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Refuge · LDWF Lake Charles area
Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge for hunters
National wildlife refuge in Cameron Parish (32,822 acres).
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (CC BY 2.0)
Getting to Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge
Parking, trailheads and gates near Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 0.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 0.9 mi from the centreDirections
- Boat rampBoat ramp · 3.0 mi from the centreDirections
Parking, trailhead and gate locations come from OpenStreetMap contributors. Roads into public land can be gated or seasonal; check with the managing agency before you go.
What 50 CFR 32.37 allows on Lacassine NWR
Federal rule 50 CFR 32.37(o) governs hunting on Lacassine NWR; refuge permits and brochures add detail.
Migratory game bird hunting
We allow hunting of goose, duck, gallinule, and coot on designated areas of the refuge subject to the following conditions:
- Hunters may only hunt migratory game birds during designated refuge seasons.
- We require every hunter to possess and carry a valid signed refuge hunt permit (signed brochure) and regulations brochure.
- Hunters may enter the refuge at 4 a.m. Shooting hours end at 2 p.m. each day.
- Each hunter must complete and turn in a Harvest Report (FWS Form 3-2542), available from a self-clearing check station, after each hunt.
- We prohibit hunting within 50 yards (45 meters (m)) of refuge canals; waterways; public roads; buildings; aboveground oil, gas, or electrical transmission facilities; or designated public facilities. Hunting parties must remain a distance of no fewer than 150 yards (135 m) away from another hunter.
- You must remove all hunting-related equipment from the refuge immediately following each day's hunt (see § 27.93 of this chapter).
- When migratory bird hunting, you may only use dogs for the purpose of locating, pointing, and retrieving.
Big game hunting
We allow hunting for white-tailed deer on designated areas of the refuge subject to the following conditions:
- Hunters may only hunt big game during designated refuge seasons with archery equipment.
- We allow only portable deer stands. Hunters may place deer stands on the refuge 1 day before the deer archery season and must remove them from the refuge within 1 day after the season closes (see § 27.93 of this chapter). Hunters may place only one deer stand on the refuge, and deer stands must have the owner's State hunting license number clearly printed on the stand. Hunters must place stands in a nonhunting position at ground level when not in use.
- Hunters may enter the refuge at 4 a.m. Hunters must leave no later than 1 hour after legal sunset.
- Each hunter must complete and turn in a Harvest Report (FWS Form 3-2542) available from a self-clearing check station, after each hunt.
From eCFR 50 CFR 32.37 and the refuge hunting page; text truncated where the record stops; checked November 4, 2026.
Nearby
Places to hunt and shoot around Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge
Lacassine NWR from the agency description
The USFWS Interest layer gives Lacassine NWR 32,822 acres. Size rank: 5th of 20 refuges with hunting in Louisiana.
The USFWS hunting page says: The freshwater marsh of Lacassine NWR draws thousands of white-fronted geese, as well as scattered flocks of snow geese, to the refuge each year. Hunters have opportunities to pursue these wary geese, as well as a variety of puddle duck species that frequent the refuge. A general-access waterfowl hunting area is open Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, by boat access only from 4:00 am until 2:00 pm. A 964 acre walk-in hunt area is available for hunt parties that include at least one youth and/or senior hunter. This area is open Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, from 4:00 am until 2:00 pm and is accessible by vehicle. The entire 35,000 acre refuge is open for a fall archery white-tailed deer hunt beginning October 1 through the Friday before the start of the Louisiana coastal zone duck and coot season.
Listed game: Ducks and geese, Gallinules.
From the source record, official site (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service); checked November 4, 2026.
Which zones apply on Lacassine NWR
GIS places Lacassine NWR in Deer Area 10; area lines follow roads and rivers, so check the LDWF deer area map. For ducks, use the West zone splits. The South dove zone applies. Bear management area on the LDWF layer: BMA 1 (LARB/Coast).
| Area | Per day | Per season | Bucks max | Does max |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer Area 10 | 1 + 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Setting | Cameron Parish |
|---|---|
| Deer Area(s) | 10 |
| Turkey Area | Closed |
| Bear lottery area | 1 |
| Duck zone | West |
| Dove zone | South |
| CWD zone | No |
| Gator zone | E |
| Field office | Lake Charles |
Zones from the LDWF Outdoor Explorer layers (deer areas, waterfowl and dove zones, CWD and bear management) as recorded in lands.json; parish rules from the 2026-27 pamphlet deer area lists, turkey areas, bear areas, CWD rules and CWD detections; checked November 4, 2026.
Resupply stops around Lacassine NWR
Lacassine NWR is 10 miles from Hayes. The 2024 estimate puts Lake Charles at 81,157 people. Cameron Parish falls under its LDWF enforcement office, captain David Sanford.
| Community | Parish | Residents | Straight line | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hayes | Calcasieu | – | 10 miles | north |
| Lake Arthur | Jefferson Davis | 2,564 | 15 miles | northeast |
| Jennings | Jefferson Davis | 9,280 | 22 miles | northeast |
| Lake Charles | Calcasieu | 81,157 | 25 miles | northwest |
| Cameron | Cameron | – | 27 miles | southwest |
Towns from places.json (Census 2024 estimates); LDWF offices from the LDWF Contact Us page; businesses from services.json listings; straight-line miles. Checked November 4, 2026.
Lacassine NWR and its neighbours
Cameron Prairie NWR is the closest other public ground, 22 miles to the southwest. Closed to hunting in the same parish: Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge.
| Name | Kind | Size (ac) | Parish | Away | Bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cameron Prairie NWR | Refuge | 24,039 | Cameron | 22 miles | southwest |
| White Lake WCA | Conservation area | 71,905 | Vermilion | 24 miles | east |
| Flatwoods Savanna WMA | WMA | 426 | Allen | 37 miles | north |
| Sabine NWR | Refuge | 123,103 | Cameron | 42 miles | west |
| Sabine Island WMA | WMA | 8,343 | Calcasieu | 51 miles | west |
| West Bay WMA | WMA | 59,189 | Allen | 56 miles | north |
Point: USFWS Interest layer (fee and secondary-jurisdiction refuge land) inside Louisiana (polygon centroid of the largest part). Straight-line distances. Statewide public land map.
Shooting hours for Lacassine NWR
Whistling ducks in the October season may be taken only from sunrise to sunset in Lacassine NWR.
| Day | Moment | First sun | Last sun | Deer hours | Duck hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 19, 2026 | Area 10 archery opens | 6:59 a.m. | 7:14 p.m. | 6:29 a.m. to 7:44 p.m. | 6:29 a.m. to 7:14 p.m. |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Area 10 gun opens | 7:15 a.m. | 6:41 p.m. | 6:45 a.m. to 7:11 p.m. | 6:45 a.m. to 6:41 p.m. |
| Nov 14, 2026 | West zone ducks open | 6:36 a.m. | 5:18 p.m. | 6:06 a.m. to 5:48 p.m. | 6:06 a.m. to 5:18 p.m. |
| Dec 5, 2026 | Bear lottery hunt opens | 6:54 a.m. | 5:13 p.m. | 6:24 a.m. to 5:43 p.m. | 6:24 a.m. to 5:13 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:04 a.m. | 5:17 p.m. | 6:34 a.m. to 5:47 p.m. | 6:34 a.m. to 5:17 p.m. |
Hours rules from the 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting and WMA Regulations and La. R.S. 56:116.1; sunrise and sunset worked out for this location with the NOAA solar formula (Central Time); checked November 4, 2026. Legal hours for every parish.
If you also hunt private land near Lacassine NWR
Louisiana sets deer dates by Deer Area, and Cameron Parish falls in Deer Area 10; each area has its own archery, primitive, still-hunt and dog segments. The 50 rows below come from the LDWF pamphlet.
| Game | Weapon or split | Area or zone | Opening | Closing | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Archery | Area 10 | Sep 19, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Youth and veterans | Area 10 | Sep 26, 2026 | Oct 2, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Primitive Firearms | Area 10 | Oct 10, 2026 | Oct 16, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Still-hunt firearms | Area 10 | Oct 17, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Primitive Firearms | Area 10 | Jan 4, 2027 | Jan 10, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Challenged hunters | Statewide | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 4, 2026 | |
| Black bear | Lottery permit hunt | Bear Area 1 | Dec 5, 2026 | Dec 20, 2026 | |
| Feral hogs | Night take, private land | Private land | Jul 1, 2026 | Jun 30, 2027 | |
| Feral hogs | Year-round, daylight | Statewide | Jul 1, 2026 | Jun 30, 2027 | |
| Alligator | Recreational lottery | Zones A-H | Oct 1, 2026 | Oct 31, 2026 | |
| Squirrels | Youth (private lands only) | Statewide | Sep 26, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| Squirrels | Fall | Statewide | Oct 3, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Squirrels | Spring | Statewide | May 1, 2027 | May 23, 2027 | |
| Rabbits | Season | Statewide | Oct 3, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Quail | Season | Statewide | Nov 21, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Pheasant | Season | Statewide | Nov 21, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Doves | Segment 1 | South zone | Sep 5, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | |
| Doves | Segment 2 | South zone | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | |
| Doves | Segment 3 | South zone | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 10, 2027 | |
| Teal | September teal | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| Whistling ducks | Special season | Statewide | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 11, 2026 | |
| Ducks and coots | Youth and veteran day | West zone | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 7, 2026 | |
| Ducks and coots | Split 1 | West zone | Nov 14, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Ducks and coots | Split 2 | West zone | Dec 19, 2026 | Jan 24, 2027 | |
| Ducks and coots | Youth and veteran day | West zone | Jan 30, 2027 | Jan 30, 2027 | |
| Snow and blue geese | Regular season | West zone | Nov 14, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Snow and blue geese | Conservation Order | West zone | Dec 7, 2026 | Dec 18, 2026 | |
| Snow and blue geese | Regular season | West zone | Dec 19, 2026 | Feb 7, 2027 | |
| Snow and blue geese | Conservation Order | West zone | Feb 8, 2027 | Mar 7, 2027 | |
| Specklebellies | Regular season | West zone | Nov 14, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Specklebellies | Regular season | West zone | Dec 19, 2026 | Feb 7, 2027 | |
| Canada geese | Regular season | West zone | Nov 14, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Canada geese | Regular season | West zone | Dec 19, 2026 | Feb 7, 2027 | |
| King and clapper rails | Season | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| King and clapper rails | Season | Statewide | Nov 7, 2026 | Jan 6, 2027 | |
| Sora and Virginia rails | Season | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| Sora and Virginia rails | Season | Statewide | Nov 7, 2026 | Jan 6, 2027 | |
| Gallinules | Season | Statewide | Sep 19, 2026 | Sep 27, 2026 | |
| Gallinules | Season | Statewide | Nov 7, 2026 | Jan 6, 2027 | |
| Snipe | Season | Statewide | Oct 31, 2026 | Jan 10, 2027 | |
| Snipe | Season | Statewide | Jan 25, 2027 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Woodcock | Season | Statewide | Dec 18, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Crows | Season | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Jan 1, 2027 | |
| Coyote | Year-round, daylight | Statewide | Jul 1, 2026 | Jun 30, 2027 | |
| Armadillo | Year-round, daylight | Statewide | Jul 1, 2026 | Jun 30, 2027 | |
| Nutria | Recreational hunting | Private land | Sep 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Bobcat | Year-round hunting | Statewide | Jul 1, 2026 | Jun 30, 2027 | |
| Raccoon | Year-round, day and night | Statewide | Jul 1, 2026 | Jun 30, 2027 | |
| Opossum | Year-round, day and night | Statewide | Jul 1, 2026 | Jun 30, 2027 | |
| Foxes (chase) | Chase only (hunting) | Statewide | Jul 1, 2026 | Jun 30, 2027 |
From the LDWF seasons and regulations and the 2026-2027 Louisiana Hunting and WMA Regulations (Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries), checked November 4, 2026.
Views and game near Lacassine NWR
Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge hunters: public line plus clubs
The closest LDWF range to Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge is Sherburne WMA Shooting Range, roughly 79 miles off as the crow flies. After the state range come the nearest clubs within 30 miles.
From the LDWF shooting ranges page, ranges’ own pages and directory listings, checked November 4, 2026.
Lacassine NWR questions, answered from agency data
Who enforces the rules on Lacassine NWR?
Use the 24-hour Operation Game Thief line, 1-800-442-2511.
Which passes must I carry on Lacassine NWR?
Refuge hunters follow 50 CFR 32.37(o) and carry the refuge permit or signed brochure where required.
Is Lacassine NWR a big piece of ground?
Roughly 32,822 acres by the source used here.
In which parish is Lacassine NWR?
Cameron Parish, according to the agency record.
What Deer Area does the LDWF layer give for Lacassine NWR?
Deer Area 10 (3 a season, 2 antlered max). The area schedule sets the days, not the private-land Deer Area dates.
Can I hunt whitetails on Lacassine NWR?
Yes. We allow hunting for white-tailed deer on designated areas of the refuge. Refuge seasons are set in the refuge brochure.
Is waterfowl hunting allowed on Lacassine NWR?
Yes, West zone splits.
Does Lacassine NWR touch the CWD zone?
Outside the zone, on the LDWF layer.
What time can I shoot on Lacassine NWR?
Deer: 6:18 a.m. to 5:44 p.m.; waterfowl: 6:18 a.m. to 5:14 p.m. (November 28, 2026, Cameron Parish centre).
Where can I buy ice and fuel near Lacassine NWR?
Hayes in Calcasieu Parish, 10 miles off.
Nearest Wildlife and Fisheries office to Lacassine NWR?
The LDWF Lake Charles Field Office ((337) 491-2575).
Other photos on this page: Hillebrand, Steve – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Public domain); Gary J. Wood (CC BY-SA 2.0); USFWS/Southeast (Public domain).