Louisiana Fishing License and Regulations
License fees, exemptions, the freshwater table, inshore saltwater limits and gear rules from the 2026 LDWF pamphlet.
For weighing a catchPiscifun Lip gripper with digital scale27% OFFSale $39.99 Photo of Mandeville: Jared, CC BY 2.0
Which Louisiana anglers must hold a license
Anglers 18 years of age or older who engage in an activity that involves fishing or accessing property owned by LDWF for which a license is required. Children under the age of 18 do not need a fishing license (17 and under).
Title 56 requires that all recreational anglers fishing south of the "saltwater line" for saltwater species have in their possession a Louisiana saltwater angler's license IN ADDITION TO a basic Louisiana fishing license EXCEPT those persons otherwise exempted. Persons fishing for and/or possessing freshwater fish in saltwater areas are not required to hold a saltwater license.
You're a bona fide resident if you've resided in the state of Louisiana continuously during the 6 months immediately prior to the date you apply for any license and if you've established Louisiana as your legal domicile.
From the 2026 Louisiana Recreational Fishing Regulations (LDWF pamphlet, updated September 21, 2026); read October 28, 2026.
Louisiana resident fishing license prices for 2026
| License | Fee | For | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Fishing License | $17.00 | resident (also military and nonresident full-time student in Louisiana | One year (365 days) from the date of purchase |
| Saltwater License | $15.00 | resident (also military and student) | One year (365 days) from the date of purchase |
| Hook and Line License (cane pole) | $5.00 | resident; nonresident native | One year (365 days) from the date of purchase |
| Charter Passenger Saltwater License (3-day) | $20.00 | resident and nonresident | 3 days |
| Charter Passenger Freshwater License (3-day) | $10.00 | resident and nonresident | 3 days |
| LA Sportsman's Paradise License | $100.00 | resident (also military and student) | One year (365 days) from the date of purchase |
Fees as printed in the 2026 pamphlet (PDF p.7 = printed p.5) and confirmed on the LDWF web fee list unless noted. A convenience fee is assessed online. Read October 28, 2026.
What nonresidents and charter passengers pay in Louisiana
| License | Fee | For | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Fishing License | $68.00 | nonresident | One year (365 days) from the date of purchase |
| Basic Fishing License (Non-Resident Native 10-day) | $17.00 | nonresident native | 10 days |
| Basic Fishing License (Non-Resident 5-day trip) | $30.00 | nonresident | 5 days |
| Saltwater License | $60.00 | nonresident | One year (365 days) from the date of purchase |
| Saltwater License (Non-Resident Native 10-day) | $15.00 | nonresident native | 10 days |
| Saltwater License (Non-Resident 5-day trip) | $30.00 | nonresident | 5 days |
| Charter Passenger Saltwater License (3-day) | $20.00 | resident and nonresident | 3 days |
| Charter Passenger Freshwater License (3-day) | $10.00 | resident and nonresident | 3 days |
| LA Sportsman's Paradise License | $400.00 | nonresident | One year (365 days) from the date of purchase |
| LA Sportsman's Paradise License (Non-Resident Native 10-day) | $100.00 | nonresident native | 10 days |
| LA Sportsman's Paradise License (Non-Resident 5-day) | $120.00 | nonresident | 5 days |
Licenses and permits will be valid for one year from the day of purchase, EXCEPT HIP Certification, WMA Camping Permit, Hunting Preserve, ALL Trip licenses, Federal Duck Stamp, and Deer/Turkey Tags.
Louisiana senior, military, disability and lifetime licenses
| License | Fee | For | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior Hunt/Fish License (born before June 1, 1940) | no fee | resident | One year (365 days) from the date of purchase |
| Senior Fish/Hunt License | $5.00 | resident | One year (365 days) from the date of purchase |
| Disabled/Special Needs Hunting/Fish License | $4.00 | resident | One year (365 days) from the date of purchase |
| Disabled Veterans Hunting and Fishing License | no fee | resident | One year (365 days) from the date of purchase |
| Resident Honorably Discharged Hunt/Fish License | $20.00 | resident | One year (365 days) from the date of purchase |
| Retired Military Hunting/Fishing combination license | $20.00 | Louisiana resident or native-born retired member of the U.S. armed for | One year (365 days) from the date of purchase |
| Active military recreational licenses | Louisiana resident rates (e.g. Basic Fishing $17, Saltwater $15, Hook and Line $5) | active-duty U.S. armed forces (incl. National Guard), spouse and depen | One year (365 days) from the date of purchase |
| Resident Lifetime Hunt/Fish (all ages) | $500.00 | resident | lifetime |
| Non-Resident Lifetime Hunt/Fish | $4000.00 | nonresident | lifetime |
| Lifetime Resident Senior Hunt/Fish (65 or older) | $100.00 | resident | lifetime |
| Infant Lifetime Hunting/Fishing (under 3 years old) | $500.00 | resident | lifetime |
From the 2026 Louisiana Recreational Fishing Regulations (LDWF pamphlet, updated September 21, 2026); read October 28, 2026.
Free and paid Louisiana fishing permits beside the license
| Permit | Fee | For | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recreational Offshore Landing Permit (ROLP) | no fee | resident and nonresident | One year (renewable online) |
| Charter Recreational Offshore Landing Permit (Charter ROLP) | no fee | charter captains | One year (365 days) from the date of purchase |
| Recreational Saltwater Bowfishing Permit | no fee | resident and nonresident | one year from the date issued |
| WMA Access Annual Permit | $20.00 | resident and nonresident | per year |
| WMA Access 5-Day Permit | $5.00 | resident and nonresident | five consecutive days |
| Duplicate license | $2.00 | any | |
| Federal HMS Angling Permit (NOAA Fisheries) | Pamphlet p.31: "The permit fee is $24"; LDWF licenses page: "The permit fee is $20." | vessel owners/operators | date of issuance through Dec. 31 |
Required to possess tunas, billfish, swordfish, amberjacks, groupers, hinds, snappers, dolphinfish, wahoo, cobia and gray triggerfish. Anglers on a paid charter trip are covered by the captain's Charter ROLP.
When Louisiana anglers fish without a license
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.
LDWF recreational fishing licenses and permits page, read October 28, 2026.
Louisiana statewide freshwater creel and size limits, 2026
| 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 |
Limits and seasons as printed in the 2026 Louisiana Recreational Fishing Regulations (LDWF pamphlet, updated September 21, 2026), page 16 (pamphlet PDF); confirmed on the LDWF freshwater finfish page October 28, 2026.
Anglers may have up to three times the daily bag limit of black bass below U.S. Highway 90 in coastal Louisiana providing the fish are kept whole or whole gutted in separate bags for each daily take limit (pamphlet p.19 footnote 4). For enforcement purposes, a spotted bass is defined as a black bass with a tooth patch on the tongue.
The inshore saltwater rows most Louisiana anglers need
| 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 |
Limits and seasons as printed in the 2026 Louisiana Recreational Fishing Regulations (LDWF pamphlet, updated September 21, 2026), page 28 (pamphlet PDF); confirmed on the LDWF saltwater finfish page October 28, 2026.
Louisiana rules on nets, passive gear and illegal methods
- Game fish are defined as largemouth bass, spotted bass, shadow bass, yellow bass, white bass, striped bass, hybrid striped bass, black crappie, white crappie, and bream.game fish
- All freshwater game fish caught in any type of recreational or commercial net or trap must be returned immediately to the water from which it was taken without injury, with the exception of bream caught in a legal bream trap not exceeding 24" in length and having a throat no larger than 1 inch by 3 inches.nets
- It is unlawful to possess any of the prohibited instruments, weapons, substances or devices described below with the intent to take fish: Poisons; Guns; Stupefying substances or devices; Explosives; Any instrument or device capable of producing electric current to shock fish. You may not use any aircraft including fixed-wing, dirigibles, balloons, helicopters, drones or any other form of aerial surveillance to assistbanned methods
- No more than 50 yo-yos, trigger devices, limb lines, or floating devices containing a hook or hooks are allowed per person. At any given time, no person shall set more than 150 hooks on all trotlines, combined. All passive hooked gear shall be clearly tagged with the recreational fishing license number of the owner or user. Each hook shall be rebaited at least once every 48 hours, and all fish and any other animal capassive gear
- Hoop nets, wire nets, slat traps, cans, barrels & bream traps must be marked with user's recreational fishing license number on a waterproof tag attached directly to the device or line of cans. Slat traps, hoop nets, and wire nets – limit of five of each per licensed angler.nets and traps
- Standard spearing equipment is the only legal method of take for non-game species that can be used by a skin diver submerged in water. The taking of gamefish with standard spearing equipment is prohibited.divers
From the 2026 Louisiana Recreational Fishing Regulations (LDWF pamphlet, updated September 21, 2026); read October 28, 2026.
Louisiana possession, fillet and sale rules
- Recreational anglers must not exceed the daily bag limit for any species while on the water.bag limit
- No recreational anglers can have in their possession more than twice the daily bag limit of any species of freshwater fish. Exceptions to this rule are in the state creel and size limits table.possession
- No person shall possess filleted fish while aboard a vessel in freshwater. However, for the purpose of consumption, a person shall have no more than 2 pounds of filleted finfish per person on board a vessel in freshwater, provided that the vessel is equipped to cook such finfish and such finfish does not exceed the applicable take limit.fillets
- All aquatic species caught recreationally must be for personal use only and are not to be sold or used for commercial purposes. It is illegal to buy, sell or trade any game fish.no sale
Louisiana rule changes for 2026 and those still pending
- Re-baiting and checking of yo-yos, trigger devices, trotlines, limb lines, jugs, or other passive fishing devices containing a hook or hooks changed from once every 24 hours to once every 48 hours (recreational and commercial).Passive hooked gear tending, in_effect (printed in the 2026 pamphlet; NOI adopted June 11
- Added a Resident Honorably Discharged Hunt/Fish License for $20.Resident Honorably Discharged Hunt/Fish License, in_effect
- New Wahoo bag and possession limits are 5 per person.Wahoo, in_effect
- Closed season for the recreational harvest of gag grouper changed to Jan. 1 through August 31.Gag grouper closed season, in_effect
- The use of crab traps will be prohibited in various designated derelict crab trap cleanup areas during certain periods in the months of February and March.Derelict crab trap cleanup closures, in_effect
- 18" maximum length; one bass over 22" may be temporarily retained in an aerated livewell for weighing; 5 fish daily.Bussey Brake black bass, in_effect (since Aug. 20, 2025)
- Starting August 1, 2026: black bass 12" MLL and 5 daily; crappie 8" MLL and 25 daily (Act No. 460 of 2026).Atchafalaya Basin bass and crappie, in_effect (2026-08-01)
- Black bass 14" MLL and 8 daily; crappie 10" MLL and 25 daily (effective Sept. 20, 2026).Saline-Larto Complex bass and crappie, in_effect (2026-09-20)
- Allow anglers using a launch south of U.S. Hwy 90 who have been on the water or at a water-access-only camp two days or more to possess up to twice the daily bag limit of filleted red drum and spotted seatrout; spotted seatrout fillets 8-13 inches (eight fillets over 13 inches allowed), red drum fillets 10-18 inches; up to 60 spotted seatrout fillets and 16 not in effect: Spotted seatrout and red drum fillet sizes (Act 36 of 2024)
- Current 13-20" slot / 15 fish rules sunset (revert to previous regulations) on January 1, 2028, unless modified before then.not in effect: Spotted seatrout regulation sunset
2026 LDWF pamphlet, LWFC notices of intent and LDWF news releases, read October 28, 2026.
Where Louisiana licenses are sold
Online (LouisianaOutdoors.com), at LDWF Headquarters at 2000 Quail Drive in Baton Rouge and many local fishing license retailers. Online purchases include a small handling fee. Most military, student, disability and lifetime licenses are excluded. LA Wallet app can display licenses.
- Saltwater rulesinshore, reef fish, pelagics, sharks
- Water-body exceptionslakes with their own limits
- Texas border watersToledo Bend, Caddo, the Sabine
- Free Fishing Weekendno license needed for two June days
- Protected fishno-take species
Fish named in Louisiana Fishing License and Regulations, photographed
Photo: Dominic, CC BY 4.0
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Photo: Everglades NPS from Homestead, Florida, United States, Public domain
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Photo: moxostoma, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Prof. emerit. Dr. Hans Schneider ( Geyersberg ), CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: USFWS Mountain Prairie, Public domain
Photo: Purefury182, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Stefanie Tellex. (talk) (Uploads), Public domain
Photo: Chaotic42 (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0
Licenses and limits, the questions LDWF hears most
Which anglers need a Louisiana license?
Anglers 18 and older; anyone 17 or younger fishes free, and residents born before June 1, 1940 carry a free senior license.
What does a Louisiana resident Basic Fishing License cost?
$17, good for one year from the day of purchase.
What does a nonresident Basic license cost?
$68 for the year; LDWF also sells a nonresident five-day trip license.
When is a Saltwater License needed on top of the Basic?
When fishing south of the saltwater line for saltwater species; someone fishing only for freshwater fish there does not need it.
What is the statewide black bass limit?
10 daily, season open year-round.
How many crappie (sac-a-lait) may I keep?
50 daily; 100 fish possession limit statewide; several lakes print their own number.
What is the catfish rule?
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.
Is the Recreational Offshore Landing Permit free?
Yes; it costs nothing but must be held to possess tunas, billfish, swordfish, amberjacks, groupers, snappers, cobia, wahoo, dolphinfish and gray triggerfish.
How long does a Louisiana license last?
One year from the date of purchase, apart from trip licenses and a few hunting items.