The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) is accepting lottery applications for houseboat mooring sites on Atchafalaya Delta Wildlife Management Area (WMA) for the 2021-22 hunting season through Aug. 12. Permits issued for selected applicants will be valid from Sept. 1, 2021 until March 16, 2022. Year round mooring is not permitted on Atchafalaya Delta WMA.
LDWF will permit approximately 60% of the available sites at Atchafalaya Delta WMA. Successful applicants will only be allowed to moor adjacent to designated pilings. Mooring sites will be available at Log Island Pass (Main Delta) and Campground Pass (Wax Delta) only. All permits will be issued using a computerized lottery system.
Atchafalaya Delta WMA houseboat mooring permit lottery applications can be printed from LDWF’s website at https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/atchafalaya-delta, be requested by phone at 337-735-8667 or obtained via email by contacting Leslie Campbell at lpcampbell@wlf.la.gov. For more information please contact Vaughan McDonald at vmcdonald@wlf.la.gov or 337-735-8733.
LDWF will collect fees for lottery permits. The fee for a two piling permit will be $300 and the fee for a three to five piling permit will be $500. Checks or money orders will only be accepted. Payment must be submitted with your application. If not selected via the lottery drawing, your check or money order will be returned.
Eligibility for Atchafalaya Delta WMA Houseboat Mooring Permit Lottery Drawing
- Applicants must be at least 18 years old
- Applicants will be screened for past wildlife and criminal violations. Applicants with felony convictions, that pled guilty to a felony or that have pled guilty, paid a fine for, negotiated/agreed to a pretrial intervention (PTI)/diversion for or been convicted of Class Two or above wildlife, WMA or littering violations within the last five years, as determined by the Enforcement Division, shall be disqualified.
- Only one lottery application may be submitted per vessel. If more than one application is submitted for a vessel, all applications for that vessel will become invalid.
- Completed applications must be submitted to the LDWF Lafayette Office (Attn: Coastal Lafayette Region / ADWMA Houseboat Lottery Applications, P.O. Box 62250, Lafayette, La. 70596) and received no later than Aug. 12, 2021.
- A completed application includes the following:
- LDWF permit application with all required information.
- New (2021) certificate/permit from the St. Mary Parish Office of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (call 985-385-7018 for information).
- 2021 photographs showing the front, rear and sides of the houseboat.
- Check or money order for permit fee. As stated above, the fee for two pilings will be $300 and the fee for three to five pilings will be $500. Please make check payable to Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. If your application is not selected via the lottery drawing, your check or money order will be returned to you. Permit fees will not be refunded once permits are issued.
Interested applicants can view piling locations and associated numbers by visiting Atchafalaya Delta WMA. Applicants may request preferred pilings on the application. If preferred pilings have already been permitted, successful applicants will be assigned an alternate location. No sites are guaranteed.
The agreement for successful applicants will specify rules and regulations for houseboat mooring on these sites. Mooring permits are for recreational use only. Providing lodging for hire is prohibited. Successful applicants are prohibited from profiting from houseboat mooring on WMAs.