Dogwood lodge
The Dogwood Lodge is a historic vessel originally built for the US Coast Guard as a buoy tender on the upper Mississippi River, located on the edge of the Biloxi Marsh about an hour from downtown New Orleans. It has since been converted into a multi-day vessel for river cruises and offers a complete Louisiana red fish experience with some of the best guides in the area.
After a hearty breakfast at the lodge you can easily step onto your guide’s skiff to start your day on the water, surrounded by scenes of shrimp boats, alligators, and the unique landscape of the Louisiana marsh. While redfish are the main target species, you’ll also have the opportunity to sightfish for black drum, sheepshead, jacks, gar and more. For fly fishing enthusiasts, the Louisiana marsh is truly a paradise.
Species
Redfish, Black Drum, Sheepshead, Jacks and more
Season
The best time to target redfish in Louisiana is from late summer to early winter, when the water temperatures are cooler.
Accommodations
There are six private rooms available at the Lodge, with two twin beds, air conditioning and private baths in each room
Perfect For
Single anglers, couples, families and groupsFly Fishing
Located on the eastern side of Louisiana and bordering the Gulf of Mexico, the Biloxi Marsh is a vast network of 210,000 acres of coastal wetlands that offer exceptional redfishing opportunities almost year-round. With bayous, canals, lakes, bays, ponds, and lagoons crisscrossing the area, it provides a diverse range of habitats to hunt tailing red fish with a fly rod. The Dogwood Lodge, located just a few minutes away, is an ideal starting point to explore this unique ecosystem.
During your guided fishing trip in the beautiful marshes of southeast Louisiana, your fishing location will depend on the time of year and prevailing weather and water conditions. Typically, the guides will take you to shallow waters that offer excellent opportunities for sight fishing for redfish. Although not very picky when it comes to the fly choice, these fish can be very spooky in these shallow water environments. Precise casting and a stealthy approach often get rewarded.
The Hopedale area within the Biloxi Marsh can be fished year-round and boasts a large and healthy population of redfish. You will also encounter a diverse range of wildlife in these beautiful areas, including birdlife, alligators, turtles, sea otters, raccoons, dolphins, and numerous species living above and below the water’s surface. The vast marsh ecosystem of southeast Louisiana is a remarkable place and one of America’s most impressive saltwater fisheries.
TRAVEL PLAN
The Dogwood lodge is about a one hour drive from the Louis Armstrong New Orleans airport (MSY). We highly recommend renting a car and driving to the Lodge. Check in is at 3 PM while check out is at 11am. If you are fishing on your departure day, you may check out of your room before fishing and leave your bags at reception.
LODGING
The Dogwood Lodge is situated in the Biloxi Marsh, past the end of the Hopedale Marina, also known as the “end of the world marina,” and is just a 45-minute drive southeast of New Orleans, offering easy access to the great inshore fishing for redfish, speckled trout, drum, jacks, sheepies and more.
The location of the Lodge provides exceptional fly fishing opportunities for trophy redfish due to the clarity of the water and endless wild marsh land.
The Lodge features a comfortable lounge area on the second deck called the Mississippi Room, equipped with wide screen TV, complimentary bar, and outdoor seating, which can also be used as a conference room for business meetings or seminars.
There are six private rooms available at the Lodge, each named after the rivers she has traversed throughout her past, including Red, White, Arkansas, Atchafalaya, Ouachita, and Kanawha, with two twin beds, air conditioning and private baths in each room.
