Smallmouth Buffalo in Louisiana
Limits, record and places to fish for smallmouth buffalo.
- 25 a daylimit
- 45.00 lbrecord
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Where smallmouth buffalo stand under LDWF rules
In the Sportsman’s Paradise rulebook, smallmouth buffalo fall under the freshwater entry “Buffalo fish (or their hybrids)”. The numbers there: 25 daily; 16″ mll, season open year-round.
Top of the LOWA rod and reel list: 45.00 lb by Glenn Curtis, Toledo Bend, 2019. It shows up on 1 lake, bayou or coast pages, such as Toledo Bend Reservoir.
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| Pamphlet row | Waters | Daily limit and size | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo fish (or their hybrids) | All state waters | 25 daily; 16" MLL | Open year-round |
Possession: Twice the daily creel limit (pamphlet p.16: possession limit is twice the daily bag limit unless otherwise stated)
Limits and seasons as printed in the 2026 Louisiana Recreational Fishing Regulations (LDWF pamphlet, updated September 21, 2026), page 20 (pamphlet PDF); confirmed on the LDWF freshwater finfish page October 28, 2026.
Louisiana state record smallmouth buffalo
| Division | Method | Weight | Angler | Water | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| freshwater | Rod & Reel | 45.00 lb | Glenn Curtis | Toledo Bend | November 2019 |
| freshwater | Fly Fishing | 12.06 lb | Robert Wells | not printed | Sept 1994 |
Close behind the record smallmouth buffalo
- 43.50 lb, DeVohn B. HayesBussy Brake, September 1986
- 15.0 lb, Michael Cebrynski, Jr.Larto Lake, June 2005
Louisiana Outdoor Writers Association (LOWA), LOWA "Louisiana State Fish Records Official Copy", records current through the record awarded September 25, 2026 (PDF created 2026-09-25); read October 28, 2026.
Finding smallmouth buffalo across Louisiana
Lake pages naming smallmouth buffalo
- Toledo Bend Reservoir181,600 acres
LDWF popular-species text on management-plan lakes, LOWA record waters, LDWF stocking releases and Get Out & Fish! sites; biggest waters first.
More Louisiana fish beside smallmouth buffalo
- Bigmouth Buffalofreshwater
- Black Buffalofreshwater
Cypress, marsh and open water by Smallmouth Buffalo, in photos
Photo: Billy Hathorn, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: John Manard, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: rgriff3471, CC BY 3.0
Photo: Billy Hathorn, CC BY-SA 3.0
smallmouth buffalo across Louisiana, question by question
How many smallmouth buffalo go in the Louisiana ice chest?
Under the pamphlet, 25 daily; 16" MLL, open open year-round.
Who holds the Louisiana smallmouth buffalo record?
45.00 lb out of Toledo Bend; Glenn Curtis, 2019 (rod and reel).
Which lakes or bays list smallmouth buffalo?
Try Toledo Bend Reservoir; 1 pages carry it.
Are smallmouth buffalo stocked in Louisiana?
It is not among the LDWF stockings on file.
Do any Louisiana waters set their own smallmouth buffalo rule?
The statewide row holds on every water.
What is the season for smallmouth buffalo in Louisiana?
Read the season as Open year-round.
Do nonresidents need a license for Louisiana smallmouth buffalo?
Louisiana anglers 18 and older carry a Basic Fishing License: $17 a year for residents and $68 for nonresidents.
What does a smallmouth buffalo record claim need in Louisiana?
LOWA runs the record list; species are verified by LDWF biologists.
Go after Louisiana smallmouth buffalo
Begin with one of the waters above.