Updated: Thursday, October 15, 2026 · Next update: Thursday, October 22, 2026
This Louisiana fishing report covers mid-October, a strong month in the marsh with cooler water, active bait and fish stacking on the shorelines. Speckled trout are the lead target along the marsh shorelines and in the bays, with redfish tight to the grass and the bayou mouths and bull reds at the jetties and passes. The main conditions to plan around are wind and fronts, which shape each week in the marsh, along with moving water at the passes as tides ease toward first quarter.
What’s Hitting
Speckled trout work the marsh shorelines and the bays, redfish sit tight to the grass and the bayou mouths, and bull reds are at the jetties and the passes. Sheepshead are around the rigs, flounder are staging, and mangrove snapper hang on the offshore structure.
As water temperatures drop, expect the marsh to keep improving, with trout and redfish feeding aggressively on shrimp and finger mullet. Fronts shape each week, so watch the forecast.
Where to Find Them
Fish the shorelines and bayou mouths around Grand Isle and Venice for trout and reds. Bayou mouths act as funnels where draining marsh water carries shrimp and small fish out to waiting predators.
Work the jetties on the outgoing tide for bull reds. Rigs and pilings hold sheepshead and snapper.
Tides & Conditions
With the moon building toward first quarter, tides are easing. Moving water at the passes and bayou mouths is best, and winds and fronts are a major factor. In the Louisiana marsh, strong wind can push water in or out regardless of the predicted tide, so check a tide chart and marine forecast together.
Tackle & Tactics
- Trout: live shrimp under a cork is the standard.
- Redfish: a gold spoon or a soft plastic along the grass.
- Bull reds: cut mullet at the jetties.
- Gear: medium spinning tackle with 15 to 20 pound braid.
Fish a slow-sinking soft plastic along the shorelines, and use a popping cork over shallow grass. The cork keeps a shrimp suspended above the grass and its pop draws fish in from a distance. After a front passes, fish often feed heavily, so be ready to take advantage of a good tide.
Local Intel This Week
Grand Isle State Park gives shore and surf access near the passes and jetties. The Port Fourchon and Leeville ramps put boats into the marsh shorelines and bayou mouths west of Grand Isle, and the Delacroix area is the launch for the marsh east of the river. Cypremort Point State Park and Hopedale Marina are also public access points. Fish concentrate on the marsh shorelines and the passes. Check current state and federal regulations and seasons before keeping fish.
This Week’s Tip
Follow the birds. In the marsh, diving gulls often mark trout and reds feeding on shrimp. When feeding fish push shrimp to the surface, gulls drop on them, so a flock working low over the water is worth running to. Shut down short and drift or troll in so the school stays up.
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