Louisiana is where visiting anglers most often get it wrong, and it costs real money. The saltwater licence does not replace the basic licence: south of the state saltwater line you need both, so a visitor fishing Venice or Grand Isle pays sixty-eight plus sixty, a hundred and twenty-eight dollars, not sixty. The five-day option brings that to sixty for the pair, which is what most trips should buy.
What you will pay
The calculator opens on the visitor rate. Change the length to see what a short trip costs instead.
Every visitor fee in Louisiana
Annual licences are valid 365 days from the date of purchase.
| Licence | Length | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Basic fishing, five days | 5 days | $30.00 |
| Saltwater, five days The basic licence is still required alongside this one. | 5 days | $30.00 |
| Saltwater The basic licence is still required alongside this one. | Annual | $60.00 |
| Basic fishing | Annual | $68.00 |
| Louisiana Sportsman's Paradise | Annual | $400.00 |
Fees verified against LDWF on 2026-09-11.
Annual or short-term?
The annual visitor licence costs $68.00. The cheapest short option is $30.00 for 5 days. That puts the break-even at about 3 trips: fish Louisiana fewer times than that in a year and the short-term licence is the cheaper buy.
Worth doing the sum rather than defaulting to the annual, which is what most visitors buy out of habit.
What you are buying access to
We track 13 Louisiana waters daily, with live flow, tides and conditions. A sample:
- Caddo Lake — Caddo County
- Lake Pontchartrain — Orleans County
- Grand Isle — Jefferson County
- Caney Lake — Jackson County
- Black Lake — Natchitoches County
- Lake D Arbonne — Union County
- Calcasieu Lake — Cameron County
- Barataria Bay — Jefferson County
- Atchafalaya Basin — St. Martin County
- Red River — Bossier County
Questions
How much is a non-resident fishing licence in Louisiana?
$68.00 for the year. A Louisiana resident pays $17.00 for the same thing, which is the gap most visitors are checking.
Is the annual or a short-term licence better value in Louisiana?
The cheapest short-term option is $30.00 for 5 days. At that rate the annual pays for itself on about the 3rd trip, so below that the short-term licence wins.
Can I buy a Louisiana licence before I travel?
Yes. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries sells online, so you can buy before you leave home and screenshot the confirmation. Cell service is unreliable where the fishing is good.
How much does it really cost a visitor to fish saltwater in Louisiana?
$128.00 for the year: $68.00 for the basic licence plus $60.00 for the saltwater licence, because the saltwater one is an addition rather than a substitute. Five-day versions bring it to $60.00 for the pair.
At what age do visitors need a Louisiana licence?
Eighteen. Anyone seventeen or under fishes without one, resident or visitor, which is higher than almost every other state.