The following information is not an official copy of the laws in effect and should not be utilized or relied upon as such. It does represent an attempt to present, as a public service, a partial summary of the laws in effect at the time of the compilation of this page. Substantive changes to the law may very well occur following the compilation of this page. For these reasons, the accuracy of the information contained in this page cannot be guaranteed and the reader is cautioned that it is his responsibility to appraise himself of the laws in effect at any given time. These laws include those contained within the Louisiana Revised Statutes, particularly Title 56, the official regulations of the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, federal laws, and any local or parish ordinances. Fishing regulations on state Wildlife Management Areas and Refuges may differ from those contained here. Contact the nearest Department office for WMA regulations. Contact your local Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Agent for specific information.
Shrimping areas in Louisiana are divided into inshore waters, the offshore territorial sea, and the federal Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The line (shrimp line) that separates inshore waters from offshore territorial waters generally follows the coastline, although there are some exceptions.
For specific boundary locations check with your local Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Agent. Maps of the shrimp line are available at a charge of $10 per map by writing the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, 1600 Canal St., New Orleans, LA 70112. Please specify which area of the coast you are interested in.
The line that separates state territorial waters from the EEZ generally runs along the Louisiana coast three miles from shore. For specific boundary locations, particularly in the Grand Isle and Marsh Island area, you should contact your local Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Agent.
For management purposes, both state inshore and state offshore territorial waters are divided into three management zones; Zone 1 extends from the Louisiana/Mississippi state line to South Pass of the Mississippi River; Zone 2 extends from South Pass of the Mississippi River to the western shore of Vermilion Bay and Southwest Pass at Marsh Island; Zone 3 extends from the western shore of Vermilion Bay and Southwest Pass at Marsh Island to the Louisiana/Texas state line.
NOTE: Sanctuaries exist within Wildlife Management Areas, Refuges and other areas which may be closed to certain gear types or methods of fishing. Consult your local Wildlife and Fisheries Office or Enforcement Agent or the current Hunting Regulations pamphlet.
Trawling is prohibited in Lake Maurepas and that portion of Lake Pontchartrain from the shoreline to 1 1/4 miles out from the Jefferson/Orleans Parish line east to South Point, from South Point to North Shore along the railroad bridge west from North Shore to Goose Point.
Trawling is prohibited between the railroad bridge and I-10 in Lake Pontchartrain.
Trawling at night is prohibited in Calcasieu Lake, the Black Bayou system, and Little Burtons Ditch (all in the Calcasieu Lake area) and in Grand Lake and White Lake.
Night shrimping is prohibited in Vermilion Bay, East and West Cote Blanche Bays, and Atchafalaya Bay.
Trawls are prohibited in the waters of Bayou Judge Perez from its entrance into Lake Judge Perez to Devils Bayou, a distance of approximately one mile, located in Plaquemines Parish.
Trawling north of the U.S. Highway 90 bridge at Des Allemands and in Lake Des Allemands, its streams and tributaries, is prohibited.
Seasons:
Shrimp seasons are flexible and are set by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission based upon biological and technical data relative to shrimp populations in Louisiana waters. Generally, the spring inshore season will begin in late May or early June and extend into July.
The fall inshore season usually begins in late August and extends into November or December. The shrimp season in Louisiana's offshore territorial waters is generally open year-round EXCEPT for a closed season which may be set during the winter months usually beginning in January and extending into April or May. The shrimp season in the Federal waters of the Gulf outside (south) of Louisiana's territorial waters is usually open all year; these waters are controlled by the federal government.
Size Limit:
There is no size limit on any saltwater shrimp taken during the spring open season nor is there any size limit on brown shrimp or seabobs taken during any open season in Louisiana.
There is, however, a possession count on white shrimp taken in either inside or outside (offshore) waters of Louisiana of 100 count (whole shrimp per pound). This size restriction applies to the taking or possession of such shrimp aboard a vessel, EXCEPT during the period from Oct. 15 through the third Monday in December when there shall be no possession count on white shrimp taken or possessed.
When more than 50 percent by weight of the shrimp taken or possessed is seabobs or brown shrimp, then the maximum allowable amount of undersized white shrimp taken or possessed shall not exceed 10 percent by weight of the total shrimp taken or possessed.
Cast Nets. A recreational angler may use a cast net not to exceed 8 1/2 feet in radius, but shall not take at anytime more than 50 pounds of shrimp, in the aggregate, per day per boat or vehicle, regardless of the number of persons thereon, provided the shrimp taken are used for bait or for the fisherman's own consumption and are not sold, traded or otherwise permitted to enter into commerce. Certain Wildlife Management Areas may have different rules, consult local LDWF office or Enforcement Agent for specifics.
Trawls. Trawls cannot have a mesh size less than 5/8-inch bar or 1 1/4 inches stretched. In Zone 2 west of the Atchafalaya River, mesh size must not be less than 3/4-inch bar or 1 1/2 inches stretched during the fall inshore season.
During the open shrimping seasons, trawls 16 feet and less may be used for recreational purposes; recreational shrimpers are limited to 100 pounds (heads-on) of shrimp per boat, provided the shrimp taken are used for bait or the fisherman's own consumption and are not sold, traded or otherwise permitted to enter commerce. A recreational trawl license is required.
