Louisiana Free Fishing Weekend
Two June days when residents and visitors fish Louisiana without a license.
For weighing a catchPiscifun Lip gripper with digital scale27% OFFSale $39.99 Photo of Mandeville: Stockstill, Tiffany, CC BY-SA 4.0
How LDWF runs its license-free weekend
Louisiana's Free Fishing Weekend allows residents and visitors to fish Louisiana waters without an otherwise required fishing license. While a fishing license is not required, all fishing regulations, including size, season, catch limits, and gear restrictions, will remain in effect during Free Fishing Weekend.
Open to residents and visitors (nonresidents). A free Recreational Offshore Landing Permit (ROLP) is still needed when possessing tunas, billfish, swordfish, amberjacks, groupers, snappers, hinds, cobia, wahoo, dolphinfish and gray triggerfish; choose the "Free Fishing Weekend" ROLP option, valid only June 6-7, 2026. Anglers 17 and under never need a license.
LDWF news release June 1, 2026; second read in the 2026 pamphlet, read October 28, 2026.
Louisiana license-free weekends, year by year
| Year | Days | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | June 6, 2026 and June 7, 2026 | Held (LDWF pamphlet and news release) |
| 2027 | Not announced | LDWF had not published 2027 dates when this page was checked |
The landing permit still applies that weekend
Snappers, groupers, tunas, amberjacks, cobia, wahoo, dolphinfish and gray triggerfish still need a Recreational Offshore Landing Permit; for the free weekend LDWF offers a ROLP option valid only on those two days.
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.
License-free fishing the rest of the Louisiana year
You are not required to have Basic or Saltwater Fishing licenses if you are: A resident or nonresident under age 18 (i.e. age 17 and under); A resident born before June 1, 1940, who has lived in Louisiana for 6 months must have a copy of their free senior license in their possession.
- Get Out & Fish! pondsfamily ponds that LDWF stocks
- Licenses and limitsevery other day of the year
Photographs to go with Louisiana Free Fishing Weekend
Photo: Cyril Fluck, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Billy Hathorn, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: michael_miceli, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Jill Spence, CC BY-SA 4.0
The license-free June weekend, asked and answered
When was Louisiana Free Fishing Weekend in 2026?
June 6, 2026 (Saturday) and June 7, 2026 (Sunday).
Can visitors from other states fish free that weekend?
Yes; LDWF says residents and visitors alike may fish without a license.
Do limits still apply?
Yes; sizes, seasons, creel limits and gear rules stay in force.
Is a saltwater license needed that weekend?
No license is needed, but possessing offshore species still takes the free ROLP, with a Free Fishing Weekend option.
Have the 2027 free days been set?
Not yet; this page will list them once LDWF publishes them.
Who fishes free all year?
Anyone 17 or younger, and residents born before June 1, 1940 with their free senior license.
Does it cover WMA access?
The free weekend waives the fishing license; WMA rules and permits are a separate matter, so check before fishing a WMA.
Where are the limits for that weekend?
On the Louisiana licenses and limits page, the saltwater page and each water page.