Louisiana residents and visitors will be allowed to fish Louisiana waters without an otherwise required fishing license on Saturday, June 7, and Sunday, June 8.
Those are the twodays that the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has set aside for its annual Free Fishing Weekend “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 Secretary Tyler Bosworth said in a press release. “Please take this opportunity to make memories with your loved ones and introduce them to the great sport of fishing.”
While a fishing license is not required, all fishing regulations, including size, season, catch limits, and gear restrictions, will remain in effect during Free Fishing Weekend.
For an added bonus, LDWF will hold the following events on Saturday to teach the skills necessary to give you the best opportunity to catch fish. Lessons will be given on bait choice, tackle setup, casting, and knot tying to fishing techniques, landing, handling and taking the fish off the hook.
• Get Out & Fish event, Jennings I-10 Park, 8:00 a.m. – 12 p.m.
• LDWF Intro to Fishing Course, Gretna City Park, 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.
• LDWF Intro to Fishing Course, New Orleans – Joe Brown Park, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
• Youth Fishing Rodeo, Hammond – Zemurray park, 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.
In addition, a free Recreational Offshore Landing Permit is still needed during Free Fishing weekend when possessing tunas, billfish, swordfish, amberjacks, groupers, snappers, hinds, cobia, wahoo, dolphinfish, and gray triggerfish.
Registration for the Free Fishing Weekend ROLP is currently open. Anglers should choose the “Free Fishing Weekend” option for the license type.
Anglers can skip the “LDWF Fishing License Number” field. A Free Fishing Weekend ROLP will only be valid Saturday, June 7, and Sunday, June 8.
An annual ROLP is still needed if possessing offshore species outside of Free Fishing Weekend.
To register for a ROLP, please go to https://ldwf.wlf. la.gov/rolp/login.
LDWF reminds the public that, at any time outside of Free Fishing Weekend, anglers 18 and older must possess a Louisiana fishing license to fish in any Louisiana public waters. Anyone who decides to continue fishing for the remainder of the year must purchase a state fishing license at https://louisianaoutdoors. com/.
