COMMERCIAL FISHING GEAR

All commercial fishing by means of gill nets, seines, strike nets and trammel nets is prohibited in Lake Charles, Moss Lake and Prien Lake. These areas remain open for the use of hoop nets and trot or set lines.

For the taking of commercial fish, a person may have in possession or in use the following:

Cast Net: any cast net used for commercial purposes.

Crawfish Trap: any device constructed of coated wire with the opening of its throats or flues not exceeding two inches used for the sole purpose of taking crawfish. Minimum mesh size is 3/4" x 11/16" hexagon.

Gill Net: minimum mesh of not less than three inches square or six inches stretched after treating with tar or copper. No gill net in use shall exceed 1,200 feet in length.

Hoop Net: mesh of not less than one inch square or two inches stretched after treating with tar or copper.

Seine: minimum mesh of not less than two inches square or four inches stretched after treating with tar or copper. No seine in use shall exceed 1,200 feet in length.

Shad Gill Net: Only shad and skipjack herring may be taken in Lake Verret, Lake Palourde or Lac des Allemands by special shad gill net licenses. A single shad gill net having a mesh size no less than two inches stretch and no more than four inches stretch may be used per licensee per vessel. The net may not exceed 1,200 feet in length and must have attached to each end a one-gallon jug painted international orange and with the words “Shad Gill Net” in black and must have waterproof tags with the name and license number of the fisherman in accordance with R. S. 56:320(F). The net cannot be left unattended. The season will be closed during the months July - October and no fishing will be allowed between sunset and sunrise nor on Saturday or Sunday. Only strike fishing is authorized. Once deployed, the shad gill net shall remain stationary until fish are being removed from the net or the net is retrieved from the water (R.S. 56:322.2(E). In Lake Polarde and Lake Verret, shad and skipjack may be taken day and night seven days a week during open season.

Shad Seine: Shad, skipjack herring and any other legal-sized freshwater commercial fish may be taken with a shad seine. All fish on board the vessel shall have the head and caudal (tail) fin intact. Asingle shad seine having a mesh size no less than one inch bar and two inches stretched and not more than two inch bar and four inches stretched, not constructed of monofailament, may be used per licensee, per vessel and cannot be left unattended. The net may not exceed 1,200 feet in length and must have attached to each end a one gallon jug painted international orange and with the words “Shad Seine” in black lettering and must have waterproof tags with the name and license number of the fisherman in accordance with R.S. 56:320(F). The season will be closed during the months July - October and no fishing will be allowed between sunset and sunrise. However, it shall be legal to take shad, skipjack herring, and any other legal sized freshwater commercial fish after sunset and before sunrise from February 1st through June 30th in the following: St. Landry Parish; the portion of the Atchafalaya River from its junction at the Lower Old River, south to its junction at the Intracoastal Waterway; Whiskey Bay Pilot Channel; and the portion of the Mississippi River from Old River Control Structure to the Sunshine Bridge.

Slat Trap: any device, used solely for the capture of catfish, which is cylindrical, rectangular or square in cross section configuration, constructed of slats forming the length of the trap, with at least one pair of slats spaced at least one inch apart from each other on at least three sides of the trap and which is no more than six feet in length, two feet in diameter or width and which has one or more cone shaped throats, flues or entrances.
Trammel Net: minimum mesh of not less than three inches square or six inches stretched after treating with tar or copper. No trammel net in use shall exceed 1,200 feet in length.

Trotline: hooks must be a minimum of 24 inches apart. Use of elevated trotlines is prohibited in certain areas.

Wire Net: mesh size must not be less than one square inch or two inches stretched. For the taking of legal sized catfish only.

All gill nets and trammel nets must be tagged with a waterproof tag attached to the corkline at each end of the net, no more than three feet from the edge of the webbing. The tags must contain the fisherman's full name (no initials) and commercial fisherman's license number. The tags are to be supplied by the commercial fisherman.

FRESHWATER AREAS CLOSED TO NETTING

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.

Use of gill nets, trammel nets and fish seines are prohibited in the following waterbodies: Caddo Lake, False River Lake, Lake Concordia, D'Arbonne Lake, Lake Bartholomew, Lake Claiborne.

Toledo Bend Reservoir - the Louisiana portion of Toledo Bend Reservoir. Hoop nets are prohibited March 1 through May 15 each year only in that portion of Toledo Bend Reservoir from a point north of Logansport where the lake enters Texas, and south to a point on the lake where the Texas Duck Refuge Canal intersects the Old Channel of the Sabine River.

Use of gill nets, trammel nets, fish seines and hoop nets are prohibited in the following waterbodies: Anacoco Bayou (that portion between Anacoco Lake and Lake Vernon), Anacoco Lake, Bundicks Lake, Caney Creek Reservoir, Chicot Lake, Cross Lake, John K. Kelly-Grand Bayou Reservoir (wire nets prohibited also), Lake Bistineau, Lake Vernon.

ADDITIONAL GEAR RESTRICTIONS

Black Lake/Clear Lake/Prairie Lake - No yo-yo or trigger device with a hook in the water may be left unattended between two hours after official sunrise and one-half hour after official sunset. The device will be considered unattended if the user cannot be located and identified within the immediate vicinity of the device. Hoop nets and wire nets must be marked with a waterproof tag with the name and address of the fisherman and his fishing license number.

Bogue Chitto River - the use of seines, nets and webbing for the taking of fish in Bogue Chitto River from where it enters the state in the northern part of Washington Parish to where it enters into the Pearl River in St. Tammany Parish is prohibited. The taking of fish from logs, buckets, barrels, drums, or natural or artificial nesting areas by hand grabbing is also prohibited in this area.

Caddo Lake - No resident shall have set in the water for the taking of commercial fish in Caddo Lake more than 24 yo-yos or other trigger devices. Each yo-yo or other trigger device shall be clearly marked with the name and address of the user. No resident shall leave a yo-yo or trigger device unattended in Caddo Lake while it is set in the water for taking fish, except from one-half hour after official sunset to one-half hour before official sunrise. A yo-yo or trigger device shall be deemed unattended when the user cannot be immediately located for identification therewith without leaving the location of the yo-yo or trigger device. No person who is a nonresident shall set in the water, use, or leave a yo-yo or trigger device at any time in Caddo Lake.

Chicot Lake - Fishing with the use of yo-yos or trigger devices shall be permitted on Chicot Lake only from Nov. 1 through March 1 of each year. Not more than 24 yo-yos or trigger devices shall be allowed per boat. Each yo-yo must be tagged with the name of the responsible party, the registration number of the boat and the date and time the yo-yo was set. All yo-yos must be attended and re-tagged at least every 48 hours.

Cypress Lake and Black Bayou Reservoir, Bossier Parish - The use of gill nets, trammel nets and fish seines is prohibited. Hoop nets, wire nets and slat traps are prohibited from March 1 - October 31st of each year. All hoop nets, wire nets and slat traps shall be removed from the lakes prior to March 1 of each year.

Fool River (Franklin Parish) - fish seines prohibited.

Lacassine Bayou (the portion of the bayou that flows through the Lacassine National Refuge) - gill nets, trammel nets and hoop nets prohibited March 1 through Nov. 30 each year.

Lake Bruin - the use of fish nets in Lake Bruin is prohibited EXCEPT that a special recurring commercial fishing season allowing the use of gill and trammel nets greater than or having at least a minimum of three and one-half inches bar and seven inches stretched, and allowing the use of slat traps is permitted. The season commences each year at sunrise on Nov. 1 and closes at sunset on the last day of February the following year. Commercial fishermen must obtain a Lake Bruin Commercial Fishing Permit in order to participate in this special season. The permit is issued at no cost on a seasonal basis, must be renewed for each season and may be obtained at the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries District 4 Headquarters, Ferriday, Louisiana. The permittee must also file a report to LDWF of his catch no later than 15 days following the closure of the season. Commercial fishing will be allowed only during daylight hours except that gear can remain set overnight but fish captured shall be removed during daylight hours only.

Lake Charles - fish seines, trammel nets, gill nets, butterfly nets and shrimp trawls longer than 16 feet prohibited.

Lake D'Arbonne - No more than 50 yo-yos, or trigger devices, shall be allowed per person. Each yo-yo, or trigger device, shall be clearly tagged with the name, address and telephone number of the owner or user. When used, each yo-yo or trigger device, shall be checked at least once every 24 hours, and all fish, and any other animal caught or hooked, shall be immediately removed from the device. Each yo-yo or trigger device must be rebaited at least once every 24 hours. When not being used in accordance to the above regulations, each yo-yo or trigger device shall be removed immediately from Lake D'Arbonne. No yo-yo or trigger device shall be attached to any metallic object. All trotlines must be marked, tagged, and dated with the owner or user's name, address, phone number and the date of placement. The trotline must be marked on each end with a floating object that is readily visible. No person shall set more than three trotlines with a maximum of 50 hooks per trotline. All trotlines must be removed from Lake D'Arbonne when not in use. All trotlines must have an eight foot cotton leader on each end of the trotline to insure that if the trotline is left unattended, the cotton leader will deteriorate and the line will sink. All trotlines must be attended daily while in service.

Lake Providence - gill nets and trammel nets prohibited, EXCEPT during a special recurring commercial fishing season allowing the use of gill and trammel nets greater than, or having at least a minimum of three and one-half inches bar and seven inches stretched. The special season commences each year at sunrise on Nov. 1 and closes at sunset on the last day of February the following year.

Moss Lake - fish seines, trammel nets, gill nets, butterfly nets and shrimp trawls over 16 feet prohibited.

Nantachie Lake - Netting prohibited.

Old River Lakes (Vidalia and Deer Park, Concordia Parish, and Lake Louis, Catahoula Parish) - fish seining on the Louisiana sides of Old River Lake, Vidalia and Deer Park, Concordia Parish, is prohibited EXCEPT that fish seining is legal under a special permit issued by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries which may be obtained at the District 4 Headquarters, Ferriday.

Poverty Point Lake - all freshwater commercial fish netting prohibited.

Prien Lake - fish seines, trammel nets, gill nets, butterfly nets and shrimp trawls longer than 16 feet prohibited.

Tchefuncte River - seines, nets, webbing or traps of any kind and all types, including slat traps, for the taking of fish in the Tchefuncte River, and its tributaries, from its origin in Washington Parish to where it empties into Lake Pontchartrain in St. Tammany Parish, are prohibited.

General Prohibition of Netting in Impoundments During Drawdown Periods - All fresh water impoundments shall be closed to use of commercial fish netting during water drawdown periods, unless otherwise specified by LDWF based upon biological and technical data; the closure to begin on the date the drawdown control structure is opened and continued until the lake returns to full pool following closure of the structure.

Freshwater Bait Seines, Cast Nets, Dip Nets and Minnow Traps - A person may have in possession or in use for the sole and only purpose of taking minnows, shrimp and other baits permitted by law, seines of one-fourth inch mesh or less and measuring 30 feet or less in length, cast nets with a radius of less than eight and one-half feet, dip nets and minnow traps (See Recreational and Commercial Licensing Requirements).

Tchefunte River - Seines, nets, webbing or traps of any kind and all types, including slat traps, for the taking of fish in the Tchefunte River and its tributaries, from its origin in Washington Parish to where it empties into Lake Pontchartrain in St. Tammany Parish, are prohibited.

METHODS OF TAKING FISH

Commercial finfish may be taken with any pole, line, the device known as yo-yo, the device known as a trigger device, handline, with any trotline wherein hooks are not less than 24 inches apart, with approved slat traps, cans and minnow traps, with legal seines and nets, with bows and arrows or by any skin diver in saltwater or fresh water, when submerged in the water and using standard spearing equipment, and by no other means. In the saltwater areas of the state, as defined in R.S. 56:322, commercial finfish may be taken by commercial saltwater rod and reel (see License Prerequisites for requirements). Eel may be taken for commercial purposes using eel pots and other legal gear as provided herein. Certain species of finfish have specific regulations regarding gear and have permits required for harvest.

Wire nets shall only be used for the taking of legal sized catfish.

No person shall take or possess fish taken by means of spears, poisons, stupefying substances or devices, explosives, guns, tree-topping devices, lead nets (except lead nets are permitted on hoop nets when set in overflowed regions when the water is out of the actual bed of the natural stream or lake and the hoop net is set 500 feet from the actual stream bed), electricity or any instrument or device capable of producing an electrical current used in shocking said fish; except a barbed or barbless spear used in saltwater for taking flounder. No person shall take or possess game fish taken by means of snagging devices (not including bow and arrow). Catfish may be taken by means of snagging devices. Garfish may be taken by means of spears and bows and arrows. It shall be unlawful to possess any of the prohibited instruments, weapons, substances or devices set out herein above with the intent to take fish in violation of the provisions of this section.

No nets or beam trawls used for taking fish or shrimp from saltwater areas of the state shall be left unattended except such legal nets or trawls which are attached to a wharf at a bonafide inhabitable camp which shall be tagged with a LDWF issued tag. Hoop nets, without leads, may be left unattended in the saltwater areas of the state for the sole purpose of taking legal commercial catfish species.

No person shall use or deploy within the state territorial waters bandit gear or longline gear. A person may possess bandit gear or longline gear aboard a vessel within state territorial waters so long as such gear is not in use or deployed to take fish. No person shall possess fish taken within the state territorial waters using bandit gear or longline gear.

No person shall take or attempt to take fish by means of an elevated trotline. (Except in exempt areas. Contact the local Wildlife Enforcement Agent.)

Eels may be taken for commercial purposes using eel pots. Eel pots shall be fished only in areas of the state which are south of the saltwater line and in designated saltwater lakes, excluding Lake Maurepas, except that LDWF may issue permits to fish eel pots in these otherwise prohibited areas under provisions in the underutilized species act.

All fishing operations shall be conducted in such a way that the nests of fish or the natural hiding places of young fish are not destroyed. Nets shall not be hauled out upon the shore in such a way that any fish which may happen to be taken therein cannot be returned to the waters without injury.

No person shall obstruct the free passage of fish in any of the streams, lakes, bayous or in any body of water including crevasses, coulees and canals in marsh and swamp areas of the state by any means whatsoever, provided that the provisions of this section shall not apply to water control structures or dams for the retention of water for conservation purposes. No obstructions including trawls, butterfly nets, fyke nets, wings or leads, seines, gill nets or trammel nets, which interfere with the free passageway of fish as defined herein, shall be set within 500 feet of the mouth of any inlet or pass, or within 500 feet of any water control structures, dams or weirs. Wings and leads are permitted on hoop nets in overflowed regions where the water is out of the actual bed of the natural stream or lake but not within the restricted 500 foot area. The possession of fish caught in leads or wings is prohibited. Wings and leads on hoop nets south of the saltwater line, as defined in R.S. 56:322(A), are permitted. However, the use of monofilament leads or wings shall be prohibited south of the saltwater line. No pair of wings or leads shall be within 100 feet of each other and no single lead shall exceed 25 feet in length. Free passageway for fish means a minimum passageway opening of five feet in width extending from the surface to the bottom of the water in the deepest portion of the water.

No person shall possess or have on board any vessel a gill net, trammel net, strike net or seine in the saltwater areas of the state except as provided in R.S. 56:333 for the commercial taking of mullet, R.S. 56:320.3 for traversing, or R.S. 56:406 for commercially taking of pompano.

The Louisiana Marine Resources Conservation Act of 1995, Act 1316 of the 1995 Regular Legislative Session, changed many aspects of commercially harvesting saltwater finfish. Persons involved in these activities should contact the LDWF Enforcement Division for accurate information.

AREAS CLOSED TO FRESHWATER MUSSELING

Musseling

1. Areas officially recognized as saltwater areas.
2. Amite River from the junction with Bayou Manchac to the Mississippi State Line.
3. All of Rapides and Grant Parishes except the main channel of the Red River.
4. Bayou Bartholomew in Morehouse Parish from the Arkansas state line to its confluence with the Ouachita River.
5. Additional areas may be closed at any time by notice from the Secretary.

Mussel Harvester Permit: A commercial fisherman is required to purchase a Mussel Harvester Permit to commercially harvest mussels.

YO-YO RESTRICTIONS

Caddo Lake

1. No resident shall have set in the water for the taking of recreational or commercial fish in Caddo Lake more than 24 yo-yos or other trigger devices. Each yo-yo or other trigger device shall be clearly marked with the name and address of the user.
2. No resident shall leave a yo-yo or trigger device unattended in Caddo Lake while it is set in the water for taking fish, except from one-half hour after official sunset to one-half hour before official sunrise. A yo-yo or trigger device shall be deemed unattended when the user cannot be immediately located for identification therewith without leaving the location of the yo-yo or trigger device.
3. No person who is a nonresident shall set in the water, use or leave a yo-yo or trigger device at any time in Caddo Lake.

Chicot Lake

1. Fishing with the use of yo-yos or trigger devices shall be permitted in Chicot Lake only from Nov. 1 through March 1 of each year under the following conditions:
   1. Not more than 24 yo-yos or trigger devices shall be allowed per boat.
   2. Each yo-yo must be tagged with the name of the responsible party, the registration number of the boat and the date and the time the yo-yo was set.
   3. All yo-yos must be attended and re-tagged at least every 48 hours.

Lake D'Arbonne

1. The use of yo-yos or trigger devices on Lake D'Arbonne shall be governed by the following terms:
   1. No more than 50 yo-yos or trigger devices shall be allowed per person.
   2. Each yo-yo, or trigger device, shall be clearly tagged with the name, address and telephone number of the owner or user.
   3. When used, each yo-yo, or trigger device, shall be checked at least once every 24 hours, and all fish, and any other animal caught or hooked, shall be immediately removed from the device.
   4. Each yo-yo or trigger device must be rebaited at least once every 24 hours.
   5. When not being used in accordance with these regulations, each yo-yo or trigger device shall be removed immediately from Lake D'Arbonne.
   6. No yo-yo or trigger device shall be attached to any metallic object.

TROTLINE RESTRICTIONS

Lake D'Arbonne

1. All trotlines must be marked, tagged and dated with the owner's or user's name, address, phone number and the date of placement. The trotline must be marked on each end with a floating object that is readily visible.
2. No person shall set more than three trotlines with a maximum of 50 hooks per trotline.
3. All trotlines must be removed from Lake D'Arbonne when not in use.
4. All trotlines must have an eight foot cotton leader on each end to insure that if the trotline is left unattended, the cotton leader will deteriorate and the line will sink.
5. All trotlines must be attended daily while in service.