Common Coastal Species

Updated June 05, 2026 15:07

Seasons and Size and Bag/Possession Limits

Unless otherwise established, there are no size limits for species not listed. Unless otherwise noted, possession limits for saltwater fish are the same as the daily bag limit.

Seasons and regulations may differ in federal waters off Louisiana’s coast. Visit the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council’s site for federal seasons and regulations. Note that federally permitted for-hire reef fish vessels must comply with the more restrictive of federal or state reef fish regulations when fishing for reef fish in state waters.

Gear Restrictions and Requirements

See the latest recreational regulations.

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Size Limit	Bag and Possession Limit	Season
36 inches minimum fork length	One per person and no more than two per vessel per day	Open year-round in state waters

Cobia (ling or lemonfish)

Size Limit	Bag and Possession Limit	Season
None	None	Sheepshead, Open year-round in state waters

Sheepshead

Species	Size Limit	Bag and Possession	Season	Notes
Black drum	16 inches minimum total length 27 inches maximum total length	Five per person per day No more than one over 27-inch maximum total length	Open year-round in state waters
Red Drum (Redfish)	18 inches minimum total length 27 inches maximum total length	Four per person per day None over 27-inch maximum total length	Open year-round in state waters	The retention of Red Drum by captain and crew on charter or headboats while on a for-hire trip is prohibited. Recreational saltwater anglers may possess a two-day bag limit of Red Drum on land; however, no person may possess more than the daily bag limit of red drum in any one day or while fishing or while on the water, unless that recreational saltwater angler is aboard a trawler engaged in commercial fishing for a consecutive period longer than 25 hours. Take or possession of Red Drum in federal waters is prohibited

Drum

Size Limit	Bag and Possession Limit	Season
None	10 per person per day	Southern Flounder, year-round in state waters, except October 15-November 30.

Southern Flounder

Species	Size Limit	Bag and Possession Limit	Season
King mackerel	24 inches minimum fork length	Three per person per day	Open year-round in state waters
Spanish mackerel	12 inches minimum fork length	15 per person per day	Open year-round in state waters

Mackerel

Size Limit	Bag and Possession Limit	Season
None	100 pounds per person per day	Open year-round in state waters

Striped mullet

Size Limit

Bag and Possession Limit

Season

Notes

13” min total length

20” max total length

15 daily per person with no more than 2 over 20” max total length.

Speckled Trout, Open year-round in state waters

No harvest of spotted seatrout is allowed for the captain and crew of a vessel under charter (their creel limit/bag limit zero). Captain and
crew may engage in fishing to demonstrate fishing for clients but may not harvest any spotted seatrout.

Recreational saltwater anglers may possess a two-day’s bag limit on land; however, no person may possess more than the daily bag limit in any one day or while fishing or while on the water, unless that recreational saltwater angler is aboard a trawler engaged in commercial fishing for a consecutive period longer than 25 hours.

Spotted seatrout (speckled trout)