Venice, Louisiana Fishing Guide

Venice sits where the Mississippi River meets the Gulf, so anglers can fish marsh, river and blue water from the same dock. Inside, the delta marsh holds redfish, speckled trout and black drum, and offshore the deep oil platforms hold yellowfin and blackfin tuna, with mahi, marlin, wahoo and snapper too. Offshore species need a free Louisiana Recreational Offshore Landing Permit, and red snapper seasons are set and changed by LDWF during the year.

📍 Venice, at the south end of Plaquemines Parish on the west bank of the Mississippi River, about two hours' drive south of New Orleans on Louisiana Highway 23. Boats run down the river and its passes into the marsh of the bird's-foot delta and out to the Gulf, where deepwater oil platforms and the Midnight Lump hold offshore fish.

📅 Louisiana Fishing Calendar — best months, closed seasons, bait & rigs →

Map: spots, ramps and marinas

★ Fishing hot spot · ● Boat ramp · ● Marina · ▭ Protected area (solid red = no fishing, dashed = fishing with rules)

Open the full Northern Gulf (Alabama to Texas) map →

Quick facts

Venice is the last community on the Mississippi River you can reach by car, via Louisiana Highway 23.
Delta National Wildlife Refuge sits at the mouth of the Mississippi near Venice; it has no roads or trails and can be reached only by boat.
The Midnight Lump is a salt dome rising to about 200 feet (called Sackett Bank on NOAA charts) and is known for winter wahoo.
Louisiana's 2026 private recreational red snapper allocation was 882,439 pounds; the season opened May 1, 2026.
Hurricanes Camille (1969) and Katrina (2005) badly damaged Venice, and Ida hit Plaquemines Parish as a Category 4 storm in 2021.

What you can catch

Redfish (red drum)
Marsh and nearshore all year; bull reds move inshore in October.
Speckled trout
Marsh and passes; 13-20 inch rule with 2 over 20 allowed.
Yellowfin tuna
Caught around deepwater oil platforms; 27-inch curved fork length minimum, 3 per person.
Blackfin tuna
Around rigs and shrimp boats, strong in summer and October.
Red snapper
Rigs and offshore structure; LDWF sets and changes the season.
Wahoo
Winter at the Midnight Lump when weather allows; 5 per person.
Mahi-mahi and marlin
Summer blue-water targets.
Black drum
Common in the marsh; 16-27 inch rule, 1 over 27 allowed.

Month by month

January	Often windy. On good days, big tuna and wahoo offshore. Gray triggerfish and gag closed (state waters).
February	Wahoo at the Midnight Lump when conditions allow. Gray triggerfish closed.
March	Marsh redfish and trout; swordfish are caught offshore year-round.
April	Spring through early summer is peak swordfish time offshore.
May	2026 Louisiana red snapper season opened May 1 (4 per person at opening).
June	Summer offshore: yellowfin, blackfin, mahi and a shot at marlin. Gray triggerfish closed Jun-Jul.
July	Summer offshore pattern; redfish in shaded backcountry ponds. Gray triggerfish closed.
August	Red snapper season closed Aug 9, 2026, then reopened Aug 27-30. Hurricane season.
September	Red snapper reopened Sep 4-7, 2026, then closed until further notice. Greater amberjack (state) opens Sep 1; gag opens Sep 1.
October	Bull reds move inshore; yellowfin and blackfin around shrimp boats. Southern flounder closed from Oct 15. Amberjack closes Oct 31.
November	Southern flounder closed through Nov 30. Marsh redfish and trout.
December	Weather limits trips; redfish in the marsh. Check LDWF for any snapper changes.

Tips

Get your free Recreational Offshore Landing Permit (ROLP) before going offshore; it covers tunas, snappers, groupers, amberjack, cobia, wahoo, mahi and more.
Do not keep redfish in federal waters; taking or possessing red drum there is illegal.
Red snapper seasons change mid-year in Louisiana. Check wlf.louisiana.gov the day before you go.
If you stay on the water two or more days south of U.S. Hwy 90, keep your launch receipt: it allows a 3-day possession limit of redfish and trout under LDWF rules.
Delta National Wildlife Refuge is boat-access only; read the refuge's safe boating guidance before running the passes.

Rules and license

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF); NOAA Fisheries / Gulf Council in federal waters; U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (Delta NWR) · Official rules page ↗

Basic fishing license plus Saltwater license required; free ROLP required to possess offshore species (charter passengers do not need one, but the captain does).
2026 red snapper (private and state charter): opened May 1, 4 per person, 16-inch minimum; closed Aug 9; reopened Aug 27-30 and Sep 4-7; then closed until further notice. Federal-permit charter boats follow federal dates (Jun 1 - Oct 26, 2026).
Redfish: 18-inch minimum, 27-inch maximum, 4 per person, none over 27 (2026 LDWF regulations). No red drum in federal waters.
Speckled trout: 13-inch minimum, 20-inch maximum, 15 per person with no more than 2 over 20 (2026 LDWF regulations).
Southern flounder: 10 per person, no possession Oct 15 - Nov 30.
Gray triggerfish closed Jan 1 - end of Feb and Jun 1 - Jul 31; gag closed Jan 1 - Aug 31; greater amberjack open Sep 1 - Oct 31 (state rules).
Charter captains and crew may not keep redfish, speckled trout, red snapper, amberjack or grouper.
Pass-a-Loutre WMA (south of Venice): WMA permit rules apply; mudboats and air-cooled motors over 36 hp banned, and their use is limited after 2 p.m. Sep 1 - Jan 31 except in the main passes. Goliath and Nassau grouper may not be taken.

Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.

Boat ramps and marinas

The map above shows 4 boat ramps and 4 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.

Chevron Empire
Ostrica Anchorages (23.2)
Pilottown Anchorages (3.3)
Venice
Venice Marina Boat Launch

Sources

Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.