Bussey Brake / Morehouse Parish
Louisiana has restored an 18 inch maximum total length limit for black bass at Bussey Brake Wildlife Management Area through an emergency rule effective November 5, 2026.
The Wildlife and Fisheries Commission acted after a republication of hunting regulations unintentionally brought back an older bass rule. The emergency measure restores protections adopted in August 2025 while the commission pursues permanent rulemaking.
The daily recreational limit is five black bass in the aggregate. Possession is limited to five while on the water and ten while off the water.
A limited exception allows one bass longer than 22 inches to be kept temporarily in an aerated livewell immediately before weighing on a personal scale or a certified scale provided by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. The fish must be released into Bussey Brake Reservoir immediately after weighing. If it was caught from a boat, everyone fishing in that boat must stop until the retained fish has been released. The exception does not authorize taking the larger fish home.
The commission's declaration explains that the August 2025 amendment increased the maximum length from 16 to 18 inches and removed an allowance to keep one bass over 16 inches. Its purpose was to protect larger fish and improve the reservoir's prospects for producing trophy bass.
When the commission republished the broader hunting rules in June 2026, the earlier Bussey Brake language returned unintentionally. According to the declaration, restoring the intended limit required another rulemaking action rather than an administrative correction.
The emergency rule lasts 180 days from November 5 or until the permanent restoring rule takes effect, whichever comes first. The commission says the action also aligns the rule and enforcement with the 18 inch limit to be printed in the 2027 recreational fishing regulations.