Grand Isle Summer Speckled Trout Fishing Spots You Need To Try

I think that summer is a great time to catch Grand Isle speckled trout, and that this location has been a consistent producer in recent years and will for this year. Keep reading and I'll detail why as well as some exact locations to try fishing.

But why Grand Isle for speckled trout summer fishing spots? Why not somewhere else?

I think this location is going to be great this summer because 1.) it has been great this spring and there’s no reason why that momentum won’t carry into summer, 2.) it was great in previous summers and 3.) it has historically been an excellent speckled trout destination.

How Do I Know This To Be The Case?

For starters, I keep up with fishing reports for the entirety of Louisiana’s coast. It can be a little tiresome because it’s a lot of information, but it’s been pretty darn evident that Grand Isle has done so much better than other common destinations like Lake Pontchartrain or the Biloxi Marsh.

After that, I have fished across Louisiana’s coast and am able to get a pretty good feel for where to go and, just as important, where not to go.

It was not that long ago I ran over 100 miles through the East Biloxi Marsh, fishing from the Mississippi Sound all the way to Bay Eloi and back. The result? A paltry five keeper trout and enough throwbacks and white trout to sink your boat. (in all fairness, the white trout were pretty nice)

Then I made the early morning drive to Grand Isle and easily caught a limit with no throwbacks, no white trout and no trash fish. That trip was planned with zero intel, nobody telling me where to go. I just applied the same process I usually use to find specks and reds from scratch and it paid off.

So, to me, it’s clear that one part of Louisiana’s coast is better than other parts in terms of productive inshore fishing, but there's more to it than that! Keep reading and I'll break down why Grand Isle is worth your time this summer:

Why Grand Isle Summer Speckled Trout Are What You Want To Catch

Grand Isle is just a plain fun destination, but there’s plenty of reasons why you should consider spending a few summer fishing trips down there. I’ll explain:

Consistent & Stable During The Freshening

Grand Isle was the least affected during the record flooding that took place from 2011 to 2020.

In fact, I thought it was rather amusing when guides local to the area would claim nothing was wrong when other areas — such as the entire Lake Pontchartrain Basin, Vermilion Bay, etc. — were hard hit, causing the speckled trout action to take a dump.

Well, if you recall your state geography, you may remember that Grand Isle is smack dab between the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers. It’s strategically placed to be least affected by significant flooding.

As a result, the speckled trout living in this area were not displaced by record flooding and were able to continue feeding and spawning there.

While places like the Biloxi Marsh and Lake Pontchartrain were severely affected and are still somewhat recovering to their previous glory, Grand Isle was firing on all eight cylinders the entire time and still is to this day.

Wide Variety of Structure & Cover

Grand Isle has everything from rigs to reefs to rocks to beaches and marsh to fish for summertime speckled trout. There’s a lot of variety to choose from.

Furthermore, the island provides some cover from wind on the days it’s blowing too hard to fish the Gulf side.

This gives you options and makes fishing this area far more flexible.

Grand Isle Is Already On The “Outside”

During summer you will find speckled trout out towards saltier water to reproduce. It’s a general rule that they require water that is 15-17 parts per thousand or saltier in order to successfully spawn.

If you launched from a place like Slidell, you would be taking a much longer boat ride just to get your first fishing spot with salinity that high.

You’d be looking at a minimum 10 mile ride, more like a 20 to 40 mile ride to get to the best summer fishing spots for that area.

Consider that speckled trout would be closer to, in and around barrier islands like North Islands, Freemason, Chandeleur, Gosier Islands and more.

But in Grand Isle you are on the barrier island. When you launch the boat you are there. You don’t have to ride far to get on the trout.

Which brings me to my next point:

You Don’t Need A Boat To Fish Grand Isle

The beaches of Grand Isle (as well as Elmer Island) are 100% wade fishable. Just like boating, you must abide by the conditions but, either way, you can make something happen without the added expense and headache of a boat.

Additionally, there’s also a pier that offers a night fishing opportunity.

Plus There’s That Beach

Beaches are family-friendly and make a fishing experience appeal to a wider audience than just the hardcore angler looking to catch a box of speckled trout.

If you have kids and a spouse not big on early morning wakeups, then this feature could make Grand Isle worth visiting over other locations.

So, with that said, let’s look at some spots you should try fishing in Grand Isle.

Grand Isle Summer Speckled Trout Fishing Spots That You Should Try

These are not every single fishing spot for speckled trout in the area. There are certainly more spots than what's listed below, but these are enough to get you started:

Keep reading for more details about each location.

Breakwater Rocks on Beach

29°14'39.19"N 89°57'51.74"W

These can be one of my favorite spots to fish in Grand Isle. I'm very confident fishing riprap with a jig and have pulled limits of speckled trout off these rock piles before.

The ones further from the beach in open water tend to be more productive.

Backside Breakwater Rocks

29°13'20.14"N 90° 1'32.39"W

These are the rock piles situated on the bay side of the island, opposite of the ones I just mentioned on the beach.

I really prefer fishing the riprap on the beach, but sometimes that south wind blows and it's just not feasible to fish the beach without getting beat up or just plain being unsafe.

So, when that happens, these rocks can be a good alternative.

Caminada Pass Jetty

This is somewhat of a "community hole", but can be great speckled trout fishing anyway. Just be prepared to leave early if you want to get there first and be ready to share it with other boaters.

Queen Bess Island

29°18'16.06"N 89°57'30.40"W

This is another Grand Isle community hole that's been a steady producer of fish over the years. I prefer to fish the side that sits in the lee of the land, but putting the wind to your back does make for easier casting.

Hotel Sid

29°19'51.55"N 89°58'10.08"W

This is a natural gas platform (also known as a "rig") that, at first sight, wouldn't seem very promising. Well, back in the day, it was much larger and regarded as a popular Grand Isle fishing hot spot.

Yes, most of the rig has been removed since Hurricane Ida struck Grand Isle in the summer of 2021, but that doesn't mean fish don't populate this fishing spot anymore.

A lot of debris from the old rig still remains on the bottom, offering cover and habitat to baitfish and — as a result — a feeding ground for hungry speckled trout.

So don't let what remains of Hotel Sid fool you: this is a fishing spot worth trying.

Independence Island Reef

29°18'32.15"N 89°55'52.40"W

Like many islands that once were, this is an island that has long since diminished beneath the waves of Barataria Bay. But it does continue life underwater as a prolific oyster reef that speckled trout enjoy feeding on.

Furthermore, additional reef material has been added by Louisiana's Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, as detailed in this 2015 press release.

Grand Terre Beach

29°16'55.15"N 89°55'19.02"W

Grand Terre is the next barrier island northeast of Grand Isle, and its Gulf-side beach can be good to drift for speckled trout, especially if you see laughing seagulls diving on shrimp.

Elmer's Island Beach

29°10'42.26"N 90° 3'57.99"W

Elmer's Island is the barrier island just southwest of Grand Isle and, just like Grand Terre, its beach can be productive for catching speckled trout.

Many people wade fish this beach when the conditions are right, so be prepared to share that space with them.

What tackle should you use to fish these Grand Isle summer speckled trout fishing spots?

Me, personally, I prefer fishing the slack line method with a jig, especially in deeper water that is 10ft or more.

If the water is shallower, I'd use a popping cork with some kind of shrimp imitation underneath it. If it's overcast and the water is calm, I'd definitely throw a topwater.

Objections People Have Whenever I Suggest Fishing Grand Isle

People get comfortable with wherever they fish. This was certainly the case for me. Launching from former Breton Sound Marina to fish the Biloxi Marsh was my thing as I could easily navigate the area without any extra equipment or preparation. I just knew where to go and what to do.

But the speckled trout action in that place dried up with the coming and going of The Freshening, especially after the back to back openings of the Bonnet Carre Spillway in 2019.

It was clear that it was time to fish somewhere else, maybe even abandon my old stomping grounds altogether and move on to greener pastures.

So, if someone is in the same metaphorical boat — and if that someone is you — then know that I can relate! I was there, too. But when I steered my boat for better fishing grounds (metaphorically and literally) I was much happier with my overall fishing experience.

Even if you keep your boat in a slip, it could be worth pulling out the trailer, greasing hubs and checking tire pressures before rolling to a new-to-you boat ramp.

So, now that I’ve detailed why you want to fish Grand Isle, let me now address some common objections I get whenever going somewhere new comes up.

Isn’t that a long drive?

Not everyone lives close Grand Isle. I certainly don’t. I live in Slidell, which makes for a 2.5 hour drive and — if traffic is bad — the drive can be as long as three hours away. That’s upward of six hours driving both ways, towing a boat on top of driving said boat and fishing out of it.

That pales in comparison to launching in Slidell to fish Lake Pontchartrain, a mere 10 minutes from the house, or from Campo’s Marina to fish Breton Sound, about an hour’s tow.

But, once you’re in a destination like Grand Isle, you don’t have to make a long boat ride to where you want to fish like you would if you were to fish Breton Sound out of Campo’s.

This reminds me of when I towed to Venice back in November to fish speckled trout. Yes, it was a long tow, but me and my buddy limited out in 45 minutes only fishing about 10 minutes from the dock.

The drive makes that worth it.

But there’s something else about that drive: nobody remembers it.

People only remember catching the fish. Nobody catches a bunch of fish just to remember the long drive years later.

So, get your boat and truck (or kayak or whatever) ready to go the night before, make the haul in the morning and turn on a good podcast to pass the time.

I’ve had many great trips to Venice and Grand Isle and the haul was worth it every time.

Just go. It will be worth it.

But what if you don’t know Grand Isle?

Half the fun in inshore fishing is learning new areas. Trust me. This is what I do and going to the same area to get the same lackluster result is disappointing, especially considering how much time, energy and money you put into going fishing.

I suggest using Google Earth Desktop to figure out safe routes to navigate your boat and identify the best fishing spots for the area you intend to fish. Then, you should upload those tracks and waypoints to your boat’s GPS before your fishing trip so you know where to go and what to do.

That’s what I do whenever I begin fishing a new area. The value of this kind of homework is highly underrated by Louisiana’s inshore fishing community.

Most people just say “throw in <whatever brand of mapping chip> and go fishing” and those people are dead wrong. That’s a great way to get your boat stuck or worse.

So, if using Google Earth Desktop to do these aforementioned things is something you want to learn how to do, then I strongly suggest enrolling in my course Inshore Fishing 101.

Why You Should Consider Inshore Fishing 101

This course is designed to teach you how to find your own fishing spots and safe routes from scratch. This is a huge advantage in and of itself, but the course also teaches you how to plan and execute your fishing trip, the things you actually need to do when you're out on the water.

You'll also learn the best tackle for catching speckled trout and redfish, how to know if biting fish are there and what to do if you cannot find them.

This is all in the context of inshore fishing in Louisiana. Not Alaska. Not Florida. Not some other place.

Inshore Fishing 101 is not generic fishing knowledge, it's what I personally use to catch limits of speckled trout and redfish right here on Louisiana's coast.

It's only available inside my membership, LAFB Elite.

Additional Considerations For Fishing Grand Isle

There are some other things that could throw a monkey wrench into your plans, so I’d like to address them here to save you that headache.

Of course, if you’re knowledgeable of these areas and there’s anything that I missed, then please share what you have in the comments below. Thank you!

Maybe You Should Hire An Experienced Fishing Guide

If venturing into a new area gives you the heebie-jeebies to the point you'd rather not risk it, then it's a smart decision to book a trip (or trips) with a local, experienced guide.

Now, this is where things can go wrong! Today there's a plethora of guides to choose from. Many people have learned how relatively easy it is to get a captain's license and many of them aren't more than bus-drivers fishing the same spots for extra cash in their pocket.

But then there are some who can actually fish the conditions, taking willing anglers onto the water full-time and have done so for decades.

Captain Daryl Carpenter of Reel Screamers Guide Service is one such guide and I strongly recommend booking with him.

You can call Captain Daryl at 225-937-6288 or email using this contact form. 

LA-1 Toll Bridge

It’s very tempting to start ranting about this, but I’ll just keep this short and to the point: the cost of going down the toll bridge to Grand Isle has become absurd. If you’re towing a single-axle trailer behind a pickup truck, you can expect to pay $20.

I already did the math, and I would literally save time and money launching from Myrtle Grove Marina and making the run south to Grand Isle in my boat. Whether or not this works for your fishing trip depends on you, where you’re towing from, your boat and your comfort with making a run that long.

For me, I’m already driving the Louisiana Gumball 3000 from Slidell, so Myrtle Grove is much closer and there’s no absurd $20 toll. That and I’m very comfortable making said run because I have years of experience doing it and know how to plan that route on Google Earth Desktop before ever launching the boat.

Live Bait Availability & Location

If you’re the type of inshore angler who enjoys fishing with live bait, then there’s at least a couple places in Grand Isle to get live shrimp from.

In Grand Isle there’s Bridgeside Marina, Wakeside Marina and Grand Isle Marina.

Now, for these 11 reasons I do not use live bait and recommend you don’t, either. But if you are absolutely geared to fish this way and if the success of your fishing trip depends on availability then I would call ahead to either of these locations and ask.

Of course, if I missed a good provider then please mention it in the comments below.

Where Else Is There To Catch Summer Speckled Besides Grand Isle?

While pretty much anywhere on Louisiana's coast can yield great summer-time speckled trout action, I strongly feel that Grand Isle is a good bet.

Of course, the adjoining areas are good places to try as well:

Any one of those may be closer to you and easier for you to enjoy a good fishing trip. However, another place that's very different from Grand Isle — but no less productive — would be Venice. I love Venice!

In fact, that's what I'm writing about next, so be sure that you're subscribed to my newsletter so you know when it comes out.

Thanks for reading, and tight lines!