BATON ROUGE - Louisiana's spring inshore shrimp season will close at 6 p.m. Friday.
 
The closure affects the Louisiana/Mississippi state line westward to the eastern shore of the Mississippi River and from Freshwater Bayou canal westward to the Louisiana/Texas state line except for: Lake Pontchartrain, Chef Menteur and Rigolets Passes, Lake Borgne, the Louisiana portion of Mississippi Sound, and the open waters of Breton and Chandeleur Sounds.
 
Data collected by Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries' biologists indicate increased quantities of small, juvenile white shrimp within the waters. The closure was ordered to protect those developing shrimp and give them opportunity for growth to larger and more marketable sizes.

All state outside waters seaward of the Inside/Outside Shrimp Line will remain open until further notice.