Updated: Thursday, August 13, 2026 · Next update: Thursday, August 20, 2026
This Louisiana fishing report covers mid-August, when southeast Louisiana runs hot and low-wind, a good combination for anyone willing to start early. The marsh is warm and speckled trout pull toward the outer islands and the deeper passes, but redfish are the lead target and sit exactly where they always are in August: in the ponds, on the shorelines and feeding. The new moon at the end of the week brings the best tidal range in two weeks, and the falling tide is the condition to plan around.
What’s Hitting
Redfish are the most dependable fish in the state, working the pond shorelines and drains from Delacroix through Hopedale and down toward Venice. Speckled trout move out toward the outer islands, the passes and the nearshore rigs, where the water is cooler and saltier.
Tripletail are on the crab traps and the nearshore platforms, an easy and underrated August target. Mangrove snapper stack up on the nearshore rigs. Offshore, look for yellowfin tuna at the deepwater platforms on the calm days.
Where to Find Them
The Delacroix and Hopedale marshes hold reds on the pond shorelines and at the drains on the falling water. Venice and the passes down toward Southwest Pass are the trout and bigger-red water. The Grand Isle beachfront and the nearshore rigs off Fourchon are the trout and snapper grounds.
Tripletail sit on the crab trap lines running out of Barataria and Caminada Pass; floating buoys throw shade and gather small baitfish, which is why tripletail hang beneath them.
Tides & Conditions
Expect marsh water of 87 to 90 degrees and mid-80s nearshore. The new moon brings a bigger tidal range, which matters enormously in the marsh: a falling tide that actually pulls water out of the ponds is the difference between a good day and a slow one.
Plan for light morning winds and afternoon storms. Marsh clarity is fair, better on the outer edges.
Tackle & Tactics
- Redfish: market shrimp under a popping cork, gold spoons, and soft plastics on a quarter-ounce jighead. Nothing complicated. The cork’s chug sounds like feeding fish and holds the shrimp just off the bottom.
- Outer-island trout: a live shrimp or croaker under a cork over shell.
- Tripletail: a live shrimp pitched with no weight on 30-pound fluorocarbon.
- Rig snapper: a live pogy or cut bait on 40-pound leader.
- Offshore tuna: live bait and chunks at the platforms after dark.
Local Intel This Week
The Delacroix and Lafitte launches and Hopedale Marina are the practical marsh access points; Cypress Cove Marina at Venice and Bridgeside at Grand Isle handle the coastal and nearshore trips. Launch early from the marsh ramps so you reach the drains as the water starts to fall.
Fish concentrate at the pond drains and the outer islands rather than the interior lakes, which go warm and low-oxygen in August. Redfish, speckled trout and snapper all carry size and bag restrictions. Check current state and federal regulations and seasons before keeping fish.
This Week’s Tip
Fish the falling tide at the drains. In August the ponds heat up and every shrimp and minnow in them gets flushed out the same cut, and the redfish sit in the deeper water just outside it and wait. Anchor off, cast into the mouth, and let the current do the presenting.
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