South Louisiana Gulf Fishing Report: Winter Trout, Reds, and Flounder Bite

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your south Louisiana Gulf fishing report. We’re sitting in a classic winter pattern along the marsh and nearshore Gulf. Mornings are cool with light north to northeast breeze, afternoons topping out in the low 60s, and water temps riding the low 50s along the inside bays. Tides4Fishing’s South Pass and Vermilion Bay tables show a moderate single‑digit tide range today, with good moving water mid‑morning and again late afternoon. Sunrise is right around 6:50 a.m. on the lower river and sunset close to 5:05 p.m., so that first and last two hours of light are your money windows. According to FishingReminder’s Louisiana solunar forecast, there’s a strong major feed around daylight and another good push near dark, which lines up with what we’re seeing: short but fired‑up feeds instead of all‑day action. Speckled trout have been the headline. Louisiana Sportsman reports solid December trout from Myrtle Grove Canal, Lake Borgne, and Calcasieu, with bigger “yellowmouth” fish showing in winter. Folks out of Empire and Buras have been boxing 15–25 specks per boat on the good days, with a few near‑3‑pound fish mixed in. Inside bays, the bite is tighter to deeper bends and dead‑end canals; outside, trout are hanging on shell and current breaks along the MRGO rocks and Breton Sound rigs when the wind lays. Redfish are steady in the ponds and along marsh drains on a falling tide. Most boats are seeing 5–10 slot reds plus a couple of bulls at the passes. Venice jetties and the South Pass rocks are still giving up oversized reds on cut mullet and cracked crab fished on the bottom. Flounder numbers have been modest but consistent around current‑swept cuts and the down‑current side of small points. A handful per trip is common if you commit to dragging slowly on bottom. Best lures and baits right now: - For trout: soft plastics like Matrix Shad or Z‑Man paddle tails in opening night, shrimp creole, or glow/chartreuse under a popping cork; slow them down and keep them near the bottom. On calm mornings, a small topwater like a She Dog or Rapala Skitterwalk will still draw bigger bites along rock and shell. - For reds: gold spoons, spinnerbaits with white or chartreuse plastics, and 3–4" paddle tails. Live or dead shrimp under a cork near drains is tough to beat. - For flounder: 3" paddle tails or grub tails on a ¼‑oz jighead, dragged painfully slow, bouncing bottom. If you’re packing natural bait, bring live shrimp, dead shrimp, and a little cut mullet. Shrimp will catch everything in the marsh; mullet and crab shine around the passes and jetties for bulls and drum. Couple of hot spots to circle on your map: - Myrtle Grove Canal and adjacent marsh in Barataria Bay: winter specks stacking in the deeper stretches and at canal intersections, as highlighted recently by Louisiana Sportsman. - The Great Wall of Chalmette and MRGO rocks: consistent cold‑weather trout and reds when the river’s right, with good access for smal This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.