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Recreational Freshwater Finfish and Crawfish

Freshwater Finfish

Licenses and Permits

If you’re age 18 or older, you must have a Basic Fishing License to fish recreationally in freshwater in Louisiana. This license includes the following recreational gear:

  • Bow and arrow
  • Barbed or barbless spear
  • Frog gig/catcher
  • Scuba gear
  • Hook and line
  • Cast net (radius no longer than 8 feet, 6 inches)
  • Yo-yos or trigger devices
  • Slat traps
  • Crawfish traps
  • Standing spearing equipment
  • Hoop nets
  • Wire nets.

Combination (e.g. Senior Hunting/Fishing and Louisiana Sportsman's Paradise Licenses) and some special licenses (e.g. Lifetime Licenses) also include recreational freshwater fishing privileges. 

Prohibited Species

You may not possess any of the following threatened, endangered, or prohibited species:

  • Gulf sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi)
  • Pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus)
  • Shovelnose sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus)

You may not possess, sell, or transport into Louisiana the following species without written permission from LDWF:

  • All species of tilapia
  • Carp (except koi, common carp, and goldfish)*
  • Freshwater electric eel
  • Rudd
  • Asian swamp eels
  • Snakeheads
  • Walking catfishes
  • Pencil catfishes
  • Piranha
  • Rio Grande cichlid**

*If you catch any exotic species of Asian carp (silver, bighead, black, and grass) from state waters, you may not return it to the water or possess it alive.
**If you catch a Rio Grande cichlid, you may not return it to the water or possess it alive.

Gear Restrictions

See the latest recreational fishing regulations for gear restrictions, which may vary by species and location. 

Size and Bag/Possession Limits

Recreational fishermen may not exceed the daily bag limit for any species while on the water. Recreational fishermen may not have more than twice the daily bag limit of any species in their possession at any time. Exception: below U.S. Highway 90 in coastal Louisiana, recreational fishermen may have up to three times the daily bag limit of black bass in their possession. In Toledo Bend Reservoir, recreational fishermen may have up to 100 crappie in their possession.

Gamefish

Species Location Size Limit Bag Limit
Black bass (largemouth and spotted) All state waters except the below None 10 per day
  Bussey Brake 16” maximum total length limit, EXCEPT
one fish over 16 inches may be kept		 5 daily, in the aggregate

5 fish while on water and ten fish while off water possession limit, in the aggregate
  Eagle Lake 16 inches minimum total length 10 per day
  Poverty Point Reservoir 15-inch to 19-inch protected slot limit* Eight per day, with no more than one over 19 inches total length
  False River (Point Coupee Parish) 14 inches minimum total length Five per day
  John K. Kelly – Grand Bayou Reservoir (Red River Parish) 14-inch to 17-inch protected slot limit* Eight per day; no more than four over 17 inches total length
  Caddo Lake 14-inch to 18-inch protected slot limit for largemouth bass; no size limit for spotted bass** Eight per day; no more than four largemouth bass over 18 inches total length
  Toledo Bend Reservoir and the Sabine River above Toledo Bend to the point at which the entire river enters Texas 14 inches minimum total length for largemouth bass; no size limit for spotted bass** Eight per day in aggregate
  Sabine River (from Toledo Bend Dam to I-10):  12 inches minimum total length for largemouth bass; no size limit for spotted bass** Eight per day in aggregate
  Sabine River south of I-10 (Louisiana waters only) Statewide regulations apply 10 per day
Striped and hybrid striped bass All state waters None Five per day, with no more than two over 30 inches total length
White bass All state waters except the below None 50 per day
  Caddo Lake, Sabine River, and Toledo Bend Reservoir None 25 per day
Crappie (black and white) All state waters except the below None 50 per day; 100 fish possession limit
  Poverty Point, Caddo Lake, and Sabine River None 25 per day; 50 fish possession limit
  Toledo Bend Reservoir None 25 per day; 100 fish possession limit
  Eagle Lake 11 inches minimum length 30 per day; 30 fish possession limit
  D'Arbonne Lake   50 daily, in the aggregate, of which no more than 7
may exceed 12” in length;
50 fish while on water and 100 fish while off water
possession limit, in the aggregate
  Bussey Brake 10 inches minimum length 25 daily, in the aggregate
25 fish while on water and 50 fish while off water possession limit, in the aggregate
Yellow bass All state waters except the below None 50 per day
  Caddo Lake, Sabine River, and Toledo Bend Reservoir None None
Sunfish (Bream)      
  All state waters EXCEPT as follows: None None
  Bussey Brake None 50 daily, in the aggregate

50 fish while on the water and 100 fish while off the water possession limit, in the aggregate

*Fish falling within a protected slot limit must be immediately released.
**A spotted bass is defined as a black bass with a tooth patch on the tongue.

Nongame Fish 

Species Location Size Limit Bag Limit
Bowfin (choupique) All state waters 16 inches minimum length None
Buffalofish (or their hybrids) All state waters 16 inches minimum length 25 per day
Catfish (blue, channel, and flathead) All state waters except the below
  • Blue: 12 inches minimum length
  • Channel: 11 inches minimum length
  • Flathead: 14 inches minimum length
 100 per day in aggregate. A fisherman may possess up to 25 undersized catfish of the three species combined.
  Caddo Lake, Sabine River, and Toledo Bend Reservoir
  • Blue and channel: None
  • Flathead: 18 inches minimum length
  • Blue and channel: 50 per day in aggregate; no more than five over 30 inches total length
  • Flathead: 10 per day
Freshwater drum (gaspergou) All state waters 12 inches minimum length 25 per day
Paddlefish All state waters except the below 30 inches maximum lower jaw fork length Two per day; fish must not be alive and must not be harvested by snagging
  Boundary waters with Texas or below the saltwater line Harvest or possession is prohibited Harvest or possession is prohibited
Shad All state waters

None

 50 pounds per day
Sturgeon All state waters Harvest or possession is prohibited Harvest or possession is prohibited
Other freshwater fish (all species of bream and garfish) All state waters

None

None

 

Crawfish

Harvesting crawfish is a popular pastime for Louisianans, especially when environmental conditions are favorable and provide an abundant supply.

Licenses and Permits

You must have a Basic Fishing License to harvest crawfish recreationally using traps.

You must have a Basic Fishing License or Hook and Line License to harvest crawfish recreationally with crawfish nets, dip nets, hand lines, or bait seines. In addition, you must have a WMA Access Permit if you’re on an LDWF WMA or refuge.

Combination (e.g. Senior Hunting/Fishing and Louisiana Sportsman's Paradise Licenses) and some special licenses (e.g. Lifetime Licenses) also include recreational crawfishing privileges. 

Gear Restrictions

  • Legal gear: crawfish traps, crawfish nets, hoop nets, wire nets, handlines, bushlines, bait seines, dip nets, and cast nets (no longer than 8.5 feet in radius)
  • Crawfish traps:
    • May be prohibited on certain WMAs and refuges. See the latest recreational fishing regulations.
    • Must have a minimum mesh size of a hexagon of ¾ by 11/16 inches from wire to wire, not including any coating on the wire
    • Must be marked with a waterproof tag with the fisherman’s recreational gear license number
    • No more than 35 traps per person while fishing recreationally for crawfish.

Seasons and Times

Size and Bag Limits

Location Size Limit Bag Limit
All state waters None 150 pounds per day