Atchafalaya Basin Fishing
A 833,000-acre Louisiana swamp in St. Martin Parish and 9 other parishes.
Pick for largemouthPiscifun Chaos Pro CNC baitcasting reel25% OFFSale $97.99 Photo: Kevin Crosby, CC BY-SA 4.0
Sizing up Atchafalaya Basin from the LDWF file
The LDWF management layer gives 833,000 acres for Atchafalaya Basin, a swamp of St. Martin Parish and 9 other parishes. Henderson, about 14 miles away, is the nearest Census place.
Boaters can pick from 40 launches in the LDWF inventory (31 public). It carries 2 water-body exceptions of its own. LDWF lists District 9 for it.
LDWF Inland Waterbodies with Management Plans layer (Size, average depth, popular species, cover, access and tips text), Census 2023 places, retrieved October 28, 2026. LDWF office: District 9; 2415 Darnall Rd, New Iberia, LA 70560; 337-373-0032.
Species LDWF ties to Atchafalaya Basin
At Atchafalaya Basin, LDWF calls out Largemouth and spotted bass, crappie, catfish, sunfish.
Baits and timing on Atchafalaya Basin, per LDWF
Largemouth bass: along canals and bayous in spring and fall, jigs and spinnerbaits; crappie: spring and early summer, jigs and live bait (minnows); catfish and bream: under a cork around structure or pilings with live or artificial bait; catfish: deep wa
The cover LDWF describes in Atchafalaya Basin
Deep river channels, shallower bayous and backwater swamps, and bottomland hardwoods, brackish estuary; trees, stumps, logs, and submerged vegetation; piers, pilings
LDWF Inland Waterbodies with Management Plans text (popular species, fishing tips, cover; not a full species census), LOWA records and LDWF stocking; retrieved October 28, 2026.
For the largemouth herePiscifun AlinoX 300 low profile baitcaster34% OFFSale $104.99 Public and private launches around Atchafalaya Basin
- Adam's Landing (Belle River) on Atchafalaya Basin1-lane concrete ramp, private
- Adam's Landing on Atchafalaya Basin2-lane concrete ramp, private
- Atchafalaya River on Atchafalaya Basin (north)1-lane asphalt ramp, public
- Atchafalaya River on Atchafalaya Basin (south)1-lane concrete ramp, public
- Bayou Benoit Landing on Atchafalaya Basin7-lane concrete ramp, public
- Bayou Pigeon Landing on Atchafalaya Basin2-lane concrete ramp, public
- Bayou Plaquemine on Atchafalaya Basin2-lane boat launch, public
- Bayou Sorrel Landing on Atchafalaya Basin4-lane concrete ramp, public
- Belle River Landing on Atchafalaya Basin10-lane concrete ramp, public
- Berwick Landing on Atchafalaya Basin4-lane concrete ramp, public
- Big Alabama Bayou Landing on Atchafalaya Basin2-lane concrete ramp, public
- Big Alabama Bayou South Boat Launch on Atchafalaya Basin2-lane concrete ramp, public
- Big Alabama South Landing on Atchafalaya Basin2-lane concrete ramp, public
- Bobby Perry's Boat Launch on Atchafalaya Basinboat launch public
- Butte LaRose Landing on Atchafalaya Basin2-lane concrete ramp, public
- Cabot Boat Launch on Atchafalaya Basin4-lane concrete ramp, public, no fee, Public; free launch
- Calumet (Todd Ramp) Landing on Atchafalaya Basin2-lane concrete ramp, private
- Carr's Point Launch on Atchafalaya Basin1-lane boat launch, public
- Catahoula Landing on Atchafalaya Basin1-lane concrete ramp, public
- Charenton Landing on Atchafalaya Basin2-lane sand ramp, private
- Doiron's Landing (Old Bayou Long) on Atchafalaya Basin3-lane concrete ramp, private
- Doiron's Landing (Stephensville) on Atchafalaya Basin2-lane concrete ramp, private
- Doiron's Landing on Atchafalaya Basin2-lane concrete ramp, private
- Grand River Launch on Atchafalaya Basin1-lane concrete ramp, public
- Jesse B. Hayes Memorial Landing on Atchafalaya Basin2-lane concrete ramp, public
- Little Alabama Bayou Landing on Atchafalaya Basin1-lane concrete ramp, public
- Myette Point Landing on Atchafalaya Basin6-lane concrete ramp, public
- New Verdunville Landing on Atchafalaya Basin2-lane concrete ramp, public
- Old Bayou Maringouin on Atchafalaya Basinboat launch public
- Old Verdunville Landing on Atchafalaya Basin2-lane concrete ramp, public
- Ramah Landing on Atchafalaya Basin1-lane concrete ramp, public
- Ruiz Landing on Atchafalaya Basin2-lane concrete ramp, public
- Russo's Landing on Atchafalaya Basin4-lane concrete ramp, public
- Sandy Cove Landing on Atchafalaya Basin2-lane concrete ramp, public
- Section 120 Launch on Atchafalaya Basinboat launch public
- Spunky Monkey launch on Atchafalaya Basin1-lane concrete ramp, private
- Two Sisters Landing on Atchafalaya Basin1-lane concrete ramp, private
- Upper Grand River Landing on Atchafalaya Basin1-lane concrete ramp, public
- Whiskey Bay Landing on Atchafalaya Basin2-lane concrete ramp, public
- Wilson's Ramp on Atchafalaya Basin2-lane concrete ramp, public
Shore access as LDWF describes it: Access near boat ramps around basin (Ramah, Whiskey Bay, Old Verdunville, and Bayou Benoit launches)
Second-choice LDWF launches around Atchafalaya Basin
- Uncle Dick Davis Park Landing on Henderson LakeHenderson Lake, 8 miles west
- Catahoula Lake on Fausse Point, Dauterive and Catahoula ComplexFausse Point, Dauterive and Catahoula Complex, 8 miles west
- Public Landing on Henderson LakeHenderson Lake, 11 miles northwest
- McGee's Landing on Henderson LakeHenderson Lake, 11 miles west
- Atchafalaya Basin Landing on Henderson LakeHenderson Lake, 12 miles west
- Lake Dauterive on Fausse Point, Dauterive and Catahoula ComplexFausse Point, Dauterive and Catahoula Complex, 12 miles south
LDWF boat launch inventory (BoatRamps05152025) and LDWF Banks and Piers layer, retrieved October 28, 2026.
Hatchery fish LDWF released in Atchafalaya Basin
What went into Atchafalaya Basin, per LDWF hatchery reports:
- Florida BassFlorida Bass, 26,600 fingerlings, 2025 (Stocked January-June 2025.)
LDWF hatchery stocking releases (spring 2024 and 2025 per-water tables, single stockings to 2026); LDWF publishes no per-row dates; retrieved October 28, 2026.
Legal keepers at Atchafalaya Basin
| Species | Daily limit and size | Season |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Buffalo fish (or their hybrids) | 25 daily; 16" MLL | Open year-round |
| Catfish (blue, channel and flathead) | 100 daily in the aggregate. An angler may possess up to 25 undersized catfish of the three species combined.; Blue Catfish: 12" MLL; Channel Catfish: 11" MLL; Flathead Catfish: 14" MLL | Open year-round |
| Freshwater drum (gaspergou) | 25 daily; 12" MLL | Open year-round |
| Paddlefish | 2 daily (fish cannot be retained alive & cannot be harvested by snagging methods); 30" max lower jaw fork length | Open year-round |
| Shad | 50 pounds daily | Open year-round |
| Sturgeon | No legal harvest or possession | Closed (no legal harvest or possession) |
| Other freshwater fish (all species of bream and garfish) | No daily limit | Open year-round |
| Crawfish | 150 pounds daily | Open year-round |
| Rainbow trout (Get Out & Fish! community ponds) | five fish per person (daily limit) | Stocked mid-January to early February, pending a decrease in water temperatures |
For Atchafalaya Basin, statewide freshwater limits hold except where LDWF prints a change.
Pamphlet lines naming Atchafalaya Basin
| Water as printed | Where | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Lower Atchafalaya Basin, Grassy Lake, Lake Palourde, Lake Verrett and associated waterbodies | Black bass: Within the area south of US 190 from the West Atchafalaya Basin Protection Levee to the intersection of LA 1 and US 190 due north of Port Al | 12" MLL; 5 daily |
| Lower Atchafalaya Basin, Grassy Lake, Lake Palourde, Lake Verrett and associated waterbodies | Crappie: Within the area south of US 190 from the West Atchafalaya Basin Protection Levee to the intersection of LA 1 and US 190 due north of Port Al | 8" MLL; 25 daily |
Rules as printed in the 2026 Louisiana Recreational Fishing Regulations (LDWF pamphlet, updated September 21, 2026), pages 18 to 21 (pamphlet PDF); second read on the LDWF freshwater page October 28, 2026.
Louisiana anglers 18 and older carry a Basic Fishing License: $17 a year for residents and $68 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 freshwater finfish page October 28, 2026.
Atchafalaya Basin in the Louisiana record book
| Species | Division | Weight | Angler | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CATFISH, FLATHEAD | Rod & Reel | 95.0 lb | Roland Lasseigne | July 2007 |
Louisiana Outdoor Writers Association state fish records (rank 1 entries; LDWF keeps no record list), retrieved October 28, 2026. All Louisiana records.
Atchafalaya Basin on the trail calendar
Every Atchafalaya Basin event we found, with its source, sits on one page.
Atchafalaya Basin beside the closest LDWF lakes
By the LDWF size figures, Fausse Point, Dauterive and Catahoula Complex heads the list at 17,000 acres.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Average depth | Launches | LDWF reefs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atchafalaya Basin | 833,000 | 40 | 0 | ||
| Fausse Point, Dauterive and Catahoula Complex | 12 miles south | 17,000 | 3 | 0 | |
| Henderson Lake | 15 miles northwest | 5,000 | 7 ft | 12 | 0 |
| Lake Martin | 19 miles west | 800 | 1 | 0 | |
| Spanish Lake | 21 miles southwest | 1,260 | 4.8 ft | 1 | 0 |
| University Lakes | 27 miles northeast | 275 | 2.1 ft | 1 | 0 |
LDWF Inland Waterbodies with Management Plans, launch inventory and reef layers; retrieved October 28, 2026.
Next Louisiana stops near Atchafalaya Basin
More lakes and brakes by Atchafalaya Basin
- Fausse Point, Dauterive and Catahoula Complex12 miles south
- Henderson Lake15 miles northwest
- Lake Martin19 miles west
- Spanish Lake21 miles southwest
- University Lakes27 miles northeast
Where to buy shiners and crickets for Atchafalaya Basin
- Melancon Bait Shopbait and tackle shop, Saint Martinville, 8 miles
- L & L Bait Grocerybait and tackle shop, Maringouin, 12 miles
- Breaux's Crawfish & Crab Baitbait and tackle shop, Breaux Bridge, 15 miles
- Bayou Bait Shopbait and tackle shop, Plaquemine, 20 miles
- Don's Sportsman Shopbait and tackle shop, Port Allen, 24 miles
- Suzie's Bait and Tacklebait and tackle shop, New Iberia, 24 miles
Hiring a guide on Atchafalaya Basin
- Bayou Bowfishing Charters & Airboat Servicescharter, New Iberia, (504) 234-7436
- 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
Home bases for Atchafalaya Basin
- Henderson14 miles
- St. Martinville17 miles
- Breaux Bridge19 miles
The parish pages for Atchafalaya Basin
- St. Martin Parishseat: St. Martinville
- St. Mary Parishseat: Franklin
- Iberia Parishseat: New Iberia
- Iberville Parishseat: Plaquemine
- Pointe Coupee Parishseat: New Roads
- St. Landry Parishseat: Opelousas
- Avoyelles Parishseat: Marksville
- Terrebonne Parishseat: Houma
- Concordia Parishseat: Vidalia
- West Feliciana Parishseat: St. Francisville
Piscifun tackle a Sportsman's Paradise angler might load for Atchafalaya Basin
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
Telling apart the fish of Atchafalaya Basin by photo
Photo: Dominic, CC BY 4.0
.jpg){kind=link}
Photo: United States Fish and Wildlife Services, Public domain
Photo: moxostoma, CC BY 4.0
Photo: qfc79, CC BY 4.0
Settling the details of a day on Atchafalaya Basin
Which corner of the Pelican State holds Atchafalaya Basin?
It is in St. Martin Parish and 9 other parishes, about 14 miles from Henderson.
What size does LDWF give Atchafalaya Basin?
Near 833,000 acres.
Where does a Louisiana bass boat go in at Atchafalaya Basin?
40 launches, including Atchafalaya River on Atchafalaya Basin (north) (31 public in all).
What fish does LDWF list for Atchafalaya Basin?
On the list: largemouth bass, spotted bass, white crappie, channel catfish, bluegill and flathead catfish.
Does Atchafalaya Basin have its own fishing rules?
Black bass (largemouth and spotted): 10 daily; Open year-round. A water-body rule changes part of that here, shown above.
Is a saltwater license needed on Atchafalaya Basin?
Louisiana anglers 18 and older carry a Basic Fishing License: $17 a year for residents and $68 for nonresidents.
How much water is under the boat at Atchafalaya Basin?
Depth is not in the LDWF data.
Who sells shiners and crickets near Atchafalaya Basin?
Head to Melancon Bait Shop, about 8 miles away, for bait and ice.
Has the LOWA book ever credited Atchafalaya Basin?
CATFISH, FLATHEAD, 95.0 lb, by Roland Lasseigne (July 2007).
When did LDWF hatcheries last stock Atchafalaya Basin?
Yes, for example Florida Bass, 26,600 fingerlings, 2025.
Circle a Louisiana weekend for Atchafalaya Basin
Check the creel limit before a fish goes in the ice chest.