Lake Mechant Fishing
A coastal lake of the Louisiana coast in Terrebonne Parish, inside the LDWF saltwater line.
Pick for redfishPiscifun Alloy S inshore spinning reelCheck price at PiscifunPhoto of Atchafalaya Bay: NOAA Restoration Center, Erik Zobrist, Public domain
What the gazetteer and LDWF record about Lake Mechant
Lake Mechant, a coastal lake, sits in Terrebonne Parish on the USGS names map. It falls on the salt side of the LDWF line, where saltwater rules apply. The closest Census place is Chauvin, roughly 25 miles away.
Boaters reach it from 1 launch. Offshore and inshore crews have built 4 reef sites within 25 miles. There are 1 water-level station in range. The gazetteer maps 4 named passes close by.
USGS Geographic Names Information System (feature class and point), LDWF saltwater line, LDWF launch and Banks and Piers layers; retrieved October 28, 2026.
Where boats go in for Lake Mechant
- Jug's Seafood launch on Lake Mechant2-lane concrete ramp, private
Marinas serving Lake Mechant
- Jug's Seafood launch on Lake MechantFuel, bait, tackle, lodging, license sales, dining, 985-876-1413
Nearby launches when Lake Mechant is busy
- Falgout Canal LandingFalgout Canal Bayou, 13 miles northeast
- Four Point Landing2-lane concrete ramp, private, 15 miles east
- Dulac Food Store launch1-lane gravel ramp, private, 16 miles east
- CoCo Marina on Lake BarreLake Barre, 19 miles east
- Harbor Light Marina on Lake BarreLake Barre, 19 miles east
- Wine Island Pass Marina on Lake BarreLake Barre, 19 miles east
LDWF boat launch inventory (saltwater, brackish and freshwater launches), retrieved October 28, 2026.
Where LDWF built reefs by Lake Mechant
Near Lake Mechant: 4 reef program sites, 3 inshore.
| Reef | Program | Depth | Size | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ship Shoal 26 Reef | nearshore | 8-ft | 187 acres | 15 miles south |
| Bodwin's Point Reef | inshore | 21 miles southeast | ||
| Bird Island Reef | inshore | 9-ft | 69 acres | 22 miles southeast |
| Point Mast Reef | inshore | 9-ft | 50 acres | 24 miles southeast |
LDWF Artificial Reef Program saltwater reef layer and site PDFs (depth and acres as printed), retrieved October 28, 2026.
Tide and water level at Lake Mechant
NOAA CO-OPS water level, preliminary reading at retrieval (October 28, 2026); station page for live data.
- Texas Gas Platform, Caillou Baytide predictions, 9 miles
- Fourleague Baytide predictions, 11 miles
On Lake Mechant a north wind can drain the flats; watch the gauge, not just the tide table.
NOAA CO-OPS water level and tide prediction stations within 25 and 15 miles, retrieved October 28, 2026.
Where current runs near Lake Mechant
- Grand Pass3 miles southeast
- Lost Lake Pass5 miles west
- Mile Pass6 miles southeast
- Pelican Pass9 miles southwest
USGS GNIS passes and guts within 12 miles; retrieved October 28, 2026.
Harbour towns near Lake Mechant
- CocodrieTerrebonne Parish, 19 miles
USGS GNIS coastal towns and fishing ports within 20 miles; retrieved October 28, 2026.
Legal keepers on Lake Mechant
| 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 |
The table puts the inshore rules for Lake Mechant on top and freshwater rows below.
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 Neighbouring bays measured against Lake Mechant
For more launch choices, Caillou Bay offers 0 in the LDWF inventory.
| Water | Distance | Type | Launches | Piers and banks | Reefs within 25 mi | NOAA stations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Mechant | coastal lake | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | |
| Caillou Bay | 10 miles south | bay | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Fourleague Bay | 13 miles west | bay | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Atchafalaya Bay | 20 miles west | bay | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Lake Pelto | 22 miles southeast | coastal lake | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Terrebonne Bay | 27 miles southeast | bay | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 |
LDWF launch, Banks and Piers and reef layers, NOAA CO-OPS stations, USGS GNIS; retrieved October 28, 2026.
The country behind Lake Mechant
Neighbouring lakes to Lake Mechant
- Lake Verret, Grassy Lake and Lake Palourde31 miles
- Lake Fields and Lake Long Complex33 miles
- Lake Boeuf39 miles
- Dufrene Ponds45 miles
Bayous and rivers feeding toward Lake Mechant
- Falgout Canal Bayou13 miles
- Bayou Black21 miles
- Bayou Caroline26 miles
- Bayou Terrebonne27 miles
Bait and ice near Lake Mechant
- Academy Sports + Outdoors Houmasporting goods store, Houma, 25 miles
- Captain Allens Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Houma, 27 miles
- Montegut Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Montegut, 27 miles
- Diversified Marinemarina, Bourg
- Harborlight Marinamarina, Chauvin
- Kajunboatingandfishing.combait and tackle shop, Chauvin
Booked trips to Lake Mechant
- Bayou Guide Service Fish & Charterscharter, Houma, (985) 851-6015
- Cajun Fishing and Hunting Charterscharter, Houma, (985) 870-5909
- Coastal Charter Servicescharter, Chauvin, (985) 856-6494
- Cocodrie Anglerscharter, Chauvin, (985) 856-0700
- Cocodrie Charterscharter, Chauvin, (985) 594-6200
- Ellender Charterscharter, Theriot, (985) 224-3388
- Houma Oilman's Fishing Tournamentcharter, Houma, (985) 223-3849
- Impulse Fishing Charters, LLCcharter, Theriot, (225) 776-9820
Louisiana overnight bases for Lake Mechant
- Chauvin25 miles
- Houma25 miles
- Bayou Cane26 miles
- Gray28 miles
Parish pages that list Lake Mechant
- Terrebonne Parishseat: Houma
Reels and line from Piscifun ahead of Lake Mechant
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
Fish to recognise before a trip to Lake Mechant
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
What first-timers on Lake Mechant want to know
Which parish holds Lake Mechant?
The gazetteer point is in Terrebonne Parish, about 25 miles from Chauvin.
Do I need a saltwater license for Lake Mechant?
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.
Where do bay boats put in for Lake Mechant?
LDWF lists 1 launch, Jug's Seafood launch on Lake Mechant among them.
Which creel limits cover Lake Mechant?
Cobia (ling or lemonfish): 1 daily per person; no more than 2 per vessel; 36" min fork length; Open year-round in state waters.
How many reefs lie near Lake Mechant?
Ship Shoal 26 Reef is nearest of 4 sites.
How high is the water on Lake Mechant?
Use LAWMA, Amerada Pass, shown in the tide band.
Does LDWF map a pier on Lake Mechant?
Plan on a boat; no pier is listed near.
Where can I pick up shiners near Lake Mechant?
Closest on our Louisiana list: Academy Sports + Outdoors Houma, about 25 miles away.
Which cuts are near Lake Mechant?
Within 12 miles: Grand Pass, Lost Lake Pass, Mile Pass and Pelican Pass.
Put Lake Mechant on the inshore list
Check the wind and tide, then pick the launch nearest your target.