LA Fisheries Forward

LDWF Asks Saltwater Anglers to Complete Web-Based Survey on Spotted Seatrout Management

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two men fishing out of boat on Big Lake

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), Louisiana State University and Louisiana Sea Grant have released a survey to gather public input on spotted seatrout management options. This survey is an additional effort to collect public input on these options; we also conducted eight statewide public meetings earlier this year, then an email survey sent to more than 10,000 randomly-selected saltwater anglers.

Your opinion is a critical step in the fishery management process. Because we have determined several management options that will allow the spotted seatrout stock to recover, we will compile the information we receive from all public input forums and present a summary of angler preferences to the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission for their consideration.

Our latest assessment of spotted seatrout in Louisiana revealed that the stock is overfished—i.e. the size of the spawning population is below the minimum level established for the stock. When a stock is overfished, we must take action to rebuild the population back to (or above) the target level. We are currently considering several options for management changes to reduce harvest levels and allow the stock to recover.

We encourage you to review the information at https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/spotted-seatrout to learn more about the current status of spotted seatrout and these potential management changes.

Take the survey:

Your participation in this survey is completely confidential. If you have any questions or comments regarding the survey, please direct them to Jason Adriance at 504-284-2032 or [email protected].

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana’s abundant natural resources. LDWF receives no state general funding and depends on license sales as a major funding source.  Help us protect your hunting and fishing heritage while preserving habitat, wildlife, and aquatic resources by purchasing your license at www.wlf.la.gov. To receive email or text alerts signup here.