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Spring is in full swing and summer is just around the corner! Make time to get outside, unwind, and spend time with family and friends while fishing one of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries’ (LDWF) 15 sites participating in the Get Out and Fish! community fishing program. LDWF stocks Get Out and Fish! ponds with adult-size channel catfish in the spring and fall, and rainbow trout in the winter, to increase your chances of bringing home a few keepers for a fish fry!

To add a little extra excitement to your fishing experience, LDWF will be hosting a tagged catfish derby at all of our Get Out and Fish! ponds between Saturday June 5th and Friday, June 11th. Anglers who catch and report a tagged channel catfish caught at a Get Out and Fish! site during the June 5-11 derby, will receive a fishing prize pack from LDWF. Tagged channel catfish will be stocked at 15 LDWF Get Out and Fish! ponds across Louisiana.

For more information about the event including directions to each of the ponds, reporting instructions, derby rules, and tips on how to catch catfish, click here.

Anglers 16 and older must possess a Louisiana fishing license when fishing in any Louisiana public waters. Licenses purchased in the month of June are valid for more than 12 months (until June 30, the following year). Licenses are available for purchase online at https://la-web.s3licensing.com/. By purchasing a fishing license, Louisiana receives matching funds from the Sport Fish Restoration Program for public fishing and boating access, fishing programs and education and fisheries management.

Get Out and Fish! Community Fishing sites to be stocked with tagged catfish include:

Turner’s Pond – Minden
Grambling City Park Pond – Grambling
Elmore D. Mayfield Park – Ruston
Kiroli Park – West Monroe
William T. Polk City Park Pond – Vidalia
Purple Heart Memorial Park Pond – Ragley
1-10 Park – Jennings
Girard Park – Lafayette
Southside Regional Park – Fabacher Field – Youngsville
Bayou Country Sports Park – Houma
Zemurray Park – Hammond
Bogue Chitto State Park – Franklinton
Joe W. Brown Park – New Orleans
Parc Natchitoches – Natchitoches
Pearson Lake, Forts Randolph & Buhlow State Historic Site – Pineville
Follow LDWF Get Out and Fish (@ldwfgetoutandfish) on Facebook and Instagram for park updates.

This event is hosted in conjunction with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation (LWFF). The LWFF was formed to provide a means for individuals and corporations to become partners with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission in the challenge of conserving Louisiana’s wildlife and fish resources.