Species guide · Louisiana
Crevalle jack fishing in Louisiana
Caranx hippos, a nearshore species also called jack crevalle, jack and common jack. Listed for the Western Gulf region. Peak season, about 1 more week.
Season now
Peak seasonSeason by month
From the Waterlands saltwater species research: when the fish are present and biting, not whether retention is open.
Western Gulf
Peak season, about 1 more week- Jan: Not present
- Feb: Not present
- Mar: Off season
- Apr: Shoulder season
- May: Shoulder season
- Jun: Peak season
- Jul: Peak season
- Aug: Peak season
- Sep: Peak season
- Oct: Shoulder season
- Nov: Off season
- Dec: Not present
Peak: Jun to Sep. In season (shoulder or peak): Apr to Oct.
Research notes, Western Gulf region
Summer and early fall at Texas and Louisiana jetties, passes and beachfront. Largely absent in winter.
Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.
Where it's scoring now · 0
Not scored in this forecast: Atchafalaya and East Cote Blanche Bays, Barataria Bay, Breton Sound, Calcasieu Lake, Chandeleur Sound, Lake Borgne, Lake Maurepas, Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Salvador and Lake Cataouatche, Sabine Lake, Terrebonne Bay and Vermilion and West Cote Blanche Bays.
How and where it feeds
- Water temperature
- Feeds from 65°F to 92°F, best between 70°F and 85°F.
- Water depth
- 1 to 60 ft of water.
- Structure
- Inlet, pass, jetty, bridge, channel, bay and beach, in that order of preference.
- Tide and current
- Prefers moving water, with moderate current.Jacks chase bait wherever current concentrates it, so inlet and pass mouths on either tide and rips along jetties are the places to look. Tide stage matters less than finding bait and birds.
- Light
- Bites best around dawn and dusk.
- Pressure
- Little response to pressure changes.
- Wind and sea limits
- 20 kt of wind and 4 ft of sea. The Waterlands engine scores hours down as conditions pass them.
Tackle and technique
Jacks roam in schools through inlets, passes, bays, river mouths and along beaches, pushing bait to the surface, and big fish also hold on nearshore reefs and wrecks. Watch for birds and surface blowups, then cast a popper, a spoon or a bucktail into the school and retrieve fast. Bring heavy spinning tackle, because a jack over 15 pounds runs hard and fights for a long time.
- Methods
- casting to surface schools, live bait, trolling, fly fishing
- Lures
- topwater popper, spoon, bucktail jig, soft plastic swimbait, baitfish fly
- Bait
- live mullet, pilchard, pinfish, ladyfish
Regulations
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Not synced yet, last verified Sep 13, 2026.
No reviewed crevalle jack rule for Louisiana is on file yet. Check with LDWF before you keep one.