Best Fishing Times in Louisiana This Week
Near Venice, Lake Charles and Shreveport: today on a 24 hour timeline and the next seven days rated Fair to Best.
Working out the moon and the sun for Venice, LA, and reading the forecast.
Fishing somewhere else? Enter any ZIP for your own spot
Photo: “Fall fishing on the Madison River at sunrise”, Jacob W. Frank, Yellowstone National Park (NPS), Public domain
Louisiana at a glance
Solunar windows plus the agency calendarWhen fish bite in Louisiana
Louisiana's fishing year turns on trophy bass in January and February, large speckled trout in May and June, trout moving inshore to lakes and bayous in fall, and redfish in the marsh all winter.
Each entry below is from Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries or its published guides, quoted word for word and linked. Line the season up with the week above: a run in its prime and a Great day with a window at first light is the morning to take off.
- January and February
Largemouth bass
January and February are good months for a trophy bass, since bass are usually at their peak weight before the spawn.
“January and February are great months for catching a trophy sized bass since they are typically at their peak weight as they prepare for the upcoming spawn.”
LDWF Angling Insider, Vol. 7, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, read October 9, 2026 - May and June
Spotted seatrout
Speckled trout leave the interior marshes for saltier water to spawn, and May and June are good months for large trout.
“Spotted Seatrout begin moving out of the interior marshes to saltier waters in preparation for the spawn. May and June are excellent times to target large trout.”
LDWF Angling Insider, Vol. 3, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, read October 9, 2026 - Fall and winter
Spotted seatrout
Speckled trout gather along the coast and barrier islands in spring and summer, then move inshore to lakes, bayous and deeper channels in fall and winter.
“Spotted Seatrout typically gather in large numbers along the coast and barrier islands during the spring and summer months and transition inshore during the fall and winter months to lakes, bayous, and deeper channels.”
Louisiana Spotted Seatrout Fishery Management Plan, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, read October 9, 2026 - Winter
Red drum
Redfish handle winter cold fronts well, which makes them a good target all winter.
“Redfish are very hearty fish and well suited for winter cold fronts, thereby an excellent target throughout the winter.”
LDWF Angling Insider, Vol. 7, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, read October 9, 2026
Reading the Louisiana timeline
Each day has two major solunar periods of about two hours, centered on the moon overhead and underfoot, and two minor periods of about an hour at moonrise and moonset. A window within an hour of sunrise or sunset is marked in gold. The rating adds the moon phase, the gold windows and a capped nudge from the National Weather Service forecast for each town. Every factor and its points.
Dawn and dusk are the reliable part; the moon windows are the old angler’s rule.
