There are many ways to catch fish and other aquatic species in Louisiana’s beautiful rivers, lakes, bayous, ponds and streams. The headings below define the legal methods and illegal methods of take and certain exceptions that are allowable by species, methods and locations.
Always check with an LDWF Enforcement Office if you have questions.
Legal Methods of Take (unless otherwise noted by species)
- Hook and Line
- Bow and Arrow
- Yo-yos or Trigger Devices
- Recreational Slat Traps
- Recreational Crawfish Traps (must be marked with a waterproof tag, provided by the fisherman, with the name and recreational gear license number of the fisherman legibly printed on the tag and must have a minimum mesh size of a hexagon of 3/4 by 11/16 of 1 inch from wire to wire not including any coating on the wire)
- Standard Spearing Equipment (used by recreational skin divers submerged in water when sport fishing)
- Barbed Gig (allowed in saltwater for taking flounder ONLY)
- Recreational Hoop Nets*
- Recreational Wire Nets*
* Allowed only in the geographical areas of the state designated as Freshwater.
Illegal Methods of Take
It is unlawful to possess any of the prohibited instruments, weapons, substances or devices described below with the intent to take fish.
- Crossbows
- Spears (see garfish, silver carp and bighead carp exception listed in “Gear Restrictions by Species” section)
- Poisons
- Stupefying Substances or Devices
- Explosives
- Guns
- Any instrument or device capable of producing electric current to shock fish
- Snagging Devices (see catfish, silver carp and big head carp exceptions listed below)
Gear Restrictions by Species
Some alternative methods are allowed for catching/taking specific aquatic species.
Freshwater Game fish
Game fish are defined as largemouth bass, spotted bass, shadow bass, yellow bass, white bass, striped bass, hybrid striped bass, black crappie, white crappie and bream.
LEGAL
- Bream (Lepomis spp.) may not be taken as bait for sportfishing purposes in any form of trap except at Toledo Bend Reservoir, where a minnow trap not exceeding 24 inches in length and having a throat no larger than 1 inch by 3 inches may be used to take bream for non-commercial bait purposes.
NOT LEGAL
- Standard Spearing Equipment used by recreational skin divers is prohibited.
- Bow and Arrow
- Possession of game fish with nets or traps including recreational hoop nets, slat traps, pipes, buckets, drums, tires or cans including those licensed for recreational purposes.
Catfish
LEGAL
- Snagging devices
Paddlefish (commonly called “spoonbill catfish,” but are not catfish)
NOT LEGAL
- Snagging devices
Garfish
LEGAL
- Spears
Bait Species
Including minnows, crawfish and shrimp (does not include game fish)
LEGAL
- Cast nets
- Minnow traps
- Recreational Trawls
- Dip Nets (net must be on a fixed frame no larger than 3 feet in diameter worked exclusively by hand, by no more than one person, without any mechanical assistance)
- Bait Seines (with a maximum mesh size not exceeding 1/4 inch bar, 1/2 inch stretched and 30 feet in length; must be operated solely on foot and by hand, without any pulley, mechanical device or assistance whatsoever)
Silver Carp & Bighead Carp
LEGAL
- Dip nets
- Spears
- Snagging
Restrictions and Exceptions by Method
Divers
LEGAL
- Standard spearing equipment is the only legal method of take for non-game species that can be used by a skin diver submerged in water
NOT LEGAL
- The taking of gamefish with standard spearing equipment is prohibited.
Mobility Impaired Individuals
As defined in R.S. 47:463.4(E), mobility impaired persons who are bona fide residents of Louisiana, in possession of valid identification, and over 60 years of age may use one legal slat trap and/or one hoop net not greater than 18 feet by 8 feet, without a license in any waters of the state, only for the purpose of catching catfish and only for home consumption.
Restrictions by Location
Some Louisiana waterbodies have specific gear restrictions and are listed below.
Black Lake, Clear Lake, Prairie Lake (Natchitoches Parish)
Caddo Lake (Caddo Parish)
Chicot Lake (Evangeline Parish)
Lake D’Arbonne (Union Parish)
Lake Lafourche (Caldwell Parish) and Lake Saint Joseph (Tensas Parish)
Yo-Yo Restrictions
- The placement of any artificial object to anchor a yo-yo or trigger device is prohibited.
- No more than 50 yo-yos or trigger devices allowed per person.
- Each yo-yo or trigger device must be clearly tagged with the name, address and telephone number of the owner/user.
- All fish or any other animals caught or hooked must be immediately removed from the device.
- Each yo-yo or trigger device must be re-baited at least once every 24 hours.
- No yo-yo or trigger device is allowed to be attached to any metallic object.
- Except for an object used strictly in the construction of a pier, boathouse, seawall or dock, no object which is driven into the lake bottom, a stump, tree or the shoreline shall be used to anchor a yo-yo or trigger device. “Object” means rebar or other metal material, cane, PVC tubing, construction material or any other type of material.
Trotline Restrictions
- All trotlines must be marked, tagged, and dated with the owner/user’s name, address, phone number and date of placement. The trotline must be marked on each end with a floating object that is readily visible.
- No person is allowed to set more than three trotlines with a maximum of 50 hooks per trotline.
- All trotlines must have an 8-foot cotton leader on each end of the trotline to insure that if the trotline is left unattended, the cotton leader will deteriorate and the line will sink.
- All trotlines must be attended daily while in service.
Bogue Chitto River
Seines, Nets and Webbing Restrictions
- The use of seines, nets or webbing for the taking of fish in Bogue Chitto River from where it enters the state in the northern part of Washington Parish to where it enters into the Pearl River in St. Tammany Parish is prohibited.
Taking by Hand
- The taking of fish from logs, buckets, barrels, drums or natural or artificial nesting areas by hand grabbing is also prohibited in this area.
Cypress Lake and Black Bayou Reservoir (Bossier Parish)
Hoop Nets, Wire Nets and Slat Traps
- These devices are prohibited from March 1 - Oct. 31 of each year.
- These devices must be removed from the lakes prior to March 1 of each year.
Poverty Point
No person is allowed to possess, set or use any recreational hoop nets, recreational wire nets, yo-yos, trotlines or slat traps at this location.
Tchefuncte River
Seines, nets, webbing or traps of any kind and all types, including slat traps, for the taking of fish in the Tchefuncte River and its tributaries from its origin in Washington Parish to where it empties into Lake Pontchartrain in St. Tammany Parish, are prohibited.
There are many ways to catch fish and other aquatic species in Louisiana’s beautiful rivers, lakes, bayous, ponds and streams. The headings below define the legal methods and illegal methods of take and certain exceptions that are allowable by species, methods and locations.
Always check with an LDWF Enforcement Office if you have questions.
Legal Methods of Take (unless otherwise noted by species)
- Hook and Line
- Bow and Arrow
- Yo-yos or Trigger Devices
- Recreational Slat Traps
- Recreational Crawfish Traps (must be marked with a waterproof tag, provided by the fisherman, with the name and recreational gear license number of the fisherman legibly printed on the tag and must have a minimum mesh size of a hexagon of 3/4 by 11/16 of 1 inch from wire to wire not including any coating on the wire)
- Standard Spearing Equipment (used by recreational skin divers submerged in water when sport fishing)
- Barbed Gig (allowed in saltwater for taking flounder ONLY)
- Recreational Hoop Nets*
- Recreational Wire Nets*
* Allowed only in the geographical areas of the state designated as Freshwater.
Illegal Methods of Take
It is unlawful to possess any of the prohibited instruments, weapons, substances or devices described below with the intent to take fish.
- Crossbows
- Spears (see garfish, silver carp and bighead carp exception listed in “Gear Restrictions by Species” section)
- Poisons
- Stupefying Substances or Devices
- Explosives
- Guns
- Any instrument or device capable of producing electric current to shock fish
- Snagging Devices (see catfish, silver carp and big head carp exceptions listed below)
Gear Restrictions by Species
Some alternative methods are allowed for catching/taking specific aquatic species.
Freshwater Game fish
Game fish are defined as largemouth bass, spotted bass, shadow bass, yellow bass, white bass, striped bass, hybrid striped bass, black crappie, white crappie and bream.
LEGAL
- Bream (Lepomis spp.) may not be taken as bait for sportfishing purposes in any form of trap except at Toledo Bend Reservoir, where a minnow trap not exceeding 24 inches in length and having a throat no larger than 1 inch by 3 inches may be used to take bream for non-commercial bait purposes.
NOT LEGAL
- Standard Spearing Equipment used by recreational skin divers is prohibited.
- Bow and Arrow
- Possession of game fish with nets or traps including recreational hoop nets, slat traps, pipes, buckets, drums, tires or cans including those licensed for recreational purposes.
Catfish
LEGAL
- Snagging devices
Paddlefish (commonly called “spoonbill catfish,” but are not catfish)
NOT LEGAL
- Snagging devices
Garfish
LEGAL
- Spears
Bait Species
Including minnows, crawfish and shrimp (does not include game fish)
LEGAL
- Cast nets
- Minnow traps
- Recreational Trawls
- Dip Nets (net must be on a fixed frame no larger than 3 feet in diameter worked exclusively by hand, by no more than one person, without any mechanical assistance)
- Bait Seines (with a maximum mesh size not exceeding 1/4 inch bar, 1/2 inch stretched and 30 feet in length; must be operated solely on foot and by hand, without any pulley, mechanical device or assistance whatsoever)
Silver Carp & Bighead Carp
LEGAL
- Dip nets
- Spears
- Snagging
Restrictions and Exceptions by Method
Divers
LEGAL
- Standard spearing equipment is the only legal method of take for non-game species that can be used by a skin diver submerged in water
NOT LEGAL
- The taking of gamefish with standard spearing equipment is prohibited.
Mobility Impaired Individuals
As defined in R.S. 47:463.4(E), mobility impaired persons who are bona fide residents of Louisiana, in possession of valid identification, and over 60 years of age may use one legal slat trap and/or one hoop net not greater than 18 feet by 8 feet, without a license in any waters of the state, only for the purpose of catching catfish and only for home consumption.
Restrictions by Location
Some Louisiana waterbodies have specific gear restrictions and are listed below.
- Black Lake, Clear Lake, Prairie Lake (Natchitoches Parish)
- Caddo Lake (Caddo Parish)
- Chicot Lake (Evangeline Parish)
- Lake D’Arbonne (Union Parish)
- Lake Lafourche (Caldwell Parish) and Lake Saint Joseph (Tensas Parish)
Yo-Yo Restrictions
- The placement of any artificial object to anchor a yo-yo or trigger device is prohibited.
- No more than 50 yo-yos or trigger devices allowed per person.
- Each yo-yo or trigger device must be clearly tagged with the name, address and telephone number of the owner/user.
- All fish or any other animals caught or hooked must be immediately removed from the device.
- Each yo-yo or trigger device must be re-baited at least once every 24 hours.
- No yo-yo or trigger device is allowed to be attached to any metallic object.
- Except for an object used strictly in the construction of a pier, boathouse, seawall or dock, no object which is driven into the lake bottom, a stump, tree or the shoreline shall be used to anchor a yo-yo or trigger device. “Object” means rebar or other metal material, cane, PVC tubing, construction material or any other type of material.
Trotline Restrictions
- All trotlines must be marked, tagged, and dated with the owner/user’s name, address, phone number and date of placement. The trotline must be marked on each end with a floating object that is readily visible.
- No person is allowed to set more than three trotlines with a maximum of 50 hooks per trotline.
- All trotlines must have an 8-foot cotton leader on each end of the trotline to insure that if the trotline is left unattended, the cotton leader will deteriorate and the line will sink.
- All trotlines must be attended daily while in service.
Bogue Chitto River
Seines, Nets and Webbing Restrictions
- The use of seines, nets or webbing for the taking of fish in Bogue Chitto River from where it enters the state in the northern part of Washington Parish to where it enters into the Pearl River in St. Tammany Parish is prohibited.
Taking by Hand
- The taking of fish from logs, buckets, barrels, drums or natural or artificial nesting areas by hand grabbing is also prohibited in this area.
Cypress Lake and Black Bayou Reservoir (Bossier Parish)
Hoop Nets, Wire Nets and Slat Traps
- These devices are prohibited from March 1 - Oct. 31 of each year.
- These devices must be removed from the lakes prior to March 1 of each year.
Poverty Point
No person is allowed to possess, set or use any recreational hoop nets, recreational wire nets, yo-yos, trotlines or slat traps at this location.
Tchefuncte River
Seines, nets, webbing or traps of any kind and all types, including slat traps, for the taking of fish in the Tchefuncte River and its tributaries from its origin in Washington Parish to where it empties into Lake Pontchartrain in St. Tammany Parish, are prohibited.
