Calcasieu Lake · Thursday, October 29, 2026 · updated 11:29 AM
Should I go today?
Yes — weather and water look good.
- Moderate E wind (up to 12 mph) — very fishable, a little chop on open water.
- NWS says the water will be light chop.
- Strong tide today (about 2.7 ft from low to high, one of the bigger tides this month) — moving water feeds the bite.
- Water temperature is 73.8°F — right in the comfort zone for trout and redfish.
- Water is 0.6 ft higher than predicted. Wind or a front has pushed water in. Fish can move up into flooded marsh and grass edges.
🎣 Best windows: first light (sunrise 7:24 AM), the low tide at 11:40 AM and the last hour before sunset (6:29 PM).
- Major periods
- 2:57–4:57 AM, 3:29–5:29 PM ★
- Minor periods
- 10:56–11:56 AM, 9:03–10:03 PM
Tide range 2.7 ft · Waning Gibbous · ★ lines up with sunrise or sunset · Full fishing calendar →
🗓️ This week
- Today10/29 82° / 64° Mostly Sunny
- Fri10/30 81° / 68° Partly Sunny
- Sat10/31 82° / 68° Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
- Sun11/1 84° / 69° Mostly Sunny
- Mon11/2 82° / 70° Mostly Sunny
- Tue11/3 80° / 64° Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
- Wed11/4 77° / 58° Slight Chance Rain Showers then Slight Chance Freezing Rain
National Weather Service forecast for Hackberry (west shore of Calcasieu Lake). Wind over 20 mph is flagged ⚠. The rating is from the fishing calendar (moon + tides) — weather is still the final call.
🌊 Tides — Calcasieu Pass
| High | 2:51 AM | 2.2 ft |
| Low | 11:40 AM | -0.3 ft |
| High | 8:28 PM | 2.3 ft |
Reading this: heights are water above the zero line on fishing maps and charts (mean lower low water). Add them to the depth on your map: a 3 ft spot has about 3 + 1.5 = 4.5 ft of water when the tide reads 1.5 ft. Strong winds can push actual levels higher or lower — see "Water level & quality" for today's measured difference.
💨 Marine forecast — Calcasieu Lake
- Today
- East winds 5 to 10 knots. Lake waters light chop.
- Tonight
- Southeast winds around 5 knots, becoming east after midnight. Lake waters light chop.
- Friday
- East winds 5 to 10 knots. Lake waters light chop.
National Weather Service, zone GMZ432 · issued 3:09 AM
⛅ Weather forecast
- Today · 82°F
- Mostly sunny, with a high near 82. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Tonight · 64°F
- Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64. East wind 0 to 5 mph.
- Friday · 81°F
- Partly sunny, with a high near 81. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
🌙 Moon phases — rest of October
- Thu 29 83%
- Fri 30 74%
- Sat 31 63%
New and full moons bring the strongest moon pull of the month. Phase days use Central time.
💧 Water level & quality
Water is 0.6 ft higher than predicted. Wind or a front has pushed water in. Fish can move up into flooded marsh and grass edges.
measured predicted
Measured 0.5 ft at 11:24 AM vs. -0.3 ft predicted.
Salty at the pass (24 ppt) — normal conditions.
Good salinity at north lake (24 ppt).
Good salinity at Lake Charles (18 ppt).
River flow is normal (237 cfs). Clear water is likely.
Water clarity isn't measured on Calcasieu, so it's judged from river flow — a high, rising river means fresh, muddy water. Readings as of the last update (12:01 AM and 5 AM).
📏 Limits at a glance
| Fish | Size | Daily |
|---|---|---|
| Speckled trout | 13–20 in. | 15 per person |
| No more than 2 over 20 in. | ||
| Redfish (red drum) | 18–27 in. | 4 per person |
| None over 27 in. | ||
| Southern flounder Closed now | No size limit | 10 per person |
| No possession Oct 15 – Nov 30 | ||
| Black drum | 16–27 in. | 5 per person |
| No more than 1 over 27 in. | ||
| Sheepshead | No size limit | No limit |
- Charter and headboat captains and crew can't keep trout or redfish on a for-hire trip.
- Keep fish whole on the water. The only exception is up to 2 lb of finfish parts per person for eating aboard a boat equipped to cook.
Louisiana saltwater, recreational. Checked Oct 21, 2026 — rules change, so confirm with LDWF before you keep fish.
🌅 Sun & moon
Moonrise 9:33 PM · moonset 11:26 AM. Next full moon in 26 days.
📝 This Week's Fishing Report
This week on Calcasieu
- Best bet: Sunday — Fair rating with E 5 mph wind. No standout days this week, so pick your windows around the major feeding periods.
- Watch out: Saturday (chance showers and thunderstorms) and Tuesday (chance showers and thunderstorms).
- Water: Water is 0.6 ft higher than predicted. Wind or a front has pushed water in. Fish can move up into flooded marsh and grass edges. Salty at the pass (24 ppt) — normal conditions. River flow is normal (237 cfs). Clear water is likely.
- Water temperature: 73.8°F. Fall-style water temperatures: trout and reds feed hard, and birds working over shrimp are worth chasing.
- Regulations: Southern flounder closed — no possession Oct 15 – Nov 30.
- Moon: New moon on Monday, Nov 9 — expect stronger tides around it.
Written automatically from this week's forecast, tides, moon and water data.
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