Atchafalaya Bay Fishing
A bay of the Louisiana coast in St. Mary Parish, inside the LDWF saltwater line.
Pick for flounderPiscifun Alloy S inshore spinning reelCheck price at PiscifunPhoto: NOAA Restoration Center, Erik Zobrist, Public domain
Atchafalaya Bay on the Louisiana marsh map
In St. Mary Parish lies Atchafalaya Bay, a bay of the Louisiana coast. The LDWF saltwater line puts it in salt water for license and limit purposes. From the GNIS point, Bayou Vista lies about 22 miles away.
The reef program has 3 reef sites within 25 miles. NOAA runs 3 water-level stations within 25 miles. You will find 8 named passes nearby.
USGS Geographic Names Information System (feature class and point), LDWF saltwater line, LDWF launch and Banks and Piers layers; retrieved October 28, 2026.
Bayou launches toward Atchafalaya Bay
Reach Atchafalaya Bay by boat from the closest launches below.
Second-choice LDWF launches around Atchafalaya Bay
- Berwick Landing on Atchafalaya BasinAtchafalaya Basin, 20 miles north
LDWF boat launch inventory (saltwater, brackish and freshwater launches), retrieved October 28, 2026.
Land-based fishing LDWF maps at Atchafalaya Bay
Land-based fishing close to Atchafalaya Bay
- Burns Point Recreation Area on East Cote Blanche Baybank fishing, salt or brackish, 20 miles
- Lake End Park on Lake Verret, Grassy Lake and Lake Palourdebank fishing, 24 miles
LDWF Banks and Piers layer, retrieved October 28, 2026.
Reef program sites near Atchafalaya Bay
The LDWF Artificial Reef Program lists 3 within 25 miles of Atchafalaya Bay, 1 of them inshore.
| Reef | Program | Depth | Size | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rabbit Island Pass Reef | nearshore | 4-ft | 4 acres | 19 miles west |
| Rabbit Island Reef | inshore | 10-ft | 50 acres | 19 miles northwest |
| Ship Shoal 26 Reef | nearshore | 8-ft | 187 acres | 23 miles southeast |
LDWF Artificial Reef Program saltwater reef layer and site PDFs (depth and acres as printed), retrieved October 28, 2026.
Reading the water on Atchafalaya Bay
NOAA CO-OPS water level, preliminary reading at retrieval (October 28, 2026); station page for live data.
- Point Au Fertide predictions, 5 miles
- LAWMA, Amerada Passtide predictions, 6 miles
- Eugene Island, North of, Atchafalaya Baytide predictions, 6 miles
- Eugene Islandtide predictions, 6 miles
Read the NOAA station for Atchafalaya Bay before heading into skinny water; fronts can drop it fast.
NOAA CO-OPS water level and tide prediction stations within 25 and 15 miles, retrieved October 28, 2026.
Cuts and guts around Atchafalaya Bay
- Creole Pass5 miles east
- Deer Island Pass7 miles north
- Little Mosquito Pass9 miles southeast
- Mosquito Pass8 miles southeast
- Plumb Island Pass5 miles northeast
- Plumb Island Pass5 miles north
- Raquet Pass5 miles southwest
- Shell Island Pass9 miles north
USGS GNIS passes and guts within 12 miles; retrieved October 28, 2026.
Redfish, speck and flounder limits for Atchafalaya Bay
| Species | Daily limit and size | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Cobia (ling or lemonfish) | 1 daily per person; no more than 2 per vessel; 36" min fork length | Open year-round in state waters |
| Black drum | 5 daily per person – bag and possession; no more than one over 27" max total length; 16" min total length; 27" max total length | Open year-round in state waters |
| Red drum (redfish) | 4 daily per person – bag; none over 27" max total length; 18" min total length; 27" max total length | Open year-round in state waters |
| Southern flounder | 10 daily per person | Open year-round except no possession allowed from Oct. 15 – Nov. 30 |
| Spanish mackerel | 15 daily per person; 12" min fork length | Open year-round in state waters |
| Striped mullet | 100 lbs. daily | Open year-round in state waters |
| Spotted seatrout (speckled trout) | 15 daily per person with no more than 2 over 20" max total length; 13" min total length; 20" max total length | Open year-round in state waters |
| Sheepshead | No daily limit | Open year-round in state waters |
| Tripletail | 5 daily per person; 18" min total length | Open year-round in state waters |
| Black bass (largemouth and spotted) | 10 daily | Open year-round |
| Striped or hybrid striped bass (or any combination thereof) | 5 daily; no more than two over 30" total length | Open year-round |
| White bass | 50 daily | Open year-round |
| Yellow bass | 50 daily | Open year-round |
| Sunfish (bream) | No daily limit | Open year-round |
| Crappie (black and white) | 50 daily; 100 fish possession limit | Open year-round |
| Bowfin (choupique) | No daily limit; 16" MLL | Open year-round |
Inshore saltwater rows come first for Atchafalaya Bay, then the freshwater rows that cover brackish catches like bass and catfish.
South of the LDWF saltwater line an angler 18 or older carries a Basic Fishing License plus a Saltwater License: $17 and $15 for residents, $68 and $60 for nonresidents.
Limits and seasons as printed in the 2026 Louisiana Recreational Fishing Regulations (LDWF pamphlet, updated September 21, 2026), page 19 (pamphlet PDF); confirmed on the LDWF saltwater finfish page October 28, 2026.
For the flounder herePiscifun NautiX saltwater spinning reel14% OFFSale $94.99 Coastal water near Atchafalaya Bay, compared
The best-served neighbour is West Cote Blanche Bay, with 4 launches.
| Water | Distance | Type | Launches | Piers and banks | Reefs within 25 mi | NOAA stations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atchafalaya Bay | bay | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | |
| Fourleague Bay | 8 miles southeast | bay | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Lake Mechant | 20 miles east | coastal lake | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| East Cote Blanche Bay | 25 miles northwest | bay | 1 | 1 | 6 | 2 |
| Caillou Bay | 25 miles southeast | bay | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| West Cote Blanche Bay | 34 miles northwest | bay | 4 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
LDWF launch, Banks and Piers and reef layers, NOAA CO-OPS stations, USGS GNIS; retrieved October 28, 2026.
Inland water and towns near Atchafalaya Bay
More lakes and brakes by Atchafalaya Bay
- Lake Verret, Grassy Lake and Lake Palourde25 miles
- Lake Fields and Lake Long Complex46 miles
- Lake Boeuf49 miles
Rivers and bayous close to Atchafalaya Bay
- Bayou Caroline22 miles
- Bayou Sherman29 miles
Where to buy shiners and crickets for Atchafalaya Bay
- Al Has Baitbait and tackle shop, Berwick, 22 miles
- Atchafalaya Baits Manufacturerbait and tackle shop, Patterson, 22 miles
- Ivys Tackle Boxbait and tackle shop, Morgan City, 23 miles
- Bayview Marinamarina, Franklin
- C & J Marine Service Incmarina, Morgan City
- Comar Marine Corporationmarina, Morgan City
Home bases for Atchafalaya Bay
- Bayou Vista22 miles
- Patterson22 miles
- Berwick22 miles
- Morgan City24 miles
The parish pages for Atchafalaya Bay
- St. Mary Parishseat: Franklin
Piscifun tackle a Sportsman's Paradise angler might load for Atchafalaya Bay
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
Telling apart the fish of Atchafalaya Bay by photo
Photo: SEFSC Pascagoula Laboratory; Collection of Brandi Noble, NOAA/NMFS/SEFSC, Public domain
Photo: albertoalcala, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, CC BY 2.0
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Photo: Rusty Clark ~ 100K Photos, CC BY 2.0
Settling the details of a day on Atchafalaya Bay
Which stretch of the Louisiana marsh holds Atchafalaya Bay?
It sits in St. Mary Parish, about 22 miles from Bayou Vista.
What does LDWF charge to fish Atchafalaya Bay?
South of the LDWF saltwater line an angler 18 or older carries a Basic Fishing License plus a Saltwater License: $17 and $15 for residents, $68 and $60 for nonresidents.
Is there a public launch near Atchafalaya Bay?
Berwick Landing on Atchafalaya Basin, about 20 miles away, is nearest.
What can a Louisiana angler ice down from Atchafalaya Bay?
Cobia (ling or lemonfish): 1 daily per person; no more than 2 per vessel; 36" min fork length; Open year-round in state waters.
Does Atchafalaya Bay have reef sites?
3 sites within 25 miles; nearest is Rabbit Island Pass Reef.
Where do I find tide predictions for Atchafalaya Bay?
LAWMA, Amerada Pass is the closest NOAA water-level station; the tide band shows its reading.
Are there bank sites on Atchafalaya Bay?
Nearest on file: Burns Point Recreation Area on East Cote Blanche Bay, 20 miles.
Who sells live shrimp near Atchafalaya Bay?
Head to Al Has Bait, about 22 miles away, for bait and ice.
Which passes are near Atchafalaya Bay?
The gazetteer lists Creole Pass, Deer Island Pass, Little Mosquito Pass, Mosquito Pass and Plumb Island Pass.
Spend a coastal weekend on Atchafalaya Bay
Every Louisiana saltwater fee and limit is one click away.