Louisiana catfish regulations let a recreational angler possess up to 100 blue, channel, or flathead catfish in any combination, plus 25 undersized fish per day, provided the keepers meet species minimum sizes: 12 inches for blue, 11 inches for channel, and 14 inches for flathead.1Justia. Louisiana Code RS 56:325 – Daily Take, Possession, and Size Limits Anglers 18 and older need a fishing license, and passive gear like trotlines and yo-yos carries its own tagging and quantity rules.
Species and Minimum Sizes
Three freshwater catfish species drive the rules a recreational angler actually deals with on the water.
- Blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus): 12-inch minimum total length. Found in deep river channels and major reservoirs.
- Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus): 11-inch minimum. The most widely distributed, from farm ponds to large rivers.
- Flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris): 14-inch minimum. Also called opelousas cat, yellow catfish, or spotted catfish.1Justia. Louisiana Code RS 56:325 – Daily Take, Possession, and Size Limits
The size floors protect juveniles that haven’t reached breeding age. They’re below what most catfish anglers target anyway, but they matter if you’re running passive gear and keeping everything that comes up.
Daily and Possession Limits
The 100-fish cap is a possession limit, not a daily limit. It’s the total you can have on hand at any one time, in any mix of the three species.1Justia. Louisiana Code RS 56:325 – Daily Take, Possession, and Size Limits
On top of the 100 legal-sized fish, you may keep up to 25 undersized catfish per day, single species or combined.1Justia. Louisiana Code RS 56:325 – Daily Take, Possession, and Size Limits The undersized allowance resets each day, so treat it as a daily bag. If you leave gear soaking overnight, keep track of what came in today versus what was already in the cooler.
Boundary Waters: Caddo, Sabine, and Toledo Bend
Three water bodies run on different numbers. In Caddo Lake, the Sabine River, and Toledo Bend Reservoir, blue and channel catfish have no minimum size limit, while flathead catfish carry a higher 18-inch minimum.2LDWF Licensing. Size and Bag/Possession Limits These waters are managed jointly with Texas, so the exceptions reflect cooperative agreements rather than state biology.
Passive Gear: Trotlines, Yo-Yos, and Jugs
Most of the state’s catfish harvest comes from passive gear, and the rules are specific enough to catch people off guard.
How Many You Can Set
A recreational angler may set up to 50 yo-yos, trigger devices, limb lines, or floating devices with hooks. Trotlines are capped at 150 hooks total across all your lines combined, not 150 per line.3Legal Information Institute (Cornell Law School). Louisiana Administrative Code Title 76, Section VII-116 – Freshwater Yo-Yos, Trigger Devices, Trotlines, Limb Lines, Jugs, and All Other Passive Fishing Devices One long trotline with 150 hooks uses your entire allotment.
Tagging, Checking, Removing
Every passive device must be clearly tagged with your fishing license number, either on a waterproof tag or written on the device in indelible ink. Rebait every device at least once every 24 hours, and immediately remove any fish or other animal that comes up on it. When you’re done fishing, pull all devices out of the water.3Legal Information Institute (Cornell Law School). Louisiana Administrative Code Title 76, Section VII-116 – Freshwater Yo-Yos, Trigger Devices, Trotlines, Limb Lines, Jugs, and All Other Passive Fishing Devices Gear attached to your own pier, boathouse, seawall, or dock is the only exception. Abandoned gear is one of the most common citations wildlife agents write, and it’s entirely avoidable.
License Requirements
Anyone 18 or older must hold a fishing license before fishing recreationally in Louisiana. Anglers 17 and under are exempt.4Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Recreational Fishing Licenses and Permits Some older sources list 16 as the threshold; that is not the current rule.
The basic fishing license covers all legal recreational freshwater gear, including passive devices like hoop nets and trotlines. Current fees are $17 for residents and $68 for nonresidents. Nonresidents can also buy a 10-day license for $17 or a 5-day license for $30. All licenses are valid for one year from the date of purchase.4Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Recreational Fishing Licenses and Permits
A separate saltwater license is required for saltwater areas. If you’re catfishing inland rivers, bayous, and lakes, you don’t need it.
Selling your catch pushes you into commercial territory, which requires a commercial fisherman’s license running on the calendar year.5Justia. Louisiana Code RS 56:303.1 – Commercial Fishermans License, License Year, Purchase Period Residents 70 and older qualify for a senior commercial license at $50 per year.6Justia. Louisiana Code RS 56:303 – Commercial Fishermans License
What a Violation Costs
Louisiana sorts wildlife and fisheries offenses into numbered violation classes, with fines and possible jail time climbing at each tier. Most recreational catfishing violations fall into the lower classes, but repeats escalate quickly.
- Class one violations, such as failing to carry certain permits: $100 to $350, up to 60 days in jail, or both.
- Class two violations are split into 2-A and 2-B. A first-offense 2-A runs $100 to $350; a first-offense 2-B runs $250 to $500. Repeat 2-B offenses can reach $750 to $1,000, plus forfeiture of seized equipment.7Justia. Louisiana Code RS 56:32 – Class Two Violation
- Class three and higher climb from there. Class three starts at $250 to $500 with up to 90 days in jail. The most serious class, class eight, can mean $1,000 to $2,000 with up to 120 days.
Anyone who illegally kills, catches, or possesses fish is also civilly liable to the state for the value of those fish as determined by LDWF. On a second or later violation of the same provision, a court may revoke the license under which the violation happened for the rest of its term and bar the offender from getting a new one for that same period.7Justia. Louisiana Code RS 56:32 – Class Two Violation