Atchafalaya Basin
The largest river swamp on the continent, from Butte La Rose down to Morgan City. River stage moves the hunting here more than temperature does.
Stable / Staging
Pre-Season, Birds Still North
Wigeon score, conditions as of Tue, Sep 15, 12:00 PM
Tomorrow's Hunt · Wednesday, Sep 16
Atchafalaya Basin
Steady temps
Legal light 6:22 AMSunrise 6:52 AMSunset 7:12 PM🌒 Waxing crescent · 23%
Best window: Legal light (6:22 AM) to 10:00 AM
No push wind forecast; first light is the best bet
Held to the season curve: conditions are better than the wigeon numbers here this time of year
Times shown for the region center. Season dates and limits change yearly and by zone: verify with Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries.
Water Status
Water on the landscape: Water on the landscape is in decent shape (0% of Louisiana in drought, US Drought Monitor).
Why this score is moving
- Held to the season curve: conditions are better than the wigeon numbers here this time of year
- Corn harvest roughly 98% complete, heavy field feed available
- Off-season: the main migration window has not opened yet
48-Hour Outlook
Poor
Held to the season curve: conditions are better than the wigeon numbers here this time of year. Corn harvest roughly 98% complete, heavy field feed available. Strongest window: Tue into Wed.
14-Day Score Outlook
WigeonDays 8 through 14 sit beyond the reliable forecast window and lean on season history. Read them as a trend, not a promise.
Inside the model
The score is a weighted blend of the drivers below, each rated 0 to 10 from current conditions. No black box: this is the whole model.
Warming ~2°F, no push trigger
Light or variable winds
0% of upstream hours below 28°F
Little to no snow upstream
Waters open, birds can stay and feed
Outside the main migration window
Corn ~98%, beans ~51% (typical-progress estimate)
No recent hunter reports in this region
North of you
ProThe freeze line across the stations upstream of this region, station by station, so you see shallow water locking up before the birds arrive on it.
Radar check
ProLast night's NEXRAD read on whether birds actually moved: how much lifted off after sunset, which way it tracked, and how fast it flew under its own power once the wind at that altitude is subtracted out.
Local conditions
| Day | Hi / Lo | Wind | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| TueSep 15 | 96° / 76° | S 8 mph | |
| WedSep 16 | 96° / 77° | ENE 12 mph | |
| ThuSep 17 | 94° / 73° | E 12 mph | |
| FriSep 18 | 94° / 69° | E 9 mph | |
| SatSep 19 | 96° / 71° | SE 8 mph | |
| SunSep 20 | 94° / 74° | SE 5 mph | |
| MonSep 21 | 93° / 71° | E 10 mph |
Hunter intel
ProWhat other hunters reported in this region over the last 72 hours: species, how hard they were feeding, and whether the birds looked like new arrivals. Filing your own report is free and counts toward this region's score either way.