At last count, more than 12,400 residents called Morgan City, Louisiana home. Its prominent location on the banks of the Atchafalaya River makes it an ideal place to enjoy outdoor recreation, whether it’s camping, hunting, or fishing. When we’re not working hard on Morgan City’s personal injury cases, we like to get out into nature and experience all that St. Mary Parish has to offer. Here are a few of our favorite places to explore.
Where to Camp in Morgan City
Lake End Park Campground is the most well-known spot in Morgan City. Surrounded by towering cypress trees and live oaks on Lake Palourde, you can enjoy pier fishing, boating, swimming, picnicking, a bark park for dogs, wildlife viewing, and hiking along a one-mile paved path. Ducks and black squirrels inhabit the park, but so do the mosquitoes, so be sure to bring your bug spray and a fogger. (After all, this is Louisiana!)
Accommodations include tent sites starting at $24, RV sites starting at $50, and cabins starting at $150. The six cabins have two bedrooms to sleep up to six and are located on the waterfront. Picnic shelters, laundry, a bathhouse, and playgrounds help make your stay more pleasant. Pets are welcome here.
Though it can get messy during periods of heavy rainfall, past guests say, “it has beautiful scenery,” “the staff is friendly,” and “the lake is a big draw.” History buffs will find this location convenient, as it’s just 12 minutes from the Wedell-Williams Aviation and Cypress Sawmill Museum. It’s a 30-minute walk to Brownell Memorial Park and Carillon Tower. Other area attractions include the Morgan City Petting Zoo (a five-minute drive), Lawrence Park (seven minutes), the International Petroleum Museum (seven minutes), and the Southwest Reef Lighthouse (nine minutes).
Where to Hunt in Morgan City
The Atchafalaya Delta Wildlife Management Area has been renowned for its waterfowl hunting over the past four decades, particularly in the 12,000 acres of marshland at the Wax Lake Outlet. This area is only accessible by boat, but it’s worth the trek. Though it can be busy and require scouting, the average harvest was 1.7 ducks per hunter. An up-and-coming hotspot for ducks is the Pass-A-Loutre WMA, where hunters harvested an average of 4 ducks each, but that’s nearly three hours southeast of us.
The deer hunting season is bow and youth gun lottery only– but the bucks are ample, with big bodies and tremendous racks– particularly in the Teche Area, which boasts favorable upland elevations with excellent sight range. The five-year average for deer harvested is 152. Hunters have taken down 170-pound, 10-point bucks with 16.5-inch spreads.
In addition to duck and deer, the Atchafalaya Delta allows the hunting of rabbit, quail, squirrel, raccoon, woodcock, dove, turkey, alligators, and “outlaw quadrupeds” like coyotes, feral hogs, and armadillos.
Where To Fish in Morgan City
Morgan City is the hub for saltwater sportfishing, as the last big town downstream from the Atchafalaya Basin, which captures a third of the combined flows of the Mississippi and Red rivers. If you need maps, fishing conditions, supplies, or charters, you’ll find it all at the popular Ivy’s Tackle Box at 7209 Hwy 90 E.
There are several approaches to the region, but one popular route involves launching on the east side of the Atchafalaya in Berwick and following the river 25 miles down to Oyster Bayou, where you’ll discover speckled trout, reds, flounder, drum, and sheepshead.
The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries limit the redfish to five per person with a 16-inch length minimum imposed; the average redfish here weighs about four pounds and responds well to spinners. Other baits used often include shrimp, crab, mullet, piggie perch, and croaker.
You can collect up to 25 trout (12+ inches) and 10 (10+ inches) flounder. Trout tends to congregate along the coastline and offshore oil rigs, at nighttime, in 60 to 150-foot waters. The best flounder are captured bank fishing the mudflats in October and November. It’s no wonder they call the Cajun Coast a “sportsman’s paradise.”
Contact us today
Were you hurt hunting, fishing, or camping in Morgan City, LA? Did you sustain serious injuries, through little to no fault of your own, due to another person or party’s negligence? We offer free consultations and contingency-based legal representation that costs you nothing out-of-pocket. Call us at Bart Bernard Injury Lawyers, to schedule a meeting right away– as a relatively short statute of limitations applies to Louisiana personal injury lawsuits.
