Saltwater flats
9′ rod, 8 weight, sealed-drag reel, tropical floating line · Bonefish, redfish, permit and other flats species
Open checklist
Hopedale & the St. Bernard marshes
Hopedale is a small fishing community at the end of the road in eastern St.
- Louisiana · South
- 5 waters
- 125 guides nearby
- 5 shops nearby
- MSY airport · 38 mi
Photo credit
Open water and marsh grass on Bayou Bienvenue, on the eastern edge of New Orleans beside St. Bernard Parish. Photo: Infrogmation of New Orleans, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
More about Hopedale & the St. Bernard marshes
Hopedale is a small fishing community at the end of the road in eastern St. Bernard Parish, in the marshes east of New Orleans; Lake Borgne lies to the north, and beyond it the Rigolets and Chef Menteur Pass join Lake Pontchartrain to Lake Borgne.
Waters around Hopedale
About this
Tap a water for its live flow, access map, regulations and hatches.
Agency-named saltwater fishing waterRepresentative photo · not Lake St CatherinePhoto credit
Sabine Lake at Pleasure Island, Port Arthur, Texas. Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Not Lake St Catherine.
Lake St Catherine
Louisiana · 22 mi from Hopedale
Agency-named saltwater fishing waterRepresentative photo · not RigoletsPhoto credit
Galveston Bay from Skyline Drive near the Texas City Dike, Texas. Photo: Jeremy Mosley, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Not Rigolets.
Rigolets
Louisiana · 23 mi from Hopedale
Agency-named saltwater fishing waterRepresentative photo · not Chef Menteur PassPhoto credit
Southern Corpus Christi Bay as Tropical Storm Beta neared the Texas coast. Photo: Supportstorm, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Not Chef Menteur Pass.
Chef Menteur Pass
Louisiana · 17 mi from Hopedale
Agency-named saltwater fishing waterRepresentative photo · not Unknown PassPhoto credit
The May River looking east from the Calhoun Street dock, Bluffton, South Carolina. Photo: Townofbluffton, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Not Unknown Pass.
Unknown Pass
Louisiana · 20 mi from Hopedale
Agency-named saltwater fishing waterRepresentative photo · not Lake PontchartrainPhoto credit
The Ashley River at sunset from Brittlebank Park, Charleston, South Carolina. Photo: Ianmccor, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Not Lake Pontchartrain.
Lake Pontchartrain
Louisiana · 38 mi from Hopedale
Distances and official pages
The rivers, lakes or flats this hub is organised around, each with its straight-line distance from Hopedale. Within 40 miles a water's own page names this hub as near; a farther one shows its distance instead. Where a nearby guide names a water on its own website, we say how many do. Access, seasons and special regulations differ by reach: check the agency pages under license and rules.
- Lake St. Catherine22 mi from Hopedale in a straight line
- The Rigolets23 mi from Hopedale in a straight line
- Chef Menteur Pass17 mi from Hopedale in a straight line
- Unknown Pass20 mi from Hopedale in a straight line
- Lake Pontchartrain38 mi from Hopedale in a straight line
All gauge readings
The first USGS gauge on each water: the latest reading, how it compares with that gauge's record for today's date, the 24-hour trend and the NWS flood stage; NOAA tides for the flats and beaches. Open a water for what the level means.
Reading the gauges around Hopedale…
Meet local guides
About this
125 guide listings within 60 miles (13 fly-focused), fly-focused first. Unclaimed listings say so on their page: confirm licensing, rates and dates with the outfitter.
Saltgrass Outdoors Lodge - Fishing Charter - Hunting Trips
Buras, LA · 28 mi
Saltwater & ocean charters · Lodge packages
- Unclaimed
Southern Fly Expeditions
New Orleans, LA · 36 mi
Saltwater & ocean charters · Beginners & lessons
- Unclaimed
Ambush Chandeleur Islands Fishing Charters
Long Beach, MS · 48 mi
Wade trips · Saltwater & ocean charters
- Unclaimed
Whiskey Bayou Charters
Saint Bernard, LA · 6 mi
Saltwater & ocean charters · Beginners & lessons
- Unclaimed
Fishaholic Fishing Charters
St Bernard, LA · 9 mi
Saltwater & ocean charters · Beginners & lessons
- Unclaimed
Fly shops nearby
About this
5 shop listings in the towns around Hopedale, fly shops first. Confirm hours with the shop before you go.
Fish around Hopedale
Species guides mention (104)
Counted from the species each guide lists on its own site. This is what guides advertise, not an agency species list or a promise of what you will catch. We hold no agency species page for this hub yet.
- Tuna32
- Catfish8
- Tarpon8
- Largemouth bass6
- Rockfish & lingcod3
- Crappie2
- Bonefish1
- Carp1
Things to know
Fishing license: Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
Fees on the agency page.
Not verified by us
Getting there
MSY Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport · 38 mi
Regulations and access
Seasons, limits and access: agency pages.
Official license and rules pages
Buy the license from the agency and read its current regulations before you go. These links are the authoritative pages; nothing on this page grants or implies access to any water, and fees are only shown when read from the agency page on a stated date.
Nothing here grants or implies access to any water.
Veteran-owned and veteran programs
About this
Near Hopedale & the St. Bernard marshes. Each fact comes from the business's own website, an official register or an approved claim; the listing page links the source.
- Down South Fishing ChartersGuide · Lafitte · 29 miMilitary discount · from their website
- Hook Dat Fishing ChartersGuide · St Bernard · 3 miVeterans on the team · from their website
- A Fishing FoolGuide · Slidell · 29 miMilitary discount · from their website
- Fisher-Man Guide ServiceGuide · Pass Christian · 42 miMilitary discount · from their website
- Head Shaker ChartersGuide · Pass Christian · 42 miVeterans on the team · from their website
- Blue Line Charter ServiceGuide · Venice · 44 miVeterans on the team · from their website
The Hopedale & the St. Bernard marshes area
About this
The circle is the 60-mile area this page covers, around Hopedale. Tap a water for its page. Shops and guides appear where they publish a street address on their own website; all of them are listed above.
Map of the Hopedale & the St. Bernard marshes area: its waters, shops and guides
Map of Hopedale & the St. Bernard marshes: the 60-mile area this page covers, its waters, and shops and guides with an exact address.
Guide season: June to August
About this
Read from the websites of 5 guides within 60 miles that state a season. It is when they run trips, not a hatch chart or a conditions report; closures and seasons are set by the agency pages.
- Jan1
- Feb1
- Mar2
- Apr1
- May2
- Jun4
- Jul4
- Aug4
- Sep2
- Oct1
- Nov1
- Dec0
Restrooms near Hopedale & the St. Bernard marshes
Restrooms near Hopedale & the St. Bernard marshes
Restrooms within 5 miles of the centre of Hopedale & the St. Bernard marshes in a straight line, nearest first, with what anglers found when they went. The map says a restroom is there, not whether it is clean or open today.
No restroom mapped within 5 mi yet — add one you know.
Campgrounds, fishing access sites and boat ramps often have one that isn't on the map yet.
Restroom locations and map details: © OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database License, read Oct 24, 2026. Ratings, answers and photos are members' own; who shared them is never shown, and every photo is reviewed before it appears. Visits older than 18 months no longer count. Distances are straight-line miles, not driving. Nothing here grants access to private land. Community guidelines.
Base yourself nearby
About this
Hopedale and Shell Beach are small fishing settlements; Chalmette and New Orleans, and Slidell across Lake Pontchartrain, have the places to stay. We do not list or price properties. The search opens an outside site.
Nearest airports
About this
Distances are straight-line from the town centre, computed from OurAirports open data; distances by road are longer. Fares are never estimated here.
- MSY Louis Armstrong New Orleans International AirportNew Orleans, LA · 38 mi · major hubSearch flights
- GPT Gulfport Biloxi International AirportGulfport, MS · 54 mi · regionalSearch flights
- BTR Baton Rouge Metropolitan AirportBaton Rouge, LA · 102 mi · regionalSearch flights
Rough out the trip
About this
Set nights, anglers and guided days. Each line says where its figure comes from, and anything we cannot source honestly (guide rates, fares, license fees not read from the agency page) stays a link rather than a number.
Estimates, not quotes
- Fishing licenseSee sourceAgency page
Source
One per angler (2 anglers). Fees are set by Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries; see the agency page.
Source: Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries - Guided days58 rates pagesThe Southern FlySouthern Fly ExpeditionsSouthern Way ChartersGotcha Hooked Guide Service
Source
1 guided day for 2 anglers. We do not copy guide rates: 58 guides near here publish a rates page on their own website.
Source: Guide websites (rates pages linked, never copied) - Find lodgingSee sourceSearch lodging
Source
Search places to stay near the destination. We do not list or price properties.
Source: Lodging search link - FlightsSee sourceSearch flights
Source
Fares are not estimated here. Search flights to MSY (Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport).
Source: Flight search link (no fares quoted)
No priced itemsUse the links for real figures.
How we estimate
Estimates, not quotes. Nothing here is a price from a guide, a property or an airline; confirm every cost with the provider before you book. No placeholder lodging range is configured for this region, and licenses, guided days and flights are never priced here.
Parks, forests and visitor offices
About this
For the non-fishing days, or the people traveling with you. Official sources only; what to do there is for their pages to say.
Gear checklist
About this
A saltwater flats fly-fishing checklist: a 9 ft 8 weight rod, sealed-drag reel, tropical line, fluorocarbon leaders and shrimp/crab flies, plus sun protection and flats booties, with estimated prices and where to buy.
Watch: flats fishing basics
About this
Sight casting, the strip set and sun on the water.
Public YouTube videos from established channels, chosen by us to support this page. Not sponsored; the creators are not affiliated with Legendary Fly Gear.
FLY FISHING FOR REDFISH BASICS 101 INTRODUCTION FOR BEGINNERSEmbedded from YouTube · Huge Fly Fisherman · not affiliated with Legendary Fly Gear. Watch on YouTube How To Set Up For A Bonefish TripEmbedded from YouTube · The New Fly Fisher · not affiliated with Legendary Fly Gear. Watch on YouTube
Not sponsored All videos on saltwater flats
Stories from Louisiana
About this
Trip stories anglers chose to share publicly, tagged with a water in Louisiana.
No Louisiana stories yet.
Sources for this page
All 5 sources
Guide and shop listings come from the Legendary directories (open map records checked against each business’s own website). Everything else links to the publisher below; this page copies none of their text. A destination hub organises discovery; it does not assert public access, current fish presence, guide availability or fishing conditions.
- Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries: fishing licensesLouisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
- Louisiana fishing regulations (official eRegulations edition)Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
- Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife RefugeU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- OurAirports open data (airport locations)OurAirports, public domain
- Overture Maps places (guide and shop map records)Overture Maps Foundation, CDLA-Permissive 2.0
Links checked 24 Oct 2026. Not a claim of access or conditions.