Louisiana Fishing Size and Bag Limits by Species

Louisiana fishing size and bag limits vary by species and, in many cases, by the specific lake or reservoir you are on. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) and the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission set minimum lengths, maximum lengths, slot limits, and daily bag caps under Title 56 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes, and they revise those numbers as populations shift.¹ Several popular species, red drum and speckled trout among them, have tighter rules than the older statutory defaults still floating around online.

Saltwater Limits by Species

Saltwater rules are where most citations get written, and they are stricter than the freshwater side. All limits below are per person per day unless noted.²

Red Drum (Redfish)

Red drum have an 18-inch minimum and a 27-inch maximum total length. The daily bag is four, and none can be over the 27-inch cap. Charter captains and crew cannot retain red drum while on a for-hire trip.² The older five-fish, 16-inch defaults still printed in the Revised Statutes no longer apply; the commission tightened them.³

Speckled Trout (Spotted Seatrout)

Speckled trout now run on a slot: 13-inch minimum, 20-inch maximum, 15 fish per day, with only two of those 15 allowed to exceed 20 inches.² The old 12-inch, 25-fish rule is gone.

Other Popular Saltwater Species

Black drum: 16-inch minimum, 27-inch maximum total length; five per day, no more than one over 27 inches.
Southern flounder: no size limit; 10 per day. Closed October 15 through November 30.
Red snapper: 16-inch minimum total length; four per day during the open season only.
Cobia: 36-inch minimum fork length; one per person per day, no more than two per vessel.
King mackerel: 24-inch minimum fork length; three per day.
Sheepshead: no size or bag limit.

Federal waters beyond nine nautical miles fall under NOAA and the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, and their seasons and bag limits can differ from state numbers.²

Freshwater Limits by Species

Freshwater rules are less uniform than anglers often assume. The statewide baseline is one thing; individual reservoirs are another.

Black Bass (Largemouth and Spotted)

Contrary to a common belief, there is no statewide minimum size for black bass in most Louisiana waters. The statewide daily bag is 10 fish.⁴ But several specific water bodies override that rule:

False River (Pointe Coupee Parish): 14-inch minimum total length.
Toledo Bend Reservoir: 14-inch minimum for largemouth; no size limit for spotted bass.
Poverty Point Reservoir: 15-to-19-inch protected slot, meaning fish in that range must be released immediately.
Caddo Lake: 14-to-18-inch protected slot for largemouth; no size limit for spotted bass.
Eagle Lake: 16-inch minimum total length.

Check the LDWF regulations for the specific lake you plan to fish. The “no size limit” default does not apply everywhere.⁴

Crappie (Black and White)

Statewide, crappie have no size limit, a 50-fish daily bag, and a 100-fish possession limit. Two water bodies impose tighter rules: Bussey Brake at 10-inch minimum and 25 fish per day, and Eagle Lake at 11-inch minimum and 30 fish per day.⁴

Seasonal Closures That Change the Answer

A fish that is legal in July may be off-limits in October. The main state-water closures to watch:

Southern flounder: closed October 15 through November 30.
Red snapper: open only during the annual season set by the commission. In 2025, the season ran May 1 through November 16, a 200-day window. The 2026 dates will be announced at a future commission meeting.⁵
Gag grouper: open September 1 through December 31 only.
Black, red, and yellowfin grouper: closed February 1 through March 31 seaward of the 20-fathom boundary.
Gray triggerfish: closed January through February and again June through July.²

Species You Cannot Release

Some catches come with the opposite of a bag limit. If you land an exotic Asian carp (silver, bighead, black, or grass carp) in Louisiana state waters, you cannot return it to the water or keep it alive. Kill it on the spot or dispose of it on shore. Snakeheads and most other carp species (koi, common carp, and goldfish excepted) cannot be possessed, sold, or transported into Louisiana without written LDWF permission. If you catch something you cannot identify and suspect it is invasive, keep it out of the water and contact LDWF.⁶

What a Violation Costs

For a first sport fishing violation with no specific penalty listed elsewhere, the fine runs $25 to $100, with possible jail of 10 to 60 days, or both. A second or later conviction of the same offense raises the fine to $100 to $300 and jail to 30 to 90 days.⁷ Fishing without the required basic or saltwater license carries up to a $50 fine and 15 days in jail per offense.⁸

The fines are not the worst part. Courts can suspend or revoke your fishing license and all fishing privileges for the remainder of the license period plus one year, and any tackle used in the violation can be seized and disposed of by the commission on court order.⁷ Courts may also order restitution to the LDWF Conservation Fund for the value of any fish illegally taken.⁹

Confirming Limits Before You Fish

The commission can adjust size limits, bag limits, and seasons mid-year, so numbers that were current last spring may not be current this fall. The LDWF Recreational Saltwater Finfish page and the freshwater size and bag limits page carry the current rules. The annual Louisiana Recreational Fishing Regulations booklet, published each year by LDWF, pulls everything into one document. If a specific lake or reservoir is your destination, look up its entry specifically; the statewide rule is often not the rule that will apply to you.

1
Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Revised Statutes – Title 56
2
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Recreational Saltwater Finfish
3
Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Code RS 56:325.1 – Size and Possession Limits, Recreational Saltwater Finfish, Penalties
4
LDWF Licensing Help Center. Size and Bag/Possession Limits
5
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Amended Final Louisiana Red Snapper Landing Estimates for 2025
6
LDWF Licensing Help Center. Prohibited Species
7
Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Code RS 56:336 – Penalty for Violation of Sport Fishing Provisions
8
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Agents Cite Four Subjects for Recreational Fishing Violations in Vermilion Parish
9
Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure Art 895.2 – Probation, Restitution for Values of Wildlife