Hopedale Summer Fishing Spots You Should Try in 2025

Hopedale summer fishing spots are where you want to fish when it gets hot and what you'll find in this guide! Fishing for speckled trout and redfish can be really good, so let me show you where to go in this productive area. But, before we do, let's take a look at why fish are out there in the first place.

Why are Hopedale summer fishing spots so productive?

It has everything to do with the spawn. Specifically, the spawn for speckled trout. See, if you read my speckled trout fact sheet, then you know that these fish spawn from April to September and, when they do, they require a minimum salinity of 15-17ppt. Take a look at any salinity map and you'll see that kind of salt is usually a good boat ride away from the dock.

This kind of saltier water is only found in the outer bays and sounds on Louisiana's coast. That's why we find speckled trout in  Hopedale summer fishing spots instead of the same places we found them during the winter pattern, which is usually much further inside the estuary.

Given this, you are only going to find them on the "outside" of the marsh, not the inside.

As for slot redfish, you will still find them on the inside, though you can definitely find them on the outside as well. Remember from my redfish fact sheet that slot reds are juveniles. They have no need to spawn so you can catch them on the "inside" year-round.

Now let's take a look at those Hopedale summer fishing spots!

So with that explanation out of the way, let's move on to the actual fishing spots in mind. As you'll see, they are on the "outside" situated in saltier water. We will get started with the Trash Rig in Bay Eloi.

The Trash Rig in Bay Eloi - 29° 46.165'N 89° 22.701'W

This is a great amongst the Hopedale summer fishing spots listed here. It's a large natural gas or oil platform situated in about eleven feet of water, if I recall correctly.

It's called the "Trash Rig" because it has a platform loaded with trash and, as the name suggests, there's also debris surrounding it in the water. Be careful approaching this platform! Pay attention to your sonar and look in the water for any obstructions because there are a few you can damage your prop on.

Also, when you fish this Hopedale summer fishing spot, I recommend jigging or using a sliding cork. Be prepared to get hung up and have to break off your lure, because there are tons of snags around the platform.

32 Block - 29° 33.476'N 89° 19.487'W

This is another rig about 15 miles to the southeast in Black Bay that sets up a lot like the Trash Rig, minus all the trash. If you're new to it, then fish every corner until you find the trout. This platform sits in about twelve foot of water and does well with this popping cork rig with about 40" of leader line, though I prefer jigging.

If you have not mastered this technique then I strongly suggest checking out my ultimate guide to jigging.

Five Wells (great Hopedale Summer Fishing Spot) - 29° 33.844'N 89° 20.240'W

Not far from 32 Block you'll find Five Wells, another rig that pretty much sets up in the same way. Again, corks and jigging work great here. You'll want to fish around the entire rig to see where speckled trout are holding.

This rig is worth trying since it's right next to 32 Block. There's no way you can miss it!

MRGO between the Rock Dam and Long Rocks - 29° 46.194'N 89° 31.170'W

The Hopedale summer fishing spots I've mentioned so far are wide open to the wind. If the wind doesn't play nice then those spots are off the table. That's why I recommend fishing somewhere more protected, like the entire Mississippi River Gulf Outlet between the south side of the Rock Dam.

For example, during June of 2012 we had a stiff east wind that kept me out of the bays and sounds, but I was able to scratch out good boxes of speckled trout and limits of redfish in the MRGO. I did this by fishing points and tidelines that were protected from the wind.

Now, you can expect to catch more throwback speckled trout than keepers when fishing this strategy, so now you know to expect that. It could be in your interest to target redfish instead by fishing a popping cork against the shoreline, like I did in 2012.

Also, it's important to note that when I want to make a good wind call, I use what's taught in this guide to Windfinder. And, as a final note on the MRGO, I would not fish it if there's a stiff northwest or southeast wind predicted. You're gonna get beat up!

Let's not forget the Long Rocks! - 29° 41.154'N 89° 23.990'W

Of course, in that same area there are the ever-popular Long Rocks. This is a famed community hole that everyone knows to fish but, to be frank, not everyone is great at. That's why I wrote this guide to fishing the Long Rocks. Put that knowledge to work and you'll stand head and shoulders above the rest.

If you've never fished the Long Rocks, then you should for the experience. Or maybe you have to because that's just where the fish are. But I would otherwise recommend not visiting this Hopedale summer fishing spot for the same reasons I recommend avoiding the Chalmette Wall: it's a community hole that's going to get pillaged by everyone and their mom.

A worthy final note on the Long Rocks: the end of the rocks (which form something of a large point) can be really good for catching bull redfish and black drum when speckled trout aren't giving it up.

Oyster Reefs in Lake Athanasio - 29° 44.023'N 89° 27.428'W

Situated near the ever-pressured Long Rocks is another great Hopedale summer fishing spot: Lake Athanasio. Specifically, the oyster reefs that are there. These are great to drift with a popping cork, using something like a Pac Man Pattern to catch speckled trout.

When you do fish it, make sure you're inside the rows of white PVC poles so you're casting inside the lease where the oysters are. Just do the oystermen a solid and don't drop an anchor on the oysters. They'd appreciate that.

Comfort Island - 29° 49.546'N 89° 15.130'W

This island is one of the productive Hopedale summer fishing spots residing on the edge of Chandeleur Sound. A Four Horsemen popping cork is very productive here, and I've caught a lot of fish either anchored or drifting.

What a lot of people don't know about this spot is that it's surrounded by ancient cypress stumps. I only wonder what this area used to look like back in the day!

But beware! Just like the Long Rocks, this island is well known, and fishing pressure will leave you skunked or looking for fish somewhere else.

Dead Man Island - 29° 44.467'N 89° 21.461'W

You fish this Hopedale summer fishing spot very much like you fish Comfort Island. The biggest difference between the two is that Dead Man Island has eroded so much over the years. The first time I went out there in the 1990s it was about a mile and half long.

Today it's not much longer than a couple football fields. While this is sad to see (trust me, it breaks my heart) the seafloor around the island is still a hard bottom, making it attractive to speckled trout and other inshore species.

Additional Tips For Hopedale Summer Fishing Spots

While writing this guide I thought of some additional fishing tips that you will want to know. In fact, your plans for summer specks could be completely trashed if you don't consider the following advice!

The Early Bird Gets The Worm!

The very first one would be to leave early. Around the summer solstice in the third week of June you want to be leaving no later than 5am. Yes, you will be running in the dark! This is because speckled trout feed first thing in the morning then take a break during the rest of the day. The spawn is hard on them and they don't like the heat either!

The best way to capitalize on Hopedale summer fishing spots is to be there early! As a rule, especially if there is a blue-bird sky, you have until about 9am to find the trout. After that, you have until 11am, maybe noon, but prepared to catch more throwbacks than keepers.

If you don't find fish at your Hopedale summer fishing spots by 9am, I would consider rolling to Plan Redfish to save the day. Or, if you're feeling particular adventurous, it could be in your interest to change gears to Plan Triple Tail.

Otherwise, you have already screwed the pooch if you're launching your boat in daylight.

Plan For Bugs (or not)

If you think you will be fishing Hopedale summer fishing spots that are near any marsh, you can count on deer flies to pillage your ankles. Gnats and mosquitos will probably make an appearance, too. So, if this is the case then you should cover up with long pants and long sleeves, then deploy a good bug spray like this one that I recommend.

Overcast Weather Is Good!

You should look to see if overcast weather is forecast for your Hopedale summer fishing spots. Shade of this magnitude can cool the water and cause fish to feed in longer windows. Remember: if it's more comfortable for you, then it's probably more comfortable for the fish.

That's why I wrote this guide to overcast weather for the summer pattern.

Where You Can Launch To Fish These Hopedale Summer Fishing Spots

Campo's Marina in Shell Beach and Hopedale Marina (formerly Breton Sound Marina) in Hopedale are both good launch points. But, with that said, I have fished these same areas from Sweetwater Marina in Delacroix and even launched from Mississippi in Pass Christian to make the run down.

Do what's best for you and don't forget to make a good wind call using Windfinder!

Run The Spoil Canal or Go Around The Rock Dam

If you do launch from Campo's or Hopedale Marina, then you can best access the Hopedale summer fishing spots listed above by taking the Spoil Canal or going around the Rock Dam

Both of these routes can intimidate inshore anglers, so I wrote this guide to running the Spoil Canal and this guide to going around the Rock Dam.

Be Mentally Prepared To Cover Water

While the fishing has been pretty good and people are catching limits of trout at Hopedale summer fishing spots, the fishing is still (believe it or not) a shadow of what it used to be.

I blame this on The Freshening, and feel that we are now in a "most water, least fish" scenario. What is that exactly? Find the answer in this guide I wrote last year.

Look For Diving Birds

While you're running between your Hopedale summer fishing spots, you will want to keep your eyes peeled for diving birds. Yes, sometimes they only have throwback trout or sail cats under them, but sometimes there can be a good bite of keeper specks.

If you do get into sail cats, then I strongly recommend using a catfish flipper to handle them. You really don't want to get stabbed by one of those things!

As a final note on this target of opportunity (diving birds, not getting stabbed), you will want to review this guide to diving birds so you know what to look for and what to avoid.

Prepare For The Dog Days of Summer

As summer progresses and it gets hotter, it will become that more difficult to find good Hopedale summer fishing spots. "Beating the heat" will become a priority as fish feed in shorter and shorter windows. When this happens, you will want to visit my guide to fishing the "dog days" of summer. Bookmark it now and set a reminder to look at it in July. You'll thank yourself later for doing so!

And that's it! As long as this guide is it's really not that complete. There's a lot more than just having Hopedale summer fishing spots under your belt. There's also:

• judging the wind and tide
• identifying safe routes
• getting good presentations on fish

Furthermore, practically all the Hopedale summer fishing spots listed above are community honey holes that everyone with a fishing rod knows about, with the Long Rocks and Comfort Island being the worst.

What you really want to do is find your own fishing spots away from the crowd. This will take time, but once they're yours, they are yours. This exact thing is what I specialize in and I've done it across Louisiana's coast!

Let me show you how I find fish from scratch...

I'd be pumped if you caught fish at the Hopedale summer fishing spots listed here. But I'd be even more pumped if you could put my process to finding completely new fishing spots on the water!

Imagine if you and I could sit down to go over everything I know, from start to finish. Well, we'd be sitting down a long time! That's why I created Inshore Fishing 101, my flagship course detailing: 

• how the marsh was formed
• the biology of both specks & reds
• how to judge the conditions
• how to identify the best fishing spots
• which tackle works best and which tackle to avoid
• how to avoid underwater hazards
• how to plan your fishing trip for success
• how to execute your fishing trip
• how to achieve long term success on your own
• and a lot more!

In addition to Inshore Fishing 101 there is Summer Fish Location, my seasonal course detailing the summer fishing pattern so you can learn a lot more than just a few measly Hopedale summer fishing spots. These courses are only available inside my membership, LAFB Elite.

But there's more! In addition to these courses there is LAFB Elite's Community, where we share fishing reports and help each other plan fishing trips, like what you see below.

Sure, there are Facebook groups that you maybe, possibly, could get this kind of support once you sift through all the spam posts, guide advertising, brag posts, smartass comments and general nonsense.

Inside LAFB Elite we have like-minded anglers who take fishing seriously and are willing to help out rather than be a braggard.

While there's a lot of great information here on Louisiana Fishing Blog, the best place you can get it all in one spot is LAFB Elite. I hope you can see the value in what I'm offering. It'd be great to see you post an introduction inside the Community!

Tight lines, and thanks for visiting!