Tangipahoa River Fishing Guides
A clear, sandy Florida Parishes river running south to Lake Pontchartrain, with white sand bars, spotted bass and a strong summer float culture.
Guides on the Tangipahoa River
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About the Tangipahoa River
The Tangipahoa is the best known of the Florida Parishes rivers and it does not look like most people’s idea of Louisiana. It runs south out of Mississippi over clean sand and gravel, clear enough in normal conditions to see the bottom, with white sand bars on every inside bend and cypress and pine standing back from the banks. Only in its lowest reaches, approaching Lake Pontchartrain, does it take on the dark slow character of the coastal marsh.
Spotted bass are the characteristic fish of the flowing water, holding on the current seams, against the root wads and in the deeper runs below the sand bars. Largemouth take over in the slower reaches and the backwaters lower down. The sunfish are excellent and abundant – bluegill, redear and longear all take a small popper through the warm months, and longear in this river are as bright as any in the South. Channel catfish are everywhere, flatheads hold under the log jams, and crappie stack in the lower slow water.
The river’s summer identity is recreational rather than angling. Tubing and canoe traffic on the middle river is heavy on warm weekends, and an angler planning a Saturday in July should either start at dawn or choose a different reach. Midweek, early morning and the shoulder seasons are when the river belongs to fishermen. The lower reaches below the main float runs stay quiet year round.
Access is reasonable through bridge crossings, commercial canoe liveries and public points, with Tangipahoa Parish maintaining several. The river responds fast to rain and can rise sharply and run muddy within hours of a south Louisiana thunderstorm, which is the single most important thing to check before driving. It falls almost as quickly, so a blown-out river on Friday can be fishable by Sunday.
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Access
Robert - the gauge reach and a convenient access on the lower middle river.
Kentwood area - upper river access near the Mississippi line.
Tangipahoa - bridge access on the upper river.
Amite - access on the middle reach with livery services nearby.
Highway 190 crossing near Hammond - lower river access.
Ponchatoula area - access toward the lower slow water.
Lake Pontchartrain mouth - the bottom of the run in the marsh.
Seasons
Spring: the best flows and the strongest bass and crappie fishing of the year.
Summer: low clear water, heavy weekend float traffic, best fished at dawn.
Fall: quiet water, cooling temperatures and excellent fishing with nobody around.
Winter: slow and cool, with catfish and crappie in the deeper holes.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Tangipahoa River?
As of Sep 17, 5:45 am, the USGS gauge Tangipahoa River at Robert, LA reads 479 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Tangipahoa River?
Anglers target Black Crappie, Bluegill, Bowfin, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Longear Sunfish, Redear Sunfish, Spotted Bass, Spotted Gar, White Crappie on the Tangipahoa River in Louisiana.
Where can you access the Tangipahoa River?
Robert - the gauge reach and a convenient access on the lower middle river. Kentwood area - upper river access near the Mississippi line. Tangipahoa - bridge access on the upper river. Amite - access on the middle reach with livery services nearby. Highway 190 crossing near Hammond - lower river access. Ponchatoula area - access toward the lower slow water. Lake Pontchartrain mouth - the bottom of the run in the marsh.
When is the best time to fish the Tangipahoa River?
Spring: the best flows and the strongest bass and crappie fishing of the year. Summer: low clear water, heavy weekend float traffic, best fished at dawn. Fall: quiet water, cooling temperatures and excellent fishing with nobody around. Winter: slow and cool, with catfish and crappie in the deeper holes.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Tangipahoa River?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Louisiana agency site: https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/recreational-freshwater-finfish-and-crawfish