What is the best time of day to fish in New Orleans?

The most reliable windows are the low-light hours around sunrise and sunset. Today in New Orleans, sunrise is about 6:18 AM and sunset about 7:57 PM, so the dawn and dusk windows either side of those are your best bets — especially on an overcast day or a moving tide.

Does the moon affect fishing in New Orleans?

Yes. The strongest solunar feeding periods and biggest tides come around the new and full moons. The moon is currently a Full Moon (99% illuminated). For the precise solunar major/minor times and tides for your exact spot, use the MyFishingBuds AI Trip Planner.

Best Time to Fish in New Orleans

Louisiana · Wednesday, July 29

🌅

6:18 AM

Sunrise

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7:57 PM

Sunset

🌙

99%

Moon

Today's best windows in New Orleans

🌅 Dawn — 5:48 AM to 7:18 AM

The first light window is the most reliable bite of the day for most species — fish move shallow to feed before the sun gets high.

🌇 Dusk — 6:27 PM to 8:27 PM

The last couple hours of light are the second prime window, especially as water cools and bait moves.

🌙 Moon — Full Moon (99% lit)

A bright moon means more overnight feeding, which can slow the midday bite — lean on the dawn and dusk windows. Solunar activity is strongest around the new and full moons.

Sunrise, sunset, and moon phase are computed for New Orleans (Louisiana); times shown in local time. Best-window ranges are guidance, not guarantees — weather and tides matter too.

Get the precise solunar + tide forecast for your spot

Dawn and dusk are the reliable daily answer, but the exact solunar major/minor periods and the tides for the specific water you're fishing shift day to day. The MyFishingBuds AI Trip Planner pulls live NOAA, USGS, and solunar data to score the best times for your exact New Orleans spot.

See the AI Trip Planner →

Best season to fish New Orleans

The marsh fishes year-round. Fall and winter (October through February) are the marquee redfish months — cooler, clearer water pushes reds into the ponds where you can sight-fish them, including trophy bull reds. Speckled trout fish best in the spring and summer around the outer bays and passes. Summer is offshore season out of Venice — yellowfin tuna at the rigs, plus mahi, wahoo, and marlin. Louisiana's marsh can be affected by wind and river levels more than tide, so a local buddy who reads the conditions is a real advantage.

Redfish (Red Drum)Speckled TroutBlack DrumFlounderYellowfin Tuna (offshore)

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