How to Catch Speckled Trout in Louisiana
Work grass edges, marsh drains on a falling tide, and deeper holes when it turns cold. Before you go, know that Louisiana's limits changed in November 2023 - the minimum went up, the creel came down from 25 to 15, and most of what you will read online still quotes the old numbers.
Published
Work the edges. Grass flats and their drop-offs, marsh drains on a falling tide, oyster on moving water, and deeper holes once it turns cold. Speckled trout are ambush feeders that sit where current delivers food to them.
Before you go, check your numbers — because they changed, and most of what you will read has not caught up.
The limits changed in November 2023
| Now | Before | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 13–20 in total length | 12 in minimum |
| Over 20 in | Only 2 fish in the creel may exceed 20 in | — |
| Daily creel | 15 per angler | 25 |
| Season | Year-round | Year-round |
Effective 20 November 2023. Charter boat guides and crew may not retain fish while working a trip.
⚠️ These rules have an expiry date. They carry a sunset provision and are scheduled to lapse at midnight on 1 January 2028, with a stock assessment update required before April 2027. Almost nothing written about this fishery mentions that.
Checked against LDWF on 29 August 2026. Confirm on the LDWF announcement before you fish; that link is the authority, not this one.
Be careful what you read
While researching this page, secondary sources stated the cap was "two fish over 25 inches". LDWF's own announcement says 20. That is a five-inch error on a keeping rule, sitting in circulation right now.
The same goes for the old 12-inch and 25-fish figures, which are still all over the internet. Check the date on anything you read about this fishery — including this page.
Why it tightened
The minimum went up and the creel came down to rebuild the stock. That is worth holding onto when the smaller limit stings: these rules are the reason there will be fish to catch in 2030. A fishery under management pressure is one that was being taken faster than it could replace itself.
Where they hold
Grass flats and their edges. The classic Louisiana pattern — fish sit on the drop and take what the tide brings over the top.
Marsh drains and cuts, on a falling tide. Water leaving the marsh flushes shrimp and small bait out through a narrow gap, and trout stack below it. This is the highest-percentage setup in the state.
Deeper holes and channel edges once the water cools. Fish leave the flats and concentrate.
Oyster and structure wherever there is current moving past it.
Technique, and the mistake almost everyone makes
Soft plastics on a jig head worked along a grass edge; a popping cork with a shrimp imitation under it; topwater at first light; live shrimp drifted over grass. Our saltwater lure guide covers pre-rigged soft plastics that arrive on a hook.
The mistake is the hookset. A speckled trout's mouth is soft and tears easily — a hard sweeping strike pulls the hook straight out, and lifting a good fish by the line at the boat finishes the job. Come tight steadily, keep pressure even, and net anything worth keeping rather than swinging it aboard.
That single adjustment converts more lost fish than any change of lure.
Related
- How to catch redfish in Florida — the other inshore staple, different agency and rules
- Spotted seatrout — identification, habitat and diet
- Rigs & setups — what goes on the line, in order
Sources
- New Speckled Trout Regulations go into Effect November 20 — Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries — 13–20 in, the two-fish over-20 cap, 15-fish creel, charter crew rule, effective date, and the 1 January 2028 sunset
- Reminder: New Speckled Trout Regulations go into Effect Today — LDWF
Frequently asked questions
- What is the speckled trout limit in Louisiana?
- 13 to 20 inches total length, with a 15-fish daily creel per angler, and only two of those fish may be greater than 20 inches. These took effect on 20 November 2023 and replaced a 12-inch minimum with a 25-fish creel. Checked with LDWF on 29 August 2026 - confirm before you fish.
- Did the Louisiana speckled trout limits change?
- Yes, on 20 November 2023. The minimum size went up from 12 to 13 inches, the daily creel dropped from 25 fish to 15, and a two-fish cap was added on fish over 20 inches. A great deal of content online still quotes the old 12-inch and 25-fish figures, so check the date on anything you read.
- How long will the new speckled trout rules last?
- They carry a sunset provision and are scheduled to expire at midnight on 1 January 2028, with a stock assessment update required before April 2027. In other words these limits have an expiry date built in and will be revisited.
- Can charter guides keep their own limit in Louisiana?
- No. Charter boat guides and crew may not retain fish while working a charter trip.
- Why do speckled trout come off the hook so easily?
- Their mouths are soft and tear. A hard hookset pulls the hook straight through, and lifting a good fish by the line at the boat is how most of them are lost. Come tight steadily rather than sweeping, and net anything of size.