Applications Open for Atchafalaya Houseboat Mooring Lottery

South Louisiana hunters who are making plans for the 2023-2024 hunting season will want to know that the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has opened the application process for those who wish to moor a houseboat on the Atchafalaya Delta Wildlife Management Area. 

Those whose applications are filled out correctly and accepted by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife will be permitted to moor at adjacent pilings in the Atchafalaya Delta WMA. The mooring sites will be available at Log Island Pass (Main Delta) and Campground Pass (Wax Delta) only.

We should also note that year-round mooring is not permitted in the Atchafalaya Delta WMA. In fact, should your application be approved you will only be allowed to moor your vessel from Sept. 1, 2023, until March 16, 2024.

Applicants who would like to be considered for a mooring site should be 18 years old or older by September 1, 2023. One lottery application may be submitted per person per vessel. And applicants will also need to provide additional houseboat information before the permit is validated.

There will be a $5 administrative fee, plus additional transaction fees if necessary, charged to each applicant. Those applicants who receive permits will be required to pay an additional $300 to $500 non-refundable mooring fee, plus transaction fees if necessary. The actual cost will be based on the number of pilings.

If you'd like to see a map of the mooring sites available in the Atchafalaya Delta WMA you can follow this link. And if you have further questions you can get them answered at the Department of Wildlife website or by emailing Vaughan McDonald at vmcdonald@wlf.la.gov or you may call the LDWF office at 225-765-2708.