Boaters can drop anchor in a restricted Louisiana waterway, but not on oyster beds

For boaters in certain Louisiana waterways, a quick stop to drop anchor has been technically off-limits. A fishing-gear restriction on the books offered no exceptions, treating even a momentary pause as a violation. A bill passed by the Louisiana Senate changes that, creating a narrow lane for anchoring where none existed before.

The legislation, sponsored by Senator Robert Allain, adds a new subsection to the state statute that governs those waters. It does not repeal the underlying gear restriction. It simply says a boat may anchor there, provided the operator follows two specific rules.

Two conditions, no gray area

The first condition is geographic: a boat cannot anchor within the boundaries of an oyster lease. The second is practical: a person must remain aboard the boat while it is anchored. Both conditions must be met for the exception to apply.

The language is written as a narrow carve-out, not a broad deregulation. A boater who anchors on an oyster bed, or who leaves the vessel unattended, remains subject to the original restriction.

A legal override in a single sentence

The new provision opens with a phrase that carries legal weight: 'Notwithstanding any provision of this Section to the contrary.' That means the anchoring exception overrides any conflicting language elsewhere in the same statute. If another part of the law would block anchoring, the new subsection wins.

The bill passed the Louisiana Senate 32-0 on final passage, with available vote records showing no recorded opposition.