Lake Pontchartrain Fishing
A coastal lake of the Louisiana coast in St. Tammany Parish, inside the LDWF saltwater line.
Pick for flounderPiscifun Alloy S inshore spinning reelCheck price at PiscifunPhoto: Paul Lowry, CC BY 2.0
Lake Pontchartrain on the Louisiana marsh map
In St. Tammany Parish lies Lake Pontchartrain, a coastal lake of the Louisiana coast. The LDWF saltwater line puts it in salt water for license and limit purposes. From the GNIS point, Metairie lies about 13 miles away.
There are 6 launches serving it. There are 3 pier and bank sites on the Banks and Piers layer. The reef program has 13 reef sites within 25 miles. NOAA runs 2 water-level stations within 25 miles.
USGS Geographic Names Information System (feature class and point), LDWF saltwater line, LDWF launch and Banks and Piers layers; retrieved October 28, 2026.
Species with a LOWA record from Lake Pontchartrain
Fish tied to Lake Pontchartrain in our sources.
LOWA state records and LDWF data; retrieved October 28, 2026.
Bayou launches toward Lake Pontchartrain
- Bonnabel Boat Launch on Lake Pontchartrain2-lane concrete ramp, public
- Lombard's launch on Lake Pontchartrain1-lane concrete ramp, public, fee, Public; $5 to launch
- Seabrook Launch & Pier on Lake Pontchartrain3-lane concrete ramp, public
- The Pointe Marina and Grill on Lake Pontchartrain2-lane concrete ramp, public, fee, Public; pay to launch
- West End Launch on Lake Pontchartrain1-lane concrete ramp, public, Publi
- Williams Boulevard Boat Ramp on Lake Pontchartrain4-lane concrete ramp, public
Second-choice LDWF launches around Lake Pontchartrain
- Lacombe Boat Ramp on Bayou Des MatsBayou Des Mats, 12 miles northeast
- Lake Road Launch on Bayou Des MatsBayou Des Mats, 12 miles northeast
- Mandeville Harbor on Bayou CastineBayou Castine, 12 miles north
- Bayou Cane Boat LaunchCane Bayou, 13 miles northeast
- Madisonville at Lake Front on Tchefuncte RiverTchefuncte River, 14 miles north
- Madisonville Ramp on Tchefuncte RiverTchefuncte River, 14 miles north
LDWF boat launch inventory (saltwater, brackish and freshwater launches), retrieved October 28, 2026.
Land-based fishing LDWF maps at Lake Pontchartrain
- Kenner Lake Front Fishing Pier on Lake Pontchartrainfishing pier, salt or brackish, Restrooms, Year-round
- Bonnabel Pier on Lake Pontchartrainfishing pier, salt or brackish, Pier, restrooms, Year-round
- Lakefront Sea Wall on Lake Pontchartrainbank fishing, salt or brackish, Bank access to Lake Pontchartrain, Year-round
Land-based fishing close to Lake Pontchartrain
- Fountainbleu State Parkfishing pier, 12 miles
- Sunset Point Fishing Pierfishing pier, salt or brackish, 12 miles
- Kenner City Parkbank fishing, 13 miles
- Lafreniere Parkbank fishing, 14 miles
- Joe Brown Memorial Park on Joe W. Brown Parkbank fishing, 14 miles
LDWF Banks and Piers layer, retrieved October 28, 2026.
Reef program sites near Lake Pontchartrain
The LDWF Artificial Reef Program lists 13 within 25 miles of Lake Pontchartrain, 13 of them inshore.
| Reef | Program | Depth | Size | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orleans Reef | inshore | 15-ft | 411 acres | 5 miles southeast |
| North Shore Reef | inshore | 14-ft | 382 acres | 7 miles northeast |
| South Shore Reef | inshore | 13-ft | 384 acres | 8 miles southwest |
| St. Tammany (west) Reef | inshore | 13-ft | 410 acres | 9 miles north |
| West End Pier Reef | inshore | 10-ft | 10 acres | 11 miles south |
| St. Tammany (east) Reef | inshore | 12-ft | 410 acres | 11 miles east |
| Lake Front Reef | inshore | 13-ft | 4 acres | 12 miles southeast |
| Laketown Reef | inshore | 6-ft | 4 acres | 12 miles southwest |
| St. Charles Reef | inshore | 14-ft | 411 acres | 12 miles west |
| South Twin Span Reef | inshore | 10-ft | 4 acres | 17 miles east |
| North Twin Span Reef | inshore | 10-ft | 4 acres | 17 miles east |
| St. John Reef | inshore | 9-ft | 10 acres | 18 miles west |
LDWF Artificial Reef Program saltwater reef layer and site PDFs (depth and acres as printed), retrieved October 28, 2026.
Reading the water on Lake Pontchartrain
NOAA CO-OPS water level, preliminary reading at retrieval (October 28, 2026); station page for live data.
- New Canal USCG station, Lake Pontchartraintide predictions, 11 miles
- Tchefuncta River, Lake Pontchartraintide predictions, 14 miles
Read the NOAA station for Lake Pontchartrain 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.
Redfish, speck and flounder limits for Lake Pontchartrain
| 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 Lake Pontchartrain, 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.
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| Species | Division | Weight | Angler | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BASS, HYBRID STRIPED | Rod & Reel | 16.25 lb | William D. Hungerford | Feb 2000 |
Louisiana Outdoor Writers Association state fish records (rank 1 entries; LDWF keeps no record list), retrieved October 28, 2026. All Louisiana records.
Coastal water near Lake Pontchartrain, compared
The best-served neighbour is Pass Manchac, with 9 launches.
| Water | Distance | Type | Launches | Piers and banks | Reefs within 25 mi | NOAA stations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Pontchartrain | coastal lake | 6 | 3 | 13 | 2 | |
| Pass Manchac | 13 miles northwest | tidal pass | 9 | 0 | 10 | 1 |
| Chef Menteur Pass | 23 miles southeast | tidal pass | 6 | 0 | 10 | 3 |
| Lake Maurepas | 23 miles west | coastal lake | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Lake Saint Catherine | 24 miles east | coastal lake | 6 | 1 | 10 | 2 |
| The Rigolets | 30 miles east | tidal pass | 4 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
LDWF launch, Banks and Piers and reef layers, NOAA CO-OPS stations, USGS GNIS; retrieved October 28, 2026.
Inland water and towns near Lake Pontchartrain
More lakes and brakes by Lake Pontchartrain
- New Orleans City Park12 miles
- Joe W. Brown Park14 miles
- Bonnet Carre Spillway20 miles
- Brechtel Pond20 miles
Rivers and bayous close to Lake Pontchartrain
- Bayou Castine12 miles
- Cane Bayou13 miles
- Bayou Chinchuba14 miles
- Lacombe Bayou15 miles
Where to buy shiners and crickets for Lake Pontchartrain
- Dick's Sporting Goods Metairiesporting goods store, Metairie, 12 miles
- Seabrook Marine LLCbait and tackle shop, New Orleans, 13 miles
- Academy Sports + Outdoors Metairiesporting goods store, Metairie, 14 miles
- Kingfish Developmentbait and tackle shop, New Orleans, 16 miles
- Academy Sports + Outdoors Harahansporting goods store, Harahan, 16 miles
- Professional Sport Shop Incbait and tackle shop, New Orleans, 17 miles
Hiring a guide on Lake Pontchartrain
- Angling Adventures of Louisianacharter, Slidell, (985) 781-7811
- Cajun Couyan Fishing Charterscharter, Mandeville, (985) 507-7644
- Captian Joe's Angling Adventurescharter, Slidell, (985) 212-2124
- Charter Boat Charliecharter, Slidell, (985) 886-3728
- Strike Zones Chartercharter, Mandeville, (985) 778-0362
Home bases for Lake Pontchartrain
- Metairie13 miles
- Mandeville13 miles
- Kenner14 miles
- New Orleans15 miles
The parish pages for Lake Pontchartrain
- St. Tammany Parishseat: Covington
Piscifun tackle a Sportsman's Paradise angler might load for Lake Pontchartrain
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
Telling apart the fish of Lake Pontchartrain by photo
Photo: Jorge Alarcon or Dr. Daniel Benetti, Public domain
Photo: SEFSC Pascagoula Laboratory; Collection of Brandi Noble, NOAA/NMFS/SEFSC, Public domain
Photo: Rennair, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Totti, CC BY-SA 4.0
Settling the details of a day on Lake Pontchartrain
Which stretch of the Louisiana marsh holds Lake Pontchartrain?
It sits in St. Tammany Parish, about 13 miles from Metairie.
What does LDWF charge to fish Lake Pontchartrain?
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 Lake Pontchartrain?
6 launches in the inventory, Bonnabel Boat Launch on Lake Pontchartrain included.
What can a Louisiana angler ice down from Lake Pontchartrain?
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 Lake Pontchartrain have reef sites?
13 sites within 25 miles; nearest is Orleans Reef.
Where do I find tide predictions for Lake Pontchartrain?
New Canal Station is the closest NOAA water-level station; the tide band shows its reading.
Are there bank sites on Lake Pontchartrain?
LDWF lists 3 pier and bank sites, Kenner Lake Front Fishing Pier on Lake Pontchartrain among them.
Who sells live shrimp near Lake Pontchartrain?
Head to Dick's Sporting Goods Metairie, about 12 miles away, for bait and ice.
Has the LOWA book ever credited Lake Pontchartrain?
BASS, HYBRID STRIPED, 16.25 lb, by William D. Hungerford (Feb 2000).
Spend a coastal weekend on Lake Pontchartrain
Every Louisiana saltwater fee and limit is one click away.