Chef Menteur Pass Fishing
A tidal pass of the Louisiana coast in Orleans Parish, inside the LDWF saltwater line.
Pick for redfishPiscifun Alloy S inshore spinning reelCheck price at PiscifunPhoto: Infrogmation, CC BY 2.5
Sizing up Chef Menteur Pass from the coastal maps
Along the coast of Orleans Parish, Chef Menteur Pass is a tidal pass named in the federal gazetteer. LDWF counts it as saltwater: inshore limits govern and a Saltwater License is needed. New Orleans is the nearest town, about 10 miles off.
The LDWF inventory lists 6 launches on or beside it. There are 10 reef sites within a 25-mile run. NOAA keeps 3 water-level stations close by. Tide moves through 2 named passes within 12 miles.
USGS Geographic Names Information System (feature class and point), LDWF saltwater line, LDWF launch and Banks and Piers layers; retrieved October 28, 2026.
Coastal launches for Chef Menteur Pass
- Bayou Bienvenue Marina on Chef Menteur Pass2-lane concrete ramp, public
- Chef Harbor on Chef Menteur Pass1-lane concrete ramp, public
- Eddie Pinto's Marina on Chef Menteur Pass2-lane concrete ramp, public
- Gulf Outlet Marina on Chef Menteur Pass2-lane concrete ramp, public
- South Shore Bait Marina on Chef Menteur Pass1-lane concrete ramp, public
- The Parish Marina on Chef Menteur Pass1-lane concrete ramp, private, fee, Private; fee to launch
Other trailer launches by Chef Menteur Pass
- Lombard's launch on Lake PontchartrainLake Pontchartrain, 4 miles west
- Lake Catherine Island Marina on Lake Saint CatherineLake Saint Catherine, 7 miles north
- Vinot's Marina on The RigoletsThe Rigolets, 8 miles north
- Fort Pike State Park Public Launch on Lake Saint CatherineLake Saint Catherine, 8 miles north
- Pelican Pointe Marina on The RigoletsThe Rigolets, 8 miles north
- Rigolets Bait and Seafood on Lake Saint CatherineLake Saint Catherine, 9 miles north
LDWF boat launch inventory (saltwater, brackish and freshwater launches), retrieved October 28, 2026.
Piers and banks on Chef Menteur Pass
Bank and pier spots past Chef Menteur Pass
- St. Tammany Fishing Pier on Lake Saint Catherinefishing pier, salt or brackish, 11 miles
- Joe Brown Memorial Park on Joe W. Brown Parkbank fishing, 12 miles
- Sidney D. Torres Memorial Parkcommunity fishing site, Get Out & Fish site, 14 miles
- Yscloskey Hwy, Shell Beachbank fishing, salt or brackish, 15 miles
- Lakefront Sea Wall on Lake Pontchartrainbank fishing, salt or brackish, 16 miles
LDWF Banks and Piers layer, retrieved October 28, 2026.
Reef sites mapped near Chef Menteur Pass
LDWF maps 10 reef sites near Chef Menteur Pass, including 10 inshore.
| Reef | Program | Depth | Size | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Twin Span Reef | inshore | 10-ft | 4 acres | 9 miles northwest |
| North Twin Span Reef | inshore | 10-ft | 4 acres | 11 miles north |
| St. Tammany Pier Reef | inshore | 12-ft | 1 acres | 11 miles north |
| Lake Borgne Shell Pad Reef | inshore | 11 miles east | ||
| Lake Front Reef | inshore | 13-ft | 4 acres | 13 miles west |
| St. Tammany (east) Reef | inshore | 12-ft | 410 acres | 16 miles northwest |
| Orleans Reef | inshore | 15-ft | 411 acres | 19 miles west |
| West End Pier Reef | inshore | 10-ft | 10 acres | 21 miles west |
| North Shore Reef | inshore | 14-ft | 382 acres | 23 miles northwest |
| Grand Banks Reef | inshore | 25 miles east |
LDWF Artificial Reef Program saltwater reef layer and site PDFs (depth and acres as printed), retrieved October 28, 2026.
How much water covers Chef Menteur Pass
NOAA CO-OPS water level, preliminary reading at retrieval (October 28, 2026); station page for live data.
- Chef Menteur, Chef Menteur Passtide predictions, 2 miles
- MARTELLO CASTLE, LAKE BORGNEtide predictions, 8 miles
- The Rigolets, U.S. Highway 90tide predictions, 8 miles
- Michoud Substation, ICWWtide predictions, 10 miles
Wind pushes water in and out of Chef Menteur Pass as much as tide does, so read the station before a shallow run.
NOAA CO-OPS water level and tide prediction stations within 25 and 15 miles, retrieved October 28, 2026.
Tidal passes feeding Chef Menteur Pass
- The Rigolets11 miles northeast
- Unknown Pass7 miles northeast
USGS GNIS passes and guts within 12 miles; retrieved October 28, 2026.
Coastal communities close to Chef Menteur Pass
- HopedaleSt. Bernard Parish, 17 miles
- DelacroixSt. Bernard Parish, 20 miles
USGS GNIS coastal towns and fishing ports within 20 miles; retrieved October 28, 2026.
Louisiana inshore limits on Chef Menteur Pass
| 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 |
At Chef Menteur Pass, read the saltwater rows first; freshwater species keep their freshwater limits.
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 redfish herePiscifun NautiX saltwater spinning reel14% OFFSale $94.99 Chef Menteur Pass beside other coastal water
Among the five nearest coastal pages, Pass Manchac has the most LDWF launches (9).
| Water | Distance | Type | Launches | Piers and banks | Reefs within 25 mi | NOAA stations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chef Menteur Pass | tidal pass | 6 | 0 | 10 | 3 | |
| Lake Saint Catherine | 6 miles northeast | coastal lake | 6 | 1 | 10 | 2 |
| Lake Borgne | 10 miles east | coastal lake | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| The Rigolets | 11 miles northeast | tidal pass | 4 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| Lake Pontchartrain | 23 miles northwest | coastal lake | 6 | 3 | 13 | 2 |
| Pass Manchac | 36 miles northwest | tidal pass | 9 | 0 | 10 | 1 |
LDWF launch, Banks and Piers and reef layers, NOAA CO-OPS stations, USGS GNIS; retrieved October 28, 2026.
Freshwater and towns close to Chef Menteur Pass
Louisiana still water close to Chef Menteur Pass
- Joe W. Brown Park12 miles
- Brechtel Pond17 miles
- New Orleans City Park19 miles
- Lake Cataouatche31 miles
River and bayou pages near Chef Menteur Pass
- Bayou Bienvenue7 miles
- The Rigolets8 miles
- Middle River15 miles
- Bayou Mandeville15 miles
Stores that stock up Chef Menteur Pass anglers
- South Shore Bait & Marinabait and tackle shop, New Orleans, 2 miles
- Eddie Pinto's Marinabait and tackle shop, New Orleans, 11 miles
- Meraux Tackle Boxbait and tackle shop, Meraux, 12 miles
- Bait Incbait and tackle shop, Chalmette, 14 miles
- Dick's Sporting Goods Slidellsporting goods store, Slidell, 15 miles
- Campo's Marinabait and tackle shop, Saint Bernard, 15 miles
Paid trips on Chef Menteur Pass
- Captain Greg Henrycharter, New Orleans, (504) 283-5052
- Nawlins Bowfishing chartercharter, New Orleans, (504) 608-1278
- Salty Dog Charterscharter, New Orleans, (504) 481-8216
- Louisiana Redfish Masterfishing guide, New Orleans, (504) 975-7902
- Westbank Fishingfishing guide, New Orleans, (504) 620-4404
- MarshOnTheFlyfly fishing guide, New Orleans, (504) 459-9960
Towns handy to Chef Menteur Pass
- New Orleans10 miles
- Meraux12 miles
- Eden Isle12 miles
- Violet13 miles
Parish-by-parish pages for Chef Menteur Pass
- Orleans Parishseat: New Orleans
Piscifun casting and spinning gear packed for Chef Menteur Pass
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Lakes and bayous close to Chef Menteur Pass, pictured
Photo: Infrogmation of New Orleans, CC BY 3.0
Photo: Mark Holloway, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Infrogmation of New Orleans, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Anne Marino, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Public domain
Quick answers for a trip to Chef Menteur Pass
Where is Chef Menteur Pass?
Look in Orleans Parish, about 10 miles from New Orleans.
Can I fish Chef Menteur Pass on a basic license?
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.
Can I trailer a bay boat to Chef Menteur Pass?
LDWF lists 6 launches (5 public); Bayou Bienvenue Marina on Chef Menteur Pass is one.
What is the speckled trout limit at Chef Menteur Pass?
Cobia (ling or lemonfish): 1 daily per person; no more than 2 per vessel; 36" min fork length; Open year-round in state waters.
Where has LDWF dropped structure near Chef Menteur Pass?
The reef band lists 10 sites; South Twin Span Reef is closest.
Is there a NOAA gauge near Chef Menteur Pass?
The nearest gauge is Shell Beach.
Can I fish Chef Menteur Pass from the bank?
Drive to St. Tammany Fishing Pier on Lake Saint Catherine, roughly 11 miles away.
Which shop on our list serves Chef Menteur Pass?
Try South Shore Bait & Marina, about 2 miles away, for live bait and ice.
Is there a pass close to Chef Menteur Pass?
Close passes: The Rigolets and Unknown Pass.
Plan a run to Chef Menteur Pass
Saltwater license prices and limits sit on one page.