Louisiana lakes and reservoirs

Lake Salvador Fishing

A 15,000-acre Louisiana lake in St. Charles, Lafourche and Jefferson parishes.

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Photo of Barataria Bay: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region, CC BY 2.0

St. Charles Parish

Lake Salvador at a glance for Louisiana anglers

Lake Salvador spans 15,000 acres of lake water in St. Charles, Lafourche and Jefferson parishes, by the LDWF figure. Its average depth is about 7 feet, per LDWF. A run of about 10 miles reaches Jean Lafitte, the closest town.

Questions go to LDWF District 8.

15,000acres (LDWF)
7 ftaverage depth
0launches
5species named

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 8; 61384 Fish Hatchery Rd, Lacombe, LA 70445; 985-882-5228.

Species

Bass, sac-a-lait and catfish on Lake Salvador

Popular species on the LDWF record for Lake Salvador: Largemouth bass; bluegill; redear; red drum; blue, channel, and flathead catfish.

Seasonal patterns LDWF gives for Lake Salvador

Largemouth bass: soft plastics (worm or crawfish) or spinnerbaits; bluegill: live bait (cricket or worm) under a cork; crappie: tube jigs; catfish: dead or live bait; red drum: moving tide with spinnerbait or shrimp under a cork

Stumps, grass and timber in Lake Salvador

Freshwater marsh shoreline, intermediate marsh, cypress trees, knees, stumps along shoreline, submerged, emergent, and floating vegetation, pilings, oil field structures

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.

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Access

Backing a trailer down at Lake Salvador

No LDWF-listed launch touches Lake Salvador, so nearby ones are listed.

More LDWF launches a short tow from Lake Salvador

  • Bayou Gauche on Simoneaux PondsSimoneaux Ponds, 9 miles northwest
  • Rosethorne Park Launch on Intracoastal/Lake SalvadorIntracoastal/Lake Salvador, 10 miles east
  • Joe's Landing on Bayou CutlerBayou Cutler, 10 miles east
  • Cochiaras Marina on Bayou CutlerBayou Cutler, 10 miles east
  • Nick's Marina on Bayou CutlerBayou Cutler, 10 miles southeast
  • Lafitte Harbor on Bayou CutlerBayou Cutler, 11 miles southeast

LDWF boat launch inventory (BoatRamps05152025) and LDWF Banks and Piers layer, retrieved October 28, 2026.

Limits

Louisiana freshwater limits on Lake Salvador

SpeciesDaily limit and sizeSeason
Black bass (largemouth and spotted)10 dailyOpen year-round
Striped or hybrid striped bass (or any combination thereof)5 daily; no more than two over 30" total lengthOpen year-round
White bass50 dailyOpen year-round
Yellow bass50 dailyOpen year-round
Sunfish (bream)No daily limitOpen year-round
Crappie (black and white)50 daily; 100 fish possession limitOpen year-round
Bowfin (choupique)No daily limit; 16" MLLOpen year-round
Buffalo fish (or their hybrids)25 daily; 16" MLLOpen 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" MLLOpen year-round
Freshwater drum (gaspergou)25 daily; 12" MLLOpen year-round
Paddlefish2 daily (fish cannot be retained alive & cannot be harvested by snagging methods); 30" max lower jaw fork lengthOpen year-round
Shad50 pounds dailyOpen year-round
SturgeonNo legal harvest or possessionClosed (no legal harvest or possession)
Other freshwater fish (all species of bream and garfish)No daily limitOpen year-round
Crawfish150 pounds dailyOpen 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

The statewide rows are the default on Lake Salvador, with any listed exception on top.

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.

Compare

Comparing Lake Salvador with nearby Louisiana lakes

The biggest lake in the table is Lake Cataouatche with 8,000 acres.

LakeDistanceAcresAverage depthLaunchesLDWF reefs
Lake Salvador15,0007 ft00
Lake Cataouatche8 miles north8,0005 ft00
Dufrene Ponds14 miles west1,51610
Brechtel Pond19 miles northeast44 ft00
Lake Fields and Lake Long Complex20 miles west3 ft00
New Orleans City Park22 miles northeast1143 ft09

LDWF Inland Waterbodies with Management Plans, launch inventory and reef layers; retrieved October 28, 2026.

Nearby

The parish country around Lake Salvador

Louisiana lakes a short drive from Lake Salvador

  • Lake Cataouatche8 miles north
  • Dufrene Ponds14 miles west
  • Brechtel Pond19 miles northeast
  • Lake Fields and Lake Long Complex20 miles west
  • New Orleans City Park22 miles northeast

Louisiana tackle counters close to Lake Salvador

  • B & B Tacklebait and tackle shop, Marrero, 13 miles
  • Gulf Outlet Boat Launch Baitbait and tackle shop, Marrero, 14 miles
  • Academy Sports + Outdoors Harahansporting goods store, Harahan, 16 miles
  • South Lafourche Tackle & Hunting Suppliesbait and tackle shop, Cut Off, 17 miles
  • Academy Sports + Outdoors Gretnasporting goods store, Gretna, 18 miles
  • Barataria Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Belle Chasse, 18 miles

Louisiana guides and captains for Lake Salvador

Places to sleep near Lake Salvador

  • Jean Lafitte10 miles
  • Avondale13 miles
  • Estelle13 miles

Parish guides covering Lake Salvador

  • St. Charles Parishseat: Hahnville
  • Lafourche Parishseat: Thibodaux
  • Jefferson Parishseat: Gretna
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Photos

Pictures of fishing water by Lake Salvador

Barataria Bay, Louisiana
Barataria Bay 31 mi
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region, CC BY 2.0
Bonnet Carre Spillway, Louisiana
Bonnet Carre Spillway 23 mi
Photo: Louisiana Sea Grant, CC BY 2.0
Lake Des Allemands, Louisiana
Lake Des Allemands 24 mi
Photo: Lane Lefort, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Public domain
Jefferson Parish, Louisiana
Jefferson Parish 18 mi
Photo: Infrogmation of New Orleans, CC BY 2.0
Answers

Questions people ask LDWF about Lake Salvador, answered here

How do I spot Lake Salvador on a parish map?

Look in St. Charles, Lafourche and Jefferson parishes, about 10 miles from Jean Lafitte.

How big is Lake Salvador by the LDWF figure?

15,000 acres by the LDWF size field.

Is there a public launch on Lake Salvador?

The LDWF inventory shows none here.

What does LDWF say anglers catch at Lake Salvador?

largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish, red drum and flathead catfish, by LDWF and the records.

Which pamphlet rules reach Lake Salvador?

Black bass (largemouth and spotted): 10 daily; Open year-round.

Which LDWF license do I carry on Lake Salvador?

Louisiana anglers 18 and older carry a Basic Fishing License: $17 a year for residents and $68 for nonresidents.

Is Lake Salvador a shallow lake?

Average about 7 feet; LDWF prints no deepest point.

Which tackle counter on our Louisiana list sits nearest Lake Salvador?

B & B Tackle is the nearest tackle stop we list, about 13 miles away.

Take the back roads to Lake Salvador

Every Louisiana fee and creel limit is one click away.