Winter Fishing in the New Orleans Marshes: Tides, Lures, and Hotspots for Reds, Trout, and Drum

Artificial Lure here, checking in from the south shore, talking Gulf of Mexico and New Orleans waters. According to Tides4Fishing’s New Canal Station tables, we’re on a **small tide** today, with only about a 0.8‑foot swing mid‑day. That weak movement means slower current, so plan your trips around the **turns of the tide** and any wind‑driven movement you can find. TidesChart’s Lake Pontchartrain New Canal station page lists the **major feeding window late morning into early afternoon**, so that late brunch bite should be your best bet. Sun’s creeping over the marsh just after **7:10 a.m.**, and she’s ducking out a little after **6:15 p.m.** per the New Canal Station almanac. That gives you a nice, cool low‑light window at first light and again the last hour of the day—classic speck and redfish time. Local marine forecasts this week call for **cool, stable winter weather**: light north to northeast breeze in the morning, picking up a bit mid‑day, with clear to partly cloudy skies and temps starting in the 40s–50s and topping out in the low 60s. That pattern keeps the shallow ponds chilly but pushes fish into **deeper bayous, ledges, and cuts** where the water’s more stable. Guides out of Delacroix and Hopedale, including winter reports from Whiskey Bayou Charters, say the **redfish bite has been consistent**, with marsh slot reds and some upper‑slot fish stacked in small drains and around broken marsh points. They’re putting **limits of reds** in the box most days, plus drum and a few sheepshead when they slow down and soak bait. Trout action’s more hit‑or‑miss, but recent reports in interior bays and along Lake Borgne edges show **solid numbers of 13–18 inch specks** on good weather days. For **lures**, think winter confidence baits: - **Quarter‑ounce jigheads** with 3–4 inch paddle tails in opening night, glow/chartreuse, and morning glory for trout and reds. - **Gold or copper spoons** slow‑rolled along grass edges for redfish. - Suspending **jerkbaits and MirrOdine‑style hard baits** over shell and along bayou bends. - In deeper holes, a **soft plastic on a 3/8‑ounce head** dragged slow on bottom will pick up drum, reds, and trout. For **bait**, dead shrimp is king right now: - **Dead or fresh shrimp on a Carolina rig** for reds, drum, and sheepshead around cuts and shorelines. - **Live shrimp or cocahoe minnows under a popping cork** where you still see bait flipping or birds working for specks. - Small **crab chunks** if you’re targeting bigger reds around rocks, rigs, or deeper passes. Couple of **hot spots** to put on your list: - **Hopedale / Lake Borgne edges** – Work the outer bayous, shell humps, and trenasses dumping into Borgne; great mix of trout, reds, and drum on plastics and shrimp. - **Delacroix marsh and Oak River area** – Target deeper bends, intersections, and cuts off Oak River and in the interior ponds; redfish have been stacked there on slower tides. Fish slow, trust your electronics and your eyes, and don’t be a This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.