Baldwin, LA Fishing: Rich Bayou Fishing on the Cajun Coast

Baldwin is a quaint and tiny community in South Central Louisiana. It has a tight-knit population of about 2,000 and is a part of the larger Morgan City Micropolitan Statistical Area. This landlocked locale is on Louisiana Highway 182 and offers easy access to many of the destinations on what is known as the Cajun Coast.

This humble locale is deep within St. Mary Parish, a Louisiana district unique in its English heritage. While the rest of its neighbors have a distinct French-Catholic influence, St. Mary Parish was settled mainly by Anglo-Protestants when it was created in 1811. These settlers were prosperous and developed the area’s rich soil into sugar plantations. The parish is still very much a sugarcane economy to this day. Apart from sugar, it is known for its petroleum industry, crops, and robust fishing industry.

St. Mary Parish is often referred to as Cajun Coast as it offers many sights, attractions, and experiences that are quintessentially Louisiana. It has swamps best seen up close on paddling trails and swamp tours, landscapes and nature trails that attract diverse wildlife, a rich Native American heritage, and delicious Cajun cuisine. Families with children can enjoy a nature-filled vacation in region's many campgrounds and wildlife areas. Anglers will especially love Baldwin and the rest of the parish, as this pristine region offers lively fishing opportunities in its fertile lakes and bayous.

Baldwin itself may not be the prime fishing destination in St. Mary Parish, but it is a convenient gateway into the region’s rich fishing spots. 

One of St. Mary Parish’s most popular fishing spots is Bayou Teche. This long, calm water body starts within Baldwin and flows through Franklin’s parish seat. Paddling down this peaceful bayou, you will be inundated by the rich wilderness characteristic of Southern Louisiana. Apart from its scenic views, Bayou Teche is teeming with fish. Bluegill, largemouth bass, and warmouth or goggle-eyes are the most commonly caught fish in the bayou. 

The bayou has two sides where anglers can fish: the woods and the city. The city side is filled with residential homes and fishing structures such as piers and floating docks. Anglers will often find bass under these structures, especially during warmer days or during spawning season in early spring. On the other hand, the side of the woods has plenty of natural cover and structure that attract congregations of bass from submerged logs and stumps, trees, and brush. Though vastly different from each other, both sides can yield fish depending on the weather conditions.

What makes Bayou Teche so popular, apart from its rich fish population, is how easily accessible it is. From Baldwin, you can find a boat launch on Highway 182. Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge is another site with different units open to paddlers, kayakers, and anglers.

Bayou Choupique is another rich fishing destination anglers can access within St. Mary Parish. This Lake Calcasieu tributary is a meandering water body surrounded by marshlands that attract redfish and flounder. The main bayou is a trout hotspot. Likewise, plenty of canals upstream is particularly great for winter trout fishing. When fishing in this particular bayou or its canals, check the weather and wind conditions as it’s best fished with less tidal disturbance. Extremely windy weather from the east can muddy the bayou’s waters, while freshwater introduced by heavy rains can affect your fishing. 

You can launch your boat, kayak, or canoe on Highway 90 to Highway 83 to access Bayou Choupique.

From the same boat launch, anglers can reach West Cote Blanche Bay. West Cote is the northwest division of this bay, while East Cote is the southeastern portion. Together they form an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico and are equally excellent places to fish. On West Cote Blanche Bay, anglers fish grass beds and rock piles teeming with redfish. Many of them can be caught in waters 2 feet deep. When the waters are higher, using shrimp as live bait on a lead head can attract fish.

While redfish are easier to spot and target in the bay, speckled trout are a little trickier to catch. If you get lucky enough to fish in perfect conditions, you can catch these fish around rock piles, on the banks, and off the banks. You might also find sheepshead, flounder, and croaker on your hunt.

Fishing in Southern Louisiana is not complete without visiting the Atchafalaya Basin, the country’s biggest river swamp. St. Mary Parish just so happens to be its designated gateway. This rich swamp is filled with largemouth bass, striped bass, bluegill, channel catfish, flathead catfish, blue catfish, crappie, garfish, redear sunfish, warmouth, shad, minnow, paddlefish, and even sturgeon. It is particularly known for its robust bass fishery and is home to many world-renowned bass fishing tournaments. 

This great basin offers miles upon miles of shorelines that you can easily explore and fish. It is also dotted with modern boat launches and undeveloped areas where you can launch your boat, kayak, and canoe. From St. Mary Parish, you can access the basin or river from Berwick near the Intracoastal Waterway and Highway 70 on the JC Russo Ramp.

However, if you’re looking for the easiest way to access a large swath of the basin, then you should head to the Atchafalaya Basin National Heritage Area. The NHA contains a third of Louisiana’s public freshwater boat launches. From within this recreational area, anglers can access different fishing hotspots.

Top 10 Fish Species in Baldwin, LA

The top 10 fish species in Baldwin, LA, are redfish, southern flounder, largemouth bass, bluegill, speckled trout, channel catfish, warmouth, crappie, sheepshead, and striped bass.

Seasonal Fishing

Fishing in Southern Louisiana, particularly on Cajun Coast, is fair all year round because of its rich waters and an ideal climate. Redfish are around all year round but are best targeted during spring and fall. If the waters turn warm, you’ll still catch redfish if you hunt in the deep. You’ll also find bull redfish and bull black drum in the cold months. If you’re fishing for bass, look for them under structures where they seek shade. You should also watch out for bass from late March to early April during their spawning season.

See the Unique Beauty of Baldwin

Discover Louisiana’s heart at Baldwin and the rest of St. Mary Parish, where the Cajun heritage is alive and kicking and can be experienced through different outdoor attractions and activities.

1. Book a Fishing Charter

Explore the rich waters of the Cajun Coast with the guidance of a local expert who can take you to the region’s most productive fishing holes. A fishing guide is the best person to give you relevant information on the best ways to fish the region.

2. Go to Louisiana’s Wild Side

Explore the swamplands of St. Mary Parish with a trip on the Bayou Tech Paddle Trail. You can travel the entire 135 miles of the trail for multiple days or opt for shorter swamp tours that you can access from various access points.

3. Enjoy a Scenic Roadtrip

Drive down the Bayou Teche Scenic Byway to see the parish up close. In addition to the scenic sights, the driving trail has many impressive pit stops, including the Chitimacha Museum in Charenton and the Wedell-Williams Aviation & Cypress Sawmill Museum.