Fishes Vermilion Bay
Estuary · South central Louisiana, Vermilion and Iberia parishes, the Vermilion Bay estuary near Intracoastal City · Louisiana
Vermilion Bay Fishing Guides
A large, fresh-influenced Louisiana bay taking Atchafalaya water from the east, with redfish on the marsh edges, speckled trout on the reefs and a salinity line that moves with the river.
Gauge location. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Guides on the Vermilion Bay
Claimed profiles take booking requests. Unclaimed profiles are built from public records so the river is never empty; the guide can claim or remove one any time.
About the Vermilion Bay
Vermilion Bay lies in south central Louisiana, taking the Vermilion River from the north and a large volume of Atchafalaya River water from the east through the Atchafalaya and Wax Lake outlets. That river influence is the single most important fact about this estuary. Vermilion Bay is markedly fresher than most Louisiana coastal bays, and the salinity line moves substantially with river stage. The gauge near Intracoastal City reads water temperature, stage, salinity and turbidity.
The bay is broad and shallow, with soft mud bottom across most of its area, oyster reefs on the harder ground, and marsh shoreline throughout. It connects west toward the Gulf through Southwest Pass and east into East and West Cote Blanche bays and Atchafalaya Bay. Water is usually turbid, and after high river stages the eastern side can run nearly fresh while the western side holds salt.
Red drum are the most dependable fishery and are worked along the marsh edges, in the cuts and over shell. Spotted seatrout are present and are best on the reefs and in the higher salinity water toward the passes, though the trout fishing here is more variable than in the saltier bays to the east. Black drum and sheepshead hold on structure and shell, southern flounder use the drop-offs, and Atlantic croaker, blue crab and crevalle jack are common. In the fresher reaches largemouth bass and alligator gar appear, which is a genuinely unusual mix to find alongside redfish.
Wind is a serious factor on a bay this shallow and open, and a strong southerly turns it unfishable quickly. The protected bayous and cuts along the north shore are the standard fallback when the open bay is blown out, and they hold fish in their own right.
Access is through Intracoastal City, Cypremort Point and the surrounding parish roads. This is working coast rather than resort coast, and services are limited once past Abbeville.
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Access
Intracoastal City - the gauge location and the main working port on the bay.
Cypremort Point - a state park and developed access on the northeast shore.
Abbeville - the nearest town of size to the north, with lodging, fuel and tackle.
New Iberia - the Iberia Parish seat, with full services.
Southwest Pass - the connection toward the Gulf on the west side.
East and West Cote Blanche bays - the connected bays to the east.
Vermilion River - the tributary entering from the north at Abbeville.
Seasons
Spring: salinity rises as river stage falls and speckled trout move into the bay.
Summer: warm and productive for redfish along the marsh, with trout on the reefs.
Fall: the best fishing of the year as bait leaves the marsh and both species feed hard.
Winter: redfish school up in the shallow marsh and trout hold in the deeper bayous.
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Questions
What species can you catch on the Vermilion Bay?
Anglers target Alligator Gar, Atlantic Croaker, Black Drum, Blue Crab, Crevalle Jack, Largemouth Bass, Red Drum, Sheepshead, Southern Flounder, Spotted Seatrout on the Vermilion Bay in Louisiana.
Are there fishing guides on the Vermilion Bay?
GuidedFloats lists 1 guide and outfitters on the Vermilion Bay. Claimed profiles accept booking requests; unclaimed profiles are built from public records and link to the business.
Where can you access the Vermilion Bay?
Intracoastal City - the gauge location and the main working port on the bay. Cypremort Point - a state park and developed access on the northeast shore. Abbeville - the nearest town of size to the north, with lodging, fuel and tackle. New Iberia - the Iberia Parish seat, with full services. Southwest Pass - the connection toward the Gulf on the west side. East and West Cote Blanche bays - the connected bays to the east. Vermilion River - the tributary entering from the north at Abbeville.
When is the best time to fish the Vermilion Bay?
Spring: salinity rises as river stage falls and speckled trout move into the bay. Summer: warm and productive for redfish along the marsh, with trout on the reefs. Fall: the best fishing of the year as bait leaves the marsh and both species feed hard. Winter: redfish school up in the shallow marsh and trout hold in the deeper bayous.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Vermilion Bay?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Louisiana agency site: https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/seasons-and-regulations