Lake Borgne Fishing
A coastal lake of the Louisiana coast in St. Bernard Parish, inside the LDWF saltwater line.
Pick for redfishPiscifun Alloy S inshore spinning reelCheck price at PiscifunPhoto: Anne Marino, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Public domain
First facts on Lake Borgne for a saltwater trip
Lake Borgne is a coastal lake on the Louisiana coast, mapped by USGS in St. Bernard Parish. Saltwater limits hold here, since it sits inside the LDWF line. Roughly 18 miles separates it from Eden Isle.
9 reef sites from the LDWF reef program sit within 25 miles. 1 water-level station from NOAA sit within 25 miles. 6 named passes lie 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.
Fish named for Lake Borgne in the record book
These species carry a LOWA record or LDWF entry naming Lake Borgne.
LOWA state records and LDWF data; retrieved October 28, 2026.
Launches that run out to Lake Borgne
There is no inventory launch at Lake Borgne, so plan a run from a nearby one.
Launches within a short drive of Lake Borgne
- Lake Catherine Island Marina on Lake Saint CatherineLake Saint Catherine, 11 miles northwest
- Chef Harbor on Chef Menteur PassChef Menteur Pass, 11 miles west
- South Shore Bait Marina on Chef Menteur PassChef Menteur Pass, 12 miles west
- Vinot's Marina on The RigoletsThe Rigolets, 12 miles northwest
- Fort Pike State Park Public Launch on Lake Saint CatherineLake Saint Catherine, 12 miles northwest
- Pelican Pointe Marina on The RigoletsThe Rigolets, 12 miles northwest
LDWF boat launch inventory (saltwater, brackish and freshwater launches), retrieved October 28, 2026.
Pier fishing on Lake Borgne
Other piers and banks a drive from Lake Borgne
- Yscloskey Hwy, Shell Beachbank fishing, salt or brackish, 12 miles
- St. Tammany Fishing Pier on Lake Saint Catherinefishing pier, salt or brackish, 16 miles
- Joe Brown Memorial Park on Joe W. Brown Parkbank fishing, 21 miles
- Sidney D. Torres Memorial Parkcommunity fishing site, Get Out & Fish site, 22 miles
- Brechtel Parkbank fishing, 25 miles
LDWF Banks and Piers layer, retrieved October 28, 2026.
Sunken structure around Lake Borgne
9 reef sites lie within 25 miles of Lake Borgne; 9 are inshore reefs.
| Reef | Program | Depth | Size | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Borgne Shell Pad Reef | inshore | 4 miles northeast | ||
| Grand Banks Reef | inshore | 16 miles northeast | ||
| St. Tammany Pier Reef | inshore | 12-ft | 1 acres | 16 miles northwest |
| South Twin Span Reef | inshore | 10-ft | 4 acres | 17 miles northwest |
| North Twin Span Reef | inshore | 10-ft | 4 acres | 17 miles northwest |
| West Karako Bay Reef | inshore | 21 miles east | ||
| Lake Front Reef | inshore | 13-ft | 4 acres | 23 miles west |
| Cabbage Reef | inshore | 23 miles east | ||
| St. Tammany (east) Reef | inshore | 12-ft | 410 acres | 24 miles northwest |
LDWF Artificial Reef Program saltwater reef layer and site PDFs (depth and acres as printed), retrieved October 28, 2026.
Tide predictions for Lake Borgne
NOAA CO-OPS water level, preliminary reading at retrieval (October 28, 2026); station page for live data.
- Chef Menteur, Chef Menteur Passtide predictions, 11 miles
- Shell Beach, Lake Borgnetide predictions, 12 miles
- The Rigolets, U.S. Highway 90tide predictions, 12 miles
- MARTELLO CASTLE, LAKE BORGNEtide predictions, 14 miles
Water on Lake Borgne answers to wind and river as much as tide; the stations above show what is happening now.
NOAA CO-OPS water level and tide prediction stations within 25 and 15 miles, retrieved October 28, 2026.
Passes a short run from Lake Borgne
- The Rigolets9 miles north
- Chef Menteur Pass10 miles west
- Unknown Pass7 miles northwest
- Blind Pass12 miles east
- Le Petit Pass9 miles northeast
- Mosquito Inlet8 miles east
USGS GNIS passes and guts within 12 miles; retrieved October 28, 2026.
Fishing towns that serve Lake Borgne
- HopedaleSt. Bernard Parish, 15 miles
USGS GNIS coastal towns and fishing ports within 20 miles; retrieved October 28, 2026.
The saltwater pamphlet rules for Lake Borgne
| 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 |
For Lake Borgne, the saltwater statewide rows lead; freshwater rows follow for fish caught in the brackish marsh.
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 Record-book catches from Lake Borgne
| Species | Division | Weight | Angler | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TRIPLETAIL | Fly Fishing | 21.48 lb | Stephen Armstrong | August. 2011 |
Louisiana Outdoor Writers Association state fish records (rank 1 entries; LDWF keeps no record list), retrieved October 28, 2026. All Louisiana records.
Lake Borgne next to the closest bays and passes
By launch count, Chef Menteur Pass tops the table at 6.
| Water | Distance | Type | Launches | Piers and banks | Reefs within 25 mi | NOAA stations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Borgne | coastal lake | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | |
| The Rigolets | 9 miles north | tidal pass | 4 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| Chef Menteur Pass | 10 miles west | tidal pass | 6 | 0 | 10 | 3 |
| Lake Saint Catherine | 10 miles northwest | coastal lake | 6 | 1 | 10 | 2 |
| Lake Pontchartrain | 32 miles west | coastal lake | 6 | 3 | 13 | 2 |
| Chandeleur Sound | 37 miles east | sound | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
LDWF launch, Banks and Piers and reef layers, NOAA CO-OPS stations, USGS GNIS; retrieved October 28, 2026.
Where else to fish near Lake Borgne
Other LDWF lakes near Lake Borgne
- Joe W. Brown Park21 miles
- Brechtel Pond25 miles
- New Orleans City Park29 miles
- Lake Cataouatche39 miles
Bayous a short run from Lake Borgne
- The Rigolets12 miles
- Middle River14 miles
- Bayou Bienvenue15 miles
- Pearl River17 miles
Bait shops along the drive to Lake Borgne
- South Shore Bait & Marinabait and tackle shop, New Orleans, 12 miles
- Campo's Marinabait and tackle shop, Saint Bernard, 13 miles
- Southbound Fishing Charters LLCmarina, St. Bernard, 14 miles
- Dick's Sporting Goods Slidellsporting goods store, Slidell, 19 miles
- Dockside Bait & Takelbait and tackle shop, Slidell, 20 miles
- Eddie Pinto's Marinabait and tackle shop, New Orleans, 20 miles
Who guides on Lake Borgne
- Captain Charlie's Bayou Charterscharter, Saint Bernard, (504) 278-3474
- Hook Dat Fishing Charterscharter, Saint Bernard, (504) 475-2816
- Redfish Dynastycharter, Saint Bernard, (850) 509-1376
- Reel Southern Fishing Charterscharter, Saint Bernard, (504) 250-7296
- Southbound Fishing Charters LLCcharter, St. Bernard, (225) 421-3094
- Whiskey Bayou Charterscharter, Saint Bernard, (504) 265-3405
Louisiana towns with a room near Lake Borgne
- Eden Isle18 miles
- Violet19 miles
- New Orleans19 miles
- Meraux19 miles
Which parishes take in Lake Borgne
- St. Bernard Parishseat: Chalmette
Piscifun gear lined up for the bayou run to Lake Borgne
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
Cypress, marsh and open water by Lake Borgne, in photos
Photo: Infrogmation of New Orleans, CC BY 3.0
Photo: Infrogmation, CC BY 2.5
Photo: Willam Blackwell, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Elisa.rolle, CC BY-SA 4.0
Lake Borgne: questions a Louisiana angler asks before launching
Which Louisiana town sits nearest Lake Borgne?
USGS places it in St. Bernard Parish, about 18 miles from Eden Isle.
Is Lake Borgne salt or fresh water for licensing?
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.
How many LDWF-listed launches reach Lake Borgne?
Use Lake Catherine Island Marina on Lake Saint Catherine, some 11 miles away.
What are the redfish limits on Lake Borgne?
Cobia (ling or lemonfish): 1 daily per person; no more than 2 per vessel; 36" min fork length; Open year-round in state waters.
Has LDWF built artificial reefs near Lake Borgne?
LDWF lists 9 sites nearby, Lake Borgne Shell Pad Reef first.
What did the latest water level near Lake Borgne show?
Check Shell Beach; its dated reading is above.
Which LDWF pier sits nearest Lake Borgne?
Nothing on it directly; the nearest listed is Yscloskey Hwy, Shell Beach, about 12 miles away.
Where do Lake Borgne regulars fill the bait bucket?
South Shore Bait & Marina, about 12 miles away, tops our Louisiana shop list.
Where does tide move near Lake Borgne?
Look to The Rigolets, Chef Menteur Pass, Unknown Pass, Blind Pass and Le Petit Pass.
Which Louisiana record names Lake Borgne?
TRIPLETAIL, 21.48 lb, by Stephen Armstrong (August. 2011).
Head down the bayou road to Lake Borgne
Read the redfish and trout limits before filling the ice chest.