Weekend Gulf Fishing Roundup: Trout, Reds, and More Biting Strong Around New Orleans

Artificial Lure here, checking in from the brackish waters and bayous around New Orleans and the greater Gulf of Mexico, bringing you the latest fishing rundown for Saturday, August 30, 2025. Let’s talk weather and water first. As per the National Weather Service and NOAA marine forecasts, we’re looking at **gentle west winds at 5–10 knots this morning, ramping up just a bit to 10–15 knots after midnight**. Seas will run a light chop, **around 2 feet**, so boaters and kayakers should have a decent ride offshore and inshore alike. Expect isolated scattered showers early, so pack your rain gear just in case. Sunrise hit at 6:34 AM and sunset’s set for 7:32 PM, giving us a solid window for both morning topwater action and late evening flurries. On the tide front, NOAA Tides & Currents called **high tide at 6:58 AM with 0.83 ft** and **low tide rolling in around 2:54 PM at 0.52 ft**. That means you’ll want to fish moving water on the outgoing for most of the afternoon bite, and don’t sleep on that early-morning high on the flats and marsh ponds. As for fish activity, the late summer Gulf bite continues to be **steady and diverse**. According to multiple charter reports and recent docks in Shell Beach and across the Rigolets, folks have been loading up on **speckled trout and redfish**, with a respectable mix of **flounder, black drum, and sheepshead** coming in as bycatch. Trout limits are being pulled around deeper cuts and oyster reefs at sunrise using popping corks tipped with live shrimp or Vudu Shrimp plastics. The redfish are stacked around grasslines, submerged points, and current rips—cut mullet or gold spoons have been slam dunks in those stained outflows. In the city’s own backyard, local guides and captains say **the Lake Pontchartrain bridges are still holding decent numbers of slot reds and drum**, especially on the outgoing tide. The Chef Pass area has delivered consistent speckled trout, particularly with Matrix Shad in lemonhead and shrimp creole colors. If you’re heading farther south, **Hopedale Lagoon and Delacroix marshes have been prime hot spots**, with anglers pulling in mixed bags using live croaker and crab when chasing bull reds, while artificial purists have scored big on topwater plugs at first light—think bone or chrome walkers and noisy popping plugs. For those looking for a supper-worthy haul, the **shrimp run is strong and authentic**—Louisiana Shrimp Task Force and local investigators confirmed that nearly all shrimp being sold around New Orleans right now is wild-caught, U.S. Gulf product, so fresh bait is never far from your cast net, and it makes an unbeatable live offering for drum, redfish, and even big trout. Quick heads-up to waders and anyone with open cuts—**there’s been an uptick in Vibrio vulnificus infections in warm, brackish water this year**, so keep those wounds dry and clean, and always sanitize if you get poked or scratched. For bait and lures, here’s what’s been getting results this week: - This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.