Hackberry Bay Fishing Guides

About the Hackberry Bay

Hackberry Bay sits in the lower Barataria basin, a broad shallow bay between the marsh of Lafourche Parish and the barrier beach at Grand Isle. It is the kind of water that defines Louisiana estuary fishing: a few feet deep over most of its area, fringed by cordgrass shorelines that flood and drain with the tide, and studded with oyster reefs and the remains of old canal banks. Redfish and speckled trout move through it constantly, and because the bay connects to both the interior marsh and the passes to the Gulf, it holds fish across a far wider range of conditions than a single shoreline or a single canal ever could.

Guided trips here are run from shallow bay boats and skiffs, and the day is usually a matter of reading wind and water clarity rather than working a fixed set of spots. On a falling tide the drains and cuts along the marsh edge concentrate bait and the redfish set up behind them. On a clean incoming tide the reefs and shell in the open bay become the better bet for trout. Late summer brings the largest schools of specks, while autumn is the season most anglers associate with sight fishing for bull reds in clear, cool water against a brown marsh. Black drum, flounder and sheepshead fill in around them, and crabbing is a genuine part of the trip for many families.

The USGS station northwest of Grand Isle reports water temperature, stage, specific conductance and salinity rather than a discharge figure, which is exactly the right instrument panel for this water. Salinity is the number worth watching: a wet spring pushing Mississippi River water through the basin drops it sharply and moves the trout south toward the passes, while a dry stretch lets saltier water in and spreads them back through the bay. Read the salinity and the wind forecast together, because this bay is shallow enough that a hard blow will dirty it for a day or more regardless of what the fish are doing.

Access

Grand Isle - the barrier island to the southeast, with marinas, charters, lodging and the nearest full services.
Leeville - the closest launch on Bayou Lafourche, a short run to the bay through the marsh.
Golden Meadow - a Lafourche Parish town upstream with ramps and guide services.
Barataria Pass - the Gulf connection east of the bay, and the route bait and fish use in and out.
Little Lake - the larger bay immediately north, often fished on the same trip.
Port Fourchon - the deepwater port south of the bay, with jetty and beachfront access nearby.
Lafitte - the northern gateway to the Barataria basin, with launches and a long guiding tradition.

Seasons

Spring: warming water and rising salinity bring trout back into the bay, with redfish spread along the marsh edges and the first strong topwater fishing of the year.
Summer: the most reliable speckled trout season over the reefs and in open water, fished early before the heat and the afternoon thunderstorms build.
Fall: the signature season here, with cooling water, cleaner conditions and schools of bull redfish working the shorelines and the passes.
Winter: fish drop into deeper canals and dead-end cuts where the water holds heat, and the fishing turns slower, more precise and often very good on calm days.