The recent arctic cold snap has the potential to kill fish in the coastal zone across Louisiana. To date, most reports received by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) are of sand seatrout, (a.k.a. “white trout”), black drum, and a few spotted seatrout.
However, it is still too early to determine the full extent of the kill. Many fish that may have been killed by the freeze would still be on the bottom of water bodies, and may not be visible for a week or more.
Should you come across significant numbers of dead or dying fish, LDWF encourages you to contact a marine biologist at one of LDWF’s local offices between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. LDWF Coastal office phone numbers are below:
- Mississippi State Line to MRGO - Slidell - 985-882-0027
- MRGO to Empire Ship Channel - New Orleans - 504-284-2037
- Barataria Bay and vicinity - New Orleans - 504-284-5261
- Bayou Lafourche to Atchafalaya River - Bourg - 985-594-4139
- Atchafalaya River through Vermilion Bay - New Iberia - 337-373-0032
- West of Vermilion Bay to Texas State Line - Lake Charles - 337-491-2579
For after office hours, contact the Game Thief operator at 1-800-442-2511.
Important information to include in your report are your name and phone number in case additional information is needed, along with the location including good directions to the fish kill site, the approximate numbers and species that you saw, and their condition (still dying, all dead, decomposing, etc.).
