Fish Louisiana > Freshwater > Mississippi River

Mississippi River Species Overview

The Mississippi river and its many tributaries offer the angler many opportunities to catch freshwater fish. Among the most famous are the many giant catfish that are caught from these waters. Blue, channel and flathead cats are the first to become giants with the state record blue cat weighing in at 110 pounds.

The Mississippi watershed drains a good portion of the U.S. right through the state of Louisiana. For millions of years, the silt and nutrients have been deposited at the mouth of the river where it meets the Gulf of Mexico. This has created the delta that we see today and the process continues as we speak. These nutrients fuel one of the most prolific and diverse ecosystems in the country. A huge sustainable fishery is made possible by the richness of the marshes and estuaries, that continue to support so much life.

Mississippi River Habitat

Louisiana Mississippi River Species

Learn More

Read more Mississippi River Articles

Related Rules and Regulations

Black Bass (Largemouth & Spotted) Click to Toggle

Location Size Limit Bag Limit
All state waters EXCEPT as follows: None 10 daily
Atchafalaya Basin, Lakes Verret/Palourde, Fausse Point/Dauterive Areas None 7 daily
Eagle Lake 16” minimum length limit 10 daily
Poverty Point Reservoir 15” to 19” protected slot limit3 8 daily; No more than one over 19” total length
Caney Creek Lake (Jackson Parish) 15” to 19” protected slot limit3 8 daily; No more than two over 19” total length
False River (Pointe Coupee Parish) 14” minimum length limit 5 daily
John K. Kelly-Grand Bayou Reservoir (Red River Parish) 14” to 17” protected slot limit3 8 daily; No more than four over 17” total length
Caddo Lake 14-18” protected slot limit3 for Largemouth Bass; No length restriction for spotted bass 8 daily; No more than 4 Largemouth Bass over 18” total length
Sabine River4 and Toledo Bend Reservoir 14” minimum length limit; No minimum length limit for spotted bass 8 daily
  1. NOTE: For enforcement purposes, a spotted bass is defined as a black bass with a tooth patch on the tongue.
  2. Fish falling within a protected slot limit must be immediately released.
  3. River proper from the Toledo Bend Dam to the I-10 bridge. River proper upstream from Toledo Bend Reservoir to the point at which the entire river enters TX (state line is marked with a sign).
  4. Anglers may have up to three times the daily bag limit of black bass (Micropterus spp.) below U.S. Highway 90 in coastal Louisiana providing the fish are kept whole or whole gutted in separate bags for each daily take limit. The bags must be marked with the date fish were taken, the species and number of fish contained in the bag, and the name and recreational fishing license number of the person taking the fish.
General Info: