Free fishing weekend in Louisiana allows catch without license

LOUISIANA (KTAL/KMSS) — The Annual Louisiana Free Fishing Weekend returns on Saturday, June 7 and Sunday, Jun 8.

Free Fishing Weekend allows residents and visitors to fish without a fishing license. All other normal restrictions (size, season, catch limits, and gear) will still apply.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

(LDWF) Secretary Tyler Bosworth explained, “Each year, we designate a weekend of fishing with no need to purchase a fishing license as an incentive for families and friends to enjoy one of our state’s most beloved pastimes.”

LDWF will also offer events on June 7 to teach basic fishing skills. These include the things you need to know while preparing to catch fish, such as bait choice, tackle setup, casting, and knot tying, and fishing mechanics, such as techniques, landing, handling, and taking the fish off the hook.

I-10 Park in Jennings, LA, will host a Get Out & Fish event from 8 a.m. to noon. Volunteers and LDWF biologists will provide instruction and assistance while guests fish a stocked pond. Equipment and bait will be provided while supplies last.

LDWF will host two Intro to Fishing courses. The first will be at the Gretna City Park from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. The second will be in New Orleans at Joe Brown Park from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Both events will teach rigging, bait, and gear selection to new and out-of-practice anglers, followed by an hour of fishing with LDWF staff. The event is free, but requires registration.

For Intro to Fishing, participants 16 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Participants 18 and older must have a valid fishing license.

Zemurray Park in Hammond will host a youth fishing rodeo with fishing, prizes, and resource booths for ages 5-15 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

An offshore landing permit is still required when possessing tuna, billfish, swordfish, amberjacks, groupers, snappers, hinds, cobia, wahoo, dolphinfish, and gray triggerfish, but it is free for the weekend.