UTERSheepshead fishing in Louisiana Coast
In Louisiana Coast, sheepshead peak December–April and are around year-round, spawning in February–March, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. February: Spawning fish on the rigs, the jetties and the outer bay reefs.
Birds over trout; bulls on the islands. Follow the gulls in the bays; flounder harvest closes for the fall run — check LDWF.
Sheepshead in Louisiana Coast, month by month
- JanuaryPeakClear-water reds in the ponds; trout in the deep bayous. Sight-cast reds with a spinnerbait on calm days; slow plastics in the canals and at the trestles.
- FebruarySpawningSpawning fish on the rigs, the jetties and the outer bay reefs.
- MarchSpawningPeak on the nearshore platforms and the passes; shrimp or fiddlers.
- AprilPeak
- MayAround
- JuneAround
- JulyAround
- AugustAround
- SeptemberAround
- OctoberAroundBirds over trout; bulls on the islands. Follow the gulls in the bays; flounder harvest closes for the fall run — check LDWF.
- NovemberAroundThe best month: trout and reds everywhere. Every drain on a falling north-wind tide; slicks over the reefs.
- DecemberPeakTrout to the trestles and Big Lake; reds to the ponds. Pontchartrain trestles and the Calcasieu wade flats; reds in the clear ponds.
Where to fish sheepshead near Lake Charles, Cameron, Cocodrie
Millions of acres of marsh, ponds and bayous — Calcasieu, Barataria, Terrebonne, Lake Pontchartrain, Breton and Chandeleur sounds — fringed by barrier islands at Grand Isle, Elmer's and the Chandeleurs, the Mississippi River passes at Venice, and thousands of oil and gas platforms from the beach to blue water.
Fish Scouter charts 1,239 wreck, 438 artificial reef spots in the The Louisiana Marsh map area — the kinds sheepshead hold on.
What to use for sheepshead
- Fiddler crabsA #1 hook through the back corner of the shell, dropped tight to the piling — the sheepshead bait.
- Live shrimpUnder a popping cork or free-lined, hooked under the horn on a #1 to 2/0 circle hook; on a jig head for the bottom. The universal inshore bait.
- Sand fleas (mole crabs)On a small circle hook or a pompano rig, digger-end first — the pompano and whiting bait.
- Grass shrimpTwo or three on a #6 hook under a small cork — the bream, crappie, sheepshead and mangrove snapper bait nobody sells.
- Leader20–30 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook#2–1/0
- Jig head1/8–1/4 oz
- Braid10–20 lb
Feeds in 48–74°F water, best at 54–66°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch sheepshead in Louisiana Coast?
Peak season is December–April, with fish spawning in February–March (often a closed or catch-and-release window — check the rule). Sheepshead are here year-round. February: Spawning fish on the rigs, the jetties and the outer bay reefs.
Where do sheepshead hold in Louisiana Coast?
Look on dock / pilings, bridge, artificial reef, wreck, marker / buoy — around Lake Charles, Cameron, Cocodrie, Port Fourchon, Grand Isle, Lafitte.
What is the best bait for sheepshead in Louisiana Coast?
Live bait: fiddler crabs, live shrimp, sand fleas (mole crabs), grass shrimp. Fiddler crabs: A #1 hook through the back corner of the shell, dropped tight to the piling — the sheepshead bait. Tackle: leader 20–30 lb fluorocarbon, hook #2–1/0, jig head 1/8–1/4 oz, braid 10–20 lb.
What are the rules for sheepshead in Louisiana Coast?
Size and bag limits and closed seasons are set by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) and change — read the current rule at https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/seasons-and-regulations before you keep a fish. A licence is sold at https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/recreational-fishing-licenses-and-permits.
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