Louisiana Fishing Calendar
What's biting month by month, and how many Louisiana charters on Unreel target each fish.
| Fish | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Redfish168 charters · March to April and August to November | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: peak | April: peak | May: off peak | June: off peak | July: off peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: peak | November: peak | December: off peak |
 Flounder81 charters · May to October | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: off peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Speckled Trout78 charters · April to June and September to November | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: off peak | August: off peak | September: peak | October: peak | November: peak | December: off peak |
 Black Drum62 charters · February to May | January: off peak | February: peak | March: peak | April: peak | May: peak | June: off peak | July: off peak | August: off peak | September: off peak | October: off peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Sheepshead56 charters · January to April | January: peak | February: peak | March: peak | April: peak | May: off peak | June: off peak | July: off peak | August: off peak | September: off peak | October: off peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Marlin21 charters · June to September | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: off peak | May: off peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: off peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Grouper18 charters · April to June and September to November | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: off peak | August: off peak | September: peak | October: peak | November: peak | December: off peak |
 Mahi-Mahi14 charters · May to September | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: off peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: off peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Snapper14 charters · June to August | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: off peak | May: off peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: off peak | October: off peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Cobia9 charters · April to September | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: off peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Yellowfin Tuna9 charters · April to September | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: off peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Tarpon8 charters · June to September | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: off peak | May: off peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: off peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Tripletail6 charters · April to October | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Largemouth Bass4 charters · March to May | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: peak | April: peak | May: peak | June: off peak | July: off peak | August: off peak | September: off peak | October: off peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Shark4 charters · May to September | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: off peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: off peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Wahoo4 charters · November to March | January: peak | February: peak | March: peak | April: off peak | May: off peak | June: off peak | July: off peak | August: off peak | September: off peak | October: off peak | November: peak | December: peak |
 Catfish3 charters · April to June | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: peak | May: peak | June: peak | July: off peak | August: off peak | September: off peak | October: off peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
 Sailfish3 charters · June to September | January: off peak | February: off peak | March: off peak | April: off peak | May: off peak | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: off peak | November: off peak | December: off peak |
Shaded months are the typical peak for a charter trip. The outlined column is this month.
Louisiana fishing, month by month
- January
- Sheepshead, Wahoo
- February
- Black Drum, Sheepshead, Wahoo
- March
- Redfish, Black Drum, Sheepshead, Largemouth Bass, Wahoo
- April
- Redfish, Speckled Trout, Black Drum, Sheepshead, Grouper, Cobia, Yellowfin Tuna, Tripletail, Largemouth Bass, Catfish
- May
- Flounder, Speckled Trout, Black Drum, Grouper, Mahi-Mahi, Cobia, Yellowfin Tuna, Tripletail, Largemouth Bass, Shark, Catfish
- June
- Flounder, Speckled Trout, Marlin, Grouper, Mahi-Mahi, Snapper, Cobia, Yellowfin Tuna, Tarpon, Tripletail, Shark, Catfish, Sailfish
- July
- Flounder, Marlin, Mahi-Mahi, Snapper, Cobia, Yellowfin Tuna, Tarpon, Tripletail, Shark, Sailfish
- August
- Redfish, Flounder, Marlin, Mahi-Mahi, Snapper, Cobia, Yellowfin Tuna, Tarpon, Tripletail, Shark, Sailfish
- September
- Redfish, Flounder, Speckled Trout, Marlin, Grouper, Mahi-Mahi, Cobia, Yellowfin Tuna, Tarpon, Tripletail, Shark, Sailfish
- October
- Redfish, Flounder, Speckled Trout, Grouper, Tripletail
- November
- Redfish, Speckled Trout, Grouper, Wahoo
- December
- Wahoo
Before you book
- Flounder: Flounder harvest closes in fall: Oct 15 to Nov 30 in Louisiana, all of November in Alabama, and Nov 1 to Dec 14 in Texas.
- Snapper: Red snapper seasons are set by each state and change yearly.
- Tarpon: Tarpon are mostly catch and release. Keeping one needs a state tag and a very large fish (85 inches in Texas, 60 in Alabama).
How this calendar is built
The charter counts are live from the Unreel directory: each one is a Louisiana charter that lists that fish as a target. A fish only appears here if at least three local charters target it.
The shaded months are general peak windows for the Gulf Coast, not fishing regulations. For ocean species, the spawning, migration and federal closure notes were checked against NOAA Fisheries species profiles, and for inshore and freshwater species against state wildlife agency guidance and rules. Seasons, closures and limits change every year and can differ by water, so check Louisiana's current regulations and ask your captain what is running before you book.