The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced the upcoming closure of the 2025 fall inshore shrimp season for parts of state waters. The restrictions, starting at sunset on December 15, aim to protect and allow growth for the local white shrimp population, which is currently below the minimum legal possession size, according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
Zone 1 will see closures from the Mississippi/Louisiana state line to the eastern shore of South Pass of the Mississippi River, excluding several water bodies such as Lake Pontchartrain, Chef Menteur and Rigolets Passes, and others. Zone 2's closures affect waters from the Atchafalaya River Ship Channel at Eugene Island to the western shore of Freshwater Bayou Canal, while the Barataria, Terrebonne, and Timbalier basins within Zone 2 will remain open, for now. Zone 3 will be entirely closed, stretching from Freshwater Bayou Canal westward to the Louisiana/Texas state line, as reported by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
This decisive action stems from recent biological sampling that indicated the average size of the white shrimp in these areas fails to meet the legal threshold, according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries findings. State law stipulates that the possession count for saltwater white shrimp cannot exceed an average of more than 100 per pound, except for a specific period between mid-October and the third Monday in December.
While the impending closures may pose a challenge for local fishing economies, state outside waters beyond the Inside/Outside Shrimp Line will not be affected by this measure and are slated to remain open to shrimping until further notice. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries will continue its routine sampling and monitoring of both inside and outside waters, ready to enact closures where biologically warranted to ensure that shrimp can reach more valuable sizes for harvest. Any changes in the status of shrimp harvesting areas, whether openings or additional closures, will be announced publicly with at least 72-hour notice before any action is implemented.
