New regulations coming for Atchafalaya Watershed

Starting August 1, 2026, new recreational fishing regulations for black bass and crappie will take effect in portions of the Atchafalaya Basin and adjacent waterbodies in south-central Louisiana.  

Unlike most fishing regulations - which are implemented by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission - these were initiated through Senate Bill 111 by Sen. Caleb Kleinpeter during the 2026 legislative session.  SB111 passed both chambers by unanimous votes and was signed into law by Gov. Landry.

The following regulations will apply to all waters within the designated area indicated below:

Black bass (incl. Largemouth, Florida, Spotted and hybrids)

•  Daily Creel Limit: 5 fish
•  Minimum length: 12 inches

Crappie (incl. Black, White, and hybrids)

•  Daily Creel Limit: 25 fish
•  Minimum length: 8 inches

Major waterbodies within the area of regulation change include, but are not limited to:  Henderson Lake, Pat's Bay, Alabama Bayou, Grassy Lake, Lake Verret, Lake Palourde, and the majority of the Atchafalaya Basin.

The area covered by the new regulations is within the area south of US 190 from the West Atchafalaya Basin Protection Levee to the intersection of LA 1 and US 190 due north of Port Allen, east of the West Atchafalaya Basin Protection Levee from US 190 to US 90, north of US 90 from the West Atchafalaya Basin Protection Levee to LA 20, north and west of LA 20 from US 90 to LA 1 in Thibodaux, south and west of LA 1 from LA 20 to US 190.

Anglers utilizing any boat launch within the regulated area must be in compliance with the new regulations regardless of where their fish were caught.

Areas outside of the designated area will maintain the statewide regulations for black bass and crappie which continue to be:

Black Bass - 10 daily creel, no minimum size limits
Crappie - 50 daily creel, no minimum size limits

Full recreational fishing regulations can be viewed on the LDWF website.

Rio Rumble returns on October 3rd

17th Annual Rio Grande Rumble
Saturday, October 3, 2025

Start: 7:00am (first light for pre-registered)
End: 12:30pm (weigh-in)
Event site: Lafreniere Park, Metairie, LA
$25 entry fee, includes lunch and refreshments

The 2026 edition of the Rio Grande Rumble has just been announced.  Hosted by the New Orleans Fly Fishers Club, the Rumble is the longest running freshwater fly fishing tournament in the South. Target species is the Rio Grande cichlid. This species is native of south Texas but has become widespread in extreme southeast Louisiana. For fly anglers, it’s an opportunity to put their skills up against a very wary species that when hooked, “fights like a wet cat”.

All entry fish must be caught on flies and fly tackle. Categories are “Longest Rio” and “Most Rios Caught”. Net proceeds from the tournament go to Casting For Recovery.

The rodeo is open to all fly anglers. Registration deadline is 8:00am on October 4th. Both onsite registration and weigh-in will be at Lafreniere Park in Metairie. There will also be a Zoom seminar on fishing for the Rio Grande Cichlid. Date and time of the online seminar will be announced shortly.

For complete details, including tournament rules, and to register online, go to the NOFFC website at www.neworleansflyfishers.com.