchartrain to Calcasieu Lake is the country's most-celebrated inshore speckled trout + redfish fishery. Louisiana recently overhauled its inshore rules after stock assessments showed overfishing: speckled trout moved to a 13–20 inch slot with a 15-fish bag (no more than 2 over 20 inches), and red drum dropped to a 4-fish daily bag within an 18–27 inch slot — the long-standing 'bonus bull red' over 27 inches was eliminated. Black bass statewide is 10 per day with no minimum length (14-inch minimum only on Toledo Bend); catfish are capped at 100 fish per day in the aggregate across channel, blue, and flathead.
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License fees
| Licence | Price (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Resident Basic Fishing Licence (freshwater — all legal recreational freshwater gear) | $17.00 | |
| Resident Saltwater Licence (add-on) | $15.00 | Basic Fishing Licence required first |
| Resident Hook & Line Licence | $5.00 | Pole or hand-line only — no reel, no artificial bait, no nets/traps |
| Resident senior Hunt/Fish (60+) | $5.00 | Annual — residents born on/after June 1, 1940 |
| Resident senior (born before June 1, 1940) | Free | Free senior Hunt/Fish licence |
| Resident Lifetime Senior Hunt/Fish (65+) | $100.00 | One-time fee — LA residents only |
| Resident Lifetime Hunt/Fish (any age) | $500.00 | One-time fee — LA residents only |
| Resident disabled veteran | Free | Free — 50%+ service-connected disability |
| Resident youth (under 18) | Free | Not required for anglers 17 and under |
| Licence | Price (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Non-resident annual Basic Fishing Licence (freshwater) | $68.00 | |
| Non-resident annual Saltwater Licence (add-on) | $60.00 | Basic Fishing Licence required first |
| Non-resident 5-day Basic Fishing Licence | $30.00 | |
| Non-resident 5-day Saltwater Licence | $30.00 | Basic Fishing Licence required first |
| Non-resident Native 10-day Basic Fishing Licence | $17.00 | For LA-born non-residents only |
| Non-resident Native 10-day Saltwater Licence | $15.00 | For LA-born non-residents only |
| Non-resident youth (under 18) | Free | Not required for anglers 17 and under |
Buy directly from Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries. Fees may include processing surcharges at point of sale.
Top species — season, bag, size
| Species | Season | Daily bag | Size / slot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bassCompare across states → | Year-round most waters | 10 / day combined black bass (largemouth + spotted); 8 / day Toledo Bend + listed reservoirs | No statewide minimum; 14 in min Toledo Bend; protected slots on Poverty Point, Caddo, Grand Bayou |
| Red drum (redfish)Compare across states → | Year-round in saltwater (statewide) | 4 / day per angler (within the 18–27 in slot) | 18–27 in slot; no fish over 27 in retained (bull-red bonus eliminated) |
| Spotted seatrout (speckled trout)Compare across states → | Year-round in saltwater (statewide) | 15 / day per angler; no more than 2 over 20 in | 13–20 in slot; up to 2 of the 15 may exceed 20 in |
| Crappie (white + black)Compare across states → | Year-round | 50 / day combined white + black; 25 / day Toledo Bend, Caddo, Poverty Point, Sabine | No statewide minimum; 11 in Eagle Lake, 10 in Bussey Brake |
| Blue catfishCompare across states → | Year-round | 100 / day aggregate (blue + channel + flathead); 50 / day Caddo, Sabine, Toledo Bend | 12 in min statewide; no minimum Caddo, Sabine, Toledo Bend |
| Channel catfishCompare across states → | Year-round | 100 / day aggregate (channel + blue + flathead); 50 / day Caddo, Sabine, Toledo Bend | 11 in min statewide; no minimum Caddo, Sabine, Toledo Bend |
| Flathead catfishCompare across states → | Year-round | 100 / day aggregate (flathead + blue + channel); 10 / day Caddo, Sabine, Toledo Bend | 14 in min statewide; 18 in min Caddo, Sabine, Toledo Bend |
| Striped bassCompare across states → | Year-round | 5 / day combined striped + hybrid striped bass | No minimum length; no more than 2 over 30 in / day |
Notable water-body special regulations
Toledo Bend Reservoir (LA/TX, Sabine River)
185,000-acre BASS Elite + MLF Bass Pro Tour rotation; BASS Magazine top-10 trophy bass lake; largemouth 14 in min, 8 / day combined black bass; crappie 25 / day; catfish 50 / day blue+channel (no min, no more than 5 over 30 in), flathead 18 in min 10 / day; striped bass stocked, 5 / day; LA/TX reciprocal under the Toledo Bend joint-management compact
Largest river swamp in North America (1.4 million acres) — premier largemouth + bluegill + crappie + blue + flathead catfish fishery; largemouth 10 / day, no statewide minimum; crappie 50 / day, no minimum; catfish 100 / day aggregate (12 in blue / 11 in channel / 14 in flathead)
False River (Pointe Coupee Parish oxbow)
Mississippi River oxbow lake — trophy largemouth waters with a special bass rule: 14 in min largemouth, 5 / day; crappie 50 / day, no minimum
Held LA state-record largemouth bass (15 lb 15 oz, 1994); former 14–17 in slot removed in 2018 — now statewide 10 / day, no minimum length; trophy bass + stocked hybrid striped bass
Premier crappie reservoir — 50 / day, no more than 7 over 12 in; largemouth 10 / day, no statewide minimum
Bald cypress reservoir — largemouth 10 / day, no statewide minimum; crappie 50 / day, no minimum
Black Lake / Clear Lake / Saline Lake (Natchitoches Parish)
Red River backwater lakes — largemouth 10 / day, no statewide minimum; crappie 50 / day; trophy crappie + flathead catfish
Lake Claiborne (Claiborne Parish)
Largemouth 10 / day, no statewide minimum; stocked striped bass + hybrid striped bass, 5 / day, no minimum (no more than 2 over 30 in)
Lake Concordia (Concordia Parish oxbow)
Mississippi River oxbow — largemouth 10 / day, no statewide minimum length (former slot removed); trophy bass
Poverty Point Reservoir (Richland Parish)
Largemouth 15–19 in protected slot, 8 / day, only 1 over 19 in; crappie 25 / day, 50 possession
Caddo Lake (LA/TX boundary, Cypress Bayou)
Largemouth 14–18 in protected slot, 8 / day, only 4 over 18 in; crappie 25 / day; catfish 50 / day blue+channel (no min, no more than 5 over 30 in), flathead 18 in min 10 / day; LA/TX reciprocal
Toledo Bend tailwater (Sabine River below dam)
Stocked striped bass + spotted bass + flathead catfish; striped bass 5 / day, no minimum. Largemouth bass run a 12 in minimum length (8 / day) on the Sabine River from the Toledo Bend dam down to I-10 — distinct from the 14 in minimum inside the reservoir and the no-minimum statewide rule south of I-10. LA/TX boundary water, reciprocal regs apply.
4,700-acre Mississippi River oxbow on the LA/MS line about 20 miles north of Vicksburg — Louisiana's portion lies in Madison Parish, with levels held by the Muddy Bayou control structure. Largemouth + spotted bass carry a 16 in minimum length (the highest bass minimum in Louisiana), 10 / day; crappie 11 in minimum, 30 / day (30 fish possession); bream + catfish follow the statewide rules.
John K. Kelly–Grand Bayou Reservoir (Red River Parish)
2,700-acre LDWF reservoir near Coushatta off the Red River (the dam reached pool stage in 1996) — black bass run a 14–17 in protected slot, 8 / day, no more than four over 17 in total length; crappie + catfish follow the statewide rules.
Bussey Brake (Morehouse Parish)
2,200-acre LDWF trophy-bass reservoir near Bastrop — renovated and reopened in July 2020, it is the only LDWF Wildlife Management Area with recreational fishing as the top management priority and has already produced multiple Louisiana top-10 bass and crappie. Black bass run an 18 in MAXIMUM length, 5 / day in the aggregate (one fish over 22 in may be held briefly in an aerated livewell for tournament weigh-in then released, with all anglers in the boat ceasing to fish until it is released); crappie 10 in minimum, 25 / day; bream (bluegill + redear) 50 / day.
Boundary water with MS / AR / MO upstream; catfish 100 / day aggregate; crappie 50 / day; black bass 10 / day, no statewide minimum; LA state-record blue catfish (114 lb, 2014) + channel + flathead taken here; LA Saltwater Licence required below the Bonnet Carré Spillway tidal interface
Black bass 10 / day, no statewide minimum (John K. Kelly–Grand Bayou Reservoir off the Red River holds a 14–17 in slot, 8 / day, 4 over 17 in); trophy flathead + blue catfish, 100 / day aggregate; crappie 50 / day
Brackish/saltwater estuary — saltwater Recreational Licence required; speckled trout 13–20 in slot, 15 / day (2 over 20 in); redfish 18–27 in slot, 4 / day, none over 27 in; flounder + sheepshead + tripletail
Calcasieu Lake / 'Big Lake' (Cameron Parish)
Louisiana's most-celebrated speckled trout fishery — 13–20 in slot, 15 / day (2 over 20 in); redfish 18–27 in slot, 4 / day; trophy speckled trout 7+ lb regularly produced
LA/TX reciprocal saltwater — Texas Saltwater Licence honored on TX side, LA Saltwater on LA side; speckled trout 13–20 in slot, 15 / day (LA); redfish 18–27 in slot, 4 / day (LA)
World-class inshore redfish + speckled trout fishery — redfish 18–27 in slot, 4 / day, none over 27 in; speckled trout 13–20 in slot, 15 / day (2 over 20 in); tarpon migration July – September offshore
Grand Isle + Caminada Pass (Jefferson / Lafourche)
Saltwater Recreational Licence — speckled trout, redfish, flounder, tripletail; offshore tarpon + Spanish + king mackerel July – September
Lake Borgne + Mississippi Sound (St. Bernard / Plaquemines)
Saltwater Recreational Licence — speckled trout, redfish, sheepshead, flounder; tidal estuary
Vermilion Bay + Atchafalaya Bay (Vermilion / Iberia / St. Mary)
Saltwater Recreational Licence — speckled trout, redfish, flounder, croaker; freshwater outflow from Atchafalaya Basin into Gulf
Bayou Macon + Tensas River (NE Louisiana floodplain)
Mississippi River alluvial floodplain — largemouth 10 / day, no statewide minimum; trophy bluegill + crappie + flathead catfish
Lake Cataouatche + Salvador (Jefferson / St. Charles)
Largemouth 10 / day, no statewide minimum; crappie 50 / day; freshwater–brackish transition water
Frequently asked questions
- Do you need a fishing license to fish in Louisiana?
- Yes. Louisiana requires residents and non-residents alike to hold a valid fishing license, with the usual exemptions for young children, state free-fishing days, and some senior or disabled-veteran categories. Buy directly from Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries; resident and non-resident fees are listed in the tables above.
- How much is a fishing license in Louisiana?
- Resident fees range from $5.00 (resident hook & line licence) to $500.00 (resident lifetime hunt/fish (any age)); Non-resident fees range from $15.00 (non-resident native 10-day saltwater licence) to $68.00 (non-resident annual basic fishing licence (freshwater)). The full breakdown — annual, multi-day, senior, and lifetime options — is in the license-fee tables above, and you can compare Louisiana against every other state on the license-fee comparator.
- What fish can you catch in Louisiana?
- Louisiana anglers most commonly target Largemouth bass, Red drum (redfish), Spotted seatrout (speckled trout), Crappie (white + black), Blue catfish, Channel catfish, and others. Each species sets its own season, daily bag, and size or slot limit — compare them in the species table above, or open a species page for the full 2026 rule.
- When does fishing season open in Louisiana?
- It depends on the species — Louisiana sets a separate season for each. Warmwater fish like bass, catfish, and panfish are open year-round in most of the state, while trout, walleye, salmon, and other cold-water or migratory species have dated seasons. The season column in the table above shows each one, and Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries can shift dates by emergency order.
- Are there special fishing rules on specific Louisiana waters?
- Yes. 26 named Louisiana waters carry regulations that differ from the statewide rule, including Toledo Bend Reservoir (LA/TX, Sabine River), Atchafalaya Basin, False River (Pointe Coupee Parish oxbow), and 23 more. See the notable water-body special regulations above for the exact rule on each.
Official source
Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries is the authoritative source for Louisiana fishing regulations. Always verify rules before fishing — emergency closures and in-season changes can override published booklets.
Visit official Louisiana fishing regulations →
Emergency-order channel
In-season closures, slot-limit changes, and run-count-driven harvest pauses are posted to Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries's emergency-order feed — check it before any Louisiana trip during the active season.