BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has announced the 2018 spring inshore shrimp season will close in a few days.

According to a release, the season will close at 6 p.m. July 2. Data collected by LDWF biologists indicate an increased quantity, distribution and percentage of small, juvenile white shrimp within certain waterways.

The season will be closed in the following areas:

· The portion of Shrimp Management Zone 1 in Lake Pontchartrain, Chef Menteur and Rigolets Passes, Lake Borgne, and the Louisiana portion of Mississippi Sound.

· That portion of Shrimp Management Zone 3 in state inside waters from the western shore of Freshwater Bayou Canal westward to the Louisiana/Texas state line.

The decision to close these waters was made to protect these developing shrimp and provide opportunity for growth to larger and more marketable sizes. For a detailed map of the closures, click here.