Fishing at Long Bay, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana

• Overview

  You will find Long Bay in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. Around the bank it is open low country. At some 347 acres it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. Our Jefferson Parish list holds plenty of bigger water. The town to know is Barataria, 13 miles out. The nearest city of size is New Orleans, 29 miles away. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Long Bay

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. This is tidal water: the state of the tide decides where fish sit, so plan the session around it. Slack water is dead water on a place like this. Oyster and old piling give the only hard structure in sight. Public wildlife records from this area list American eel, yellowfin menhaden, black drum and sheepshead. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Read Long Bay for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 82°F and January reads 54°F. There is no cold season worth the name. October and November give a second good stretch as it cools. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to fish here. The season on Long Bay follows the weather closely. Water temperature lags behind air temperature by days, not hours.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. The nearest alternative is Bayou Saint Denis, 2.9 miles out. Confirm access to Long Bay locally before you travel.