Hog Island area legal?
 

Someone asked me and I do not know: is the Hog Island area (north side of west cove) marsh legal to fish? Anybody tried in there?
I see a barrier (red line) and a launch spot behind it, allowing boats to go east, and access marsh (circled in black). Anybody know anything about that?

I'd like to try to sight fish some reds out of a little flat boat, and looking for some spots but it's tough on this half of the state.

I have caught a ton of reds in there sight fishing. There were quite a few kayaks in there last year.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

March 15 to October 15 it should be open...that's all refuge property so there should be signs posted by the launch letting you know.
https://www.fws.gov/southeast/pubs/SWLAcomplex_Fish.pdf

Also only trolling motor or paddling allowed outside of main canals on the refuge.

It's open, as previously stated, but you can't run a motor off of the main canal. After Oct. 15, you can't be in there at all.

many thanks

I copied this from the web site: https://www.fws.gov/southeast/pubs/SWLAcomplex_Fish.pdf

Recreation Area ..............Permitted Activities.....Open Season/Time
Northline..... Fishing, crabbing open...... Year round, sunrise to sunset
Northline .....Boat launching-access to interior marshes...3/15 to 10/15 s/s

Hog Island Gully.... Fishing, crabbing...Year round, sunrise to sunset.

Hog Island Gully.... Boat launching and kayak, canoe, and pirogue access to interior refuge marshes and Calcasieu Lake...3/15 to 10/15...one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset.

Hog Island Gully ...Non-motorized kayak, canoe, pirogue launching into Hog Island Gully Canal east of water control structure for recreational paddling only....10/16 to 3/14 .... ...one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset.

I don't see any restrictions on where you can fish in a boat. But.... some of the marsh is very shallow and need a small or shallow running boat to get in there.

I got the "can't run a motor anywhere off of the main canal" from speaking to an agent at the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge. I believe it was,

Terence Delaine
Refuge Manager

Very nice guy. Took the time to answer all of my questions about every single canal and area that I was interested in. When I got off of the phone with him, there was no doubt in my mind on where I could go, on which dates, and motor restrictions.

good info