Hunting & Fishing

Louisiana is known as the Sportsman’s Paradise. The Heritage Area offers choice sites for hunting, from American woodcock to alligator, as well as freshwater and saltwater fishing, from crawfish to sea trout.

Hunting in the NHA

Hunting is a popular seasonal sport enjoyed by hunters on public lands. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) manages about 1.4 million acres of Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) and Refuges throughout the state, many of which are in the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area. These public lands consist of a wide variety of habitat types. LDWF manages these lands and organizes deer hunts with the goals of setting quality examples of Louisiana habitats, insuring viability of these lands' wildlife populations, and providing the opportunity for quality outdoor recreational (and, when compatible, commercial) experience.

In addition, it is not uncommon for a family to have a hunting camp on privately-owned land or on land leased for that specific purpose. Turkey, migratory bird and waterfowl including snipe, woodcock, teal, dove, duck and geese are popular prey, as are resident game and animals such as quail, rabbit, squirrel and deer. Less traditional prey includes bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana), pig frogs (Rana grylio), alligator, Alligator snapping turtles, Diamondback terrapins and box turtles.

• Click here for hunting education, regulatory & licensing information
• Click here for hunting lotteries and additional information

Fishing in the NHA

One third of the state’s public freshwater boat launches can be found in the Heritage Area. Among the freshwater fish which populate lakes and bayous are black, white, yellow and striped bass, bowfin, bream, buffalo, drum,  channel, blue and flathead catfish; crappie, paddlefish, shad and sturgeon, all of which are popular with fishermen. The Atchafalaya Basin, the Lake Verret-Palourde Area, the Lake Fausse Point-Dauterive Area, False River and Spanish Lake are favorite fishing destinations.

Recreational crawfishing using set nets or recreational wire traps is a popular seasonal pastime and tied closely with cultural traditions. The several Wildlife Management Areas encourage crawfishing as a family activity.

The several marinas located in the coastal parishes of the Heritage Area are frequented for seasonal saltwater fishing. Common coastal species include black and red drum, southern flounder, striped mullet, sea trout, cobia, king and Spanish mackerel. Marlin, sailfish, swordfish, tuna, shark, snapper, mutton, triggerfish, amberjack, hogfish, redfish and sea bass are popular offshore finfish species. Other forms of seasonal, recreational saltwater fishing include cast-netting and trawling for shrimp and crab and harvesting oysters. The estuarine environment (the area where salt and fresh water mix) is where oysters grow in abundance. Oysters can be found naturally in dense aggregations called reefs both in the intertidal and sub-tidal environment.

• Click here for seasonal, boat registration, licensing and regulatory information
• Search for a boat launch by parish, waterway or GIS
• Click here to download a free kids coloring and activity booklet: First Time Fishing in the Atchafalaya Basin

Coastal Zone Area Charter Fishing Services

Contact directly for arrangements.

• Blu Dog Charters Charter
  7209 Hwy. 182 E, Morgan City, LA 70380
  Phone: (985) 384-2070    
• Acadian Outdoor Charters
  1405 S. Patout St., New Iberia, LA 70560
  (337) 519-2049 
• Action Greg's Guide Service
  128 Kettle Ln., Houma, LA, 70360
  (985) 209-9872 
• Airboat Charters 
  2253 Brady Rd., Theriot, LA 70397
  (985) 872-0989 
• Avid Angler Fishing Charters
  112 Cottonwood Dr., Houma, LA, 70360
  (985) 855-5909 
• Backwater Charters, LLC
  305 Laurel, Houma, LA 70360
  (985) 790-3655 
• Bayou Guide & Charter Fishing Service
  208 Woodburn Dr., Houma, LA, 70364
  (985) 851-6015 
• Beachcomber Guide Service
  9203 Diamond Head Ct., Houma, LA, 70363
  (985) 876-4153
• Boo Too Charters
  137 Alamo Dr., Houma, LA, 70360 
  (985) 876-0921
• Boudreaux’s Charter Fishing
  8250 Hwy. 56, Chauvin, LA, 70344
  (985) 594-4568 
• C&B Charter Fishing
  6830 Hwy. 56, Chauvin, LA, 70344 
  (985) 594-2414
• Cajun Fishing & Hunting Charters
  118 McAllen Dr., Houma, LA 70360
  (985) 857-8552 
• Captain Ryan Folse
  106 Pier 56, Cocodrie, LA 70344 
  (888) 648-2626 
• Captain Gene Foret
  106 Pier 56, Cocodrie, LA 70344 
  (888) 648-2626  
• Captain Mike Ledet's Charters
  6830 Hwy. 56, Cocodrie, LA, 70344 
  (985) 594-2414
• Captain James "Cuda" Scheer
  6830 Hwy. 56, Cocodrie, LA, 70344 
  (985) 876-0425
• Captain Lance “Coon” Schouest, Sr.
  106 Pier 56, Cocodrie, LA 70344 
  (888) 648-2626 
• Captain Lance “Lil Coon” Schouest, Jr.
  106 Pier 56, Cocodrie, LA 70344  
  (888) 648-2626 
• Captain Lee Schouest
  106 Pier 56, Cocodrie, LA 70344  
  (888) 648-2626 
• Captain Joe Schouest, Jr.
  106 Pier 56, Cocodrie, LA 70344  
  (888) 648-2626 
• Captain Blaine Townsend
  6830 Hwy. 56, Chauvin, LA, 70344 
  (985) 594-7772
• Coastal Charters
  407 Parkwood Ave., Houma, LA, 70360 
  (985) 232-3684
• CoCo Marina - Charter Fishing
  106 Pier 56, Cocodrie, LA 70344 
  (888) 648-2626 
• Cocodrie Charters
  7309 A. Hwy 56, Cocodrie, LA, 70344  
  (985) 594-6200 
• Cocodrie Inside Charters
  6830 Hwy 56, Cocodrie, LA, 70344
  (800) 906-5484
• Custom Charters
  102 Parnell Dr., Houma, LA, 70360 
  (985) 851-3304 
• Capt. Tommy Pellegrin. 
• Cypremort Charters
  306 Beach Ln., Cypremort Point, LA, 70538
  (337) 789-3582 
• Dulac Charters
  9228 Park Ave., Houma, LA, 70363 
  (985) 563-2843
• Light Tackle Charters
  Bayou Dularge Rd., Theriot, LA 70397
  (985) 688-1715 
• Marsh Madness
  816 Mire St., Houma, LA, 70364  
  (985) 688-4495 
• SALT Charters 
  106 Pier 56, Cocodrie, LA 70344 
  (888) 648-2626 
• Sea Creature Fishing Charters
  107 Trosclair Ln., Dulac, LA, 70353  
  (985) 563-2531 
• Smokin' Reels Fishing Charters
  6300 John Lewis Rd., New Iberia, LA, 70560
  (337) 577-8441 
• Sportsman's Paradise
  6830 Hwy. 56, Chauvin, LA, 70344  
  (985) 594-2414
• Stillwater Outfitters
  169 Hammock Ln., Cypremort Point, LA, 70538
  (337) 366-0738 
• Top Water Charters
  7725 Hwy. 56, Chauvin, LA, 70344  
  (985) 594-9074 
• Capt. Bryce Michel: (985) 855-0707 • topwaterlodge.com
• Capt. John Pellegrin: (985) 852-9560 • topwaterlodge.com
• Capt. Joey Seeber: (985) 804-7637 • topwaterlodge.com
• Capt. Chad Chaisson: (985) 688-4536 • topwaterlodge.com
• Capt. Coby Esponge: (985) 804-1518 • topwaterlodge.com
• Capt. Rob Chauvin: (504) 253-0493 • topwaterlodge.com

Coastal Zone Area Marinas

• Bayou Black Marina
  251 Marina Dr., Gibson, LA, 70356 • (985) 575-2315 
• Boudreaux’s Marina Dulac & Cocodrie
  8250 Hwy. 56, Chauvin, LA, 70344 • (985) 594-4568 • boudreauxsmarina.com 
• Coco Marina
  106 Pier 56, Chauvin, LA, 70344 • (800) 648-2626 • cocomarina.com
• Cocodrie Clubhouse
  8239 Hwy. 56, Chauvin, LA, 70344 • (985) 594-6765
• Downtown Marina
  Houma, LA 70361 • (985)873-6428 • tpcg.org/eco_dev/marina.asp
• Falgout Canal Landing
  1868 Doctor Beatrous Rd., Theriot, LA, 70397 • (985) 872-1636
• Harbor Light Marina
  8239 Hwy. 56, Chauvin, LA, 70344 • (985) 594-7208
• North Pier Marina
  307 Isadore St., Delcambre, LA, 70528 • 1-(800) 884-6120
• Pointe Aux Chenes Marina
  4266 Hwy. 665, Montegut, LA, 70377 • (985) 594-4654
• Sportsman’s Paradise
  6830 Hwy. 56, Chauvin, LA, 70344 • (985) 594-2414
• T-Irv’s Marina
  9499 Grand Caillou Rd,, Dulac, LA, 70353 • (985) 563-4295