Map › USA › Lake Pontchartrain South Shore
Gulf Coast (TX/LA) · New Orleans / Metairie, Louisiana · Orleans Parish · New Orleans / Metairie
Lake Pontchartrain South Shore
also known as West End, Bucktown Marina, West End Boat Launch, Lake Pontchartrain / Bucktown, Bonnabel
Lake Pontchartrain South Shore has no other spot on this map within 40 km of it. straight-line distance
When it fills in
cold-front winds often arrive early morning and die by noon
The wind
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
synoptic
fills in: cold-front winds often arrive early morning and die by noon
Typical strength
15-20+ kt NW during winter cold fronts
Thermal or synoptic
synoptic/frontal and sea-breeze winds
Also on record
9 kt annual average at West Lake Pontchartrain from older station statistics. That station has stopped reporting, so the figure is indicative and may not be current.
The quiver, in words
Indicative, worked from the reported wind band rather than from local rider reports. A 75-85 kg rider covers the usual 15-20 kt north-westerly of a cold front on a 9m, carries a 12m for the softer 12-15 kt edges of the same session, and wants a 7m for the first hours behind a hard front.Thunderstorm gusts are not a sizing problem, they are a reason not to launch.
Direction to shore
north-component winds are onshore to the south shore but create heavy confused chop along the concrete bulkhead; W/NW can work at Bucktown/West End depending on launch and shoreline angle.
Dominant direction
N and NW for the cold-front sessions, reportedly. Older West Lake Pontchartrain station statistics give an annual average of ESE 9 kt from 2006-2012 observations.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan, riders' month19
- Feb, riders' month28
- Mar, riders' month19
- Apr, riders' month25
- May, riders' month0
- Jun10
- Jul0
- Aug0
- Sep, riders' month3
- Oct, riders' month16
- Nov, riders' month17
- Dec, riders' month13
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec.
- 19%Jan
- 28%Feb
- 19%Mar
- 25%Apr
- 0%May
- 10%Jun
- 0%Jul
- 0%Aug
- 3%Sep
- 16%Oct
- 17%Nov
- 13%Dec
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+) · season highlighted
| Month | Windy days | Force 4+ | 12 kn or more | Knots | From | Peaks at | Air | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 19% | 48% | 34% | 10.7 kt | NNW | 13:00 | 12.6°C | 62 |
| Feb | 28% | 58% | 49% | 11.5 kt | S | 15:00 | 15.2°C | 57 |
| Mar | 19% | 48% | 42% | 11.1 kt | N | 13:00 | 18.1°C | 62 |
| Apr | 25% | 40% | 33% | 10.9 kt | S | 12:00 | 21.1°C | 60 |
| May | 0% | 19% | 13% | 9.3 kt | S | 14:00 | 25.6°C | 62 |
| Jun | 10% | 30% | 20% | 10 kt | NE | 14:00 | 28.1°C | 60 |
| Jul | 0% | 5% | 2% | 8.3 kt | N | 14:00 | 28.3°C | 62 |
| Aug | 0% | 23% | 13% | 9.4 kt | N | 12:00 | 29.1°C | 62 |
| Sep | 3% | 20% | 12% | 9.2 kt | NE | 13:00 | 26.6°C | 60 |
| Oct | 16% | 34% | 27% | 10.1 kt | N | 14:00 | 21.9°C | 62 |
| Nov | 17% | 38% | 33% | 10.4 kt | NNE | 11:00 | 18.1°C | 60 |
| Dec | 13% | 26% | 19% | 9.6 kt | E | 13:00 | 14.3°C | 62 |
modelled
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
Modelled from the operational forecast archive at 1.5–7 km (2023-2024), daylight hours only, not a ground station: it resolves thermal, lake and valley winds far better than coarse reanalysis but still tends to understate a strong local thermal. A windy day has at least three consecutive daylight hours at 12 knots or more. The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.
High-resolution weather model (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical forecast archive — best-match operational model (ICON-D2 / AROME / ICON-EU / GFS by region), not a ground station · 2023-2024
The water
Type
brackish lake
Standing depth
Shallow water about 100 yards from Bucktown shore is reported.
Tides
Bucktown is effectively tide independent, but Lake Pontchartrain levels still move with wind setup, storms and general lake conditions.
Temperature
32°C summer · 14°C winter
Wetsuit
shorts in summer; wetsuit in winter during cold fronts; boots recommended for rocks
Your level
The scene
What riders come here for
Launch and rules
three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you
With a school or a boat
3 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: Small to moderate grassy rigging areas. Water access is pinched by rocks, concrete, gravel, boat-ramp structures and nearshore obstacles.
Somewhere else
No neighbour on record
No other spot in the atlas sits within reach of this one.
Rescue
VHF 16+1 504 365 2515
Launch
Two launches on the south shore, Bucktown Marina and West End. Bucktown rigs on a field, then you cross or thread a path through rocks to reach the water. West End also rigs on a field, but the water entry crosses gravel and an old boat-ramp and bulkhead area.
Space
Small to moderate grassy rigging areas. Water access is pinched by rocks, concrete, gravel, boat-ramp structures and nearshore obstacles.
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Walk the rock path at Bucktown and pick your line before you pump the kite.
- Wear booties: both entries are rock, gravel or old concrete.
- Stay off the shoreline while riding; there are pilings and stakes under the surface.
- Rig at first light on a cold front, because the NW often quits by noon.
- Carry a phone in a dry pouch. A 911 or VHF 16 call is the entire rescue plan here.
- Bucktown is a parish marina park with slips, shelters and a boardwalk. The rigging field is shared ground, so no litter and no loud music.
Getting there
Airport
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY)
Route
By car from New Orleans or Metairie: exit I-10 at West End Boulevard, run down to the lake, cross the 17th Street Canal and take the road over the levee. From MSY it is about 13 miles and roughly 20-25 minutes without traffic. Bucktown Marina sits at 325 Metairie Hammond Highway, a short run west of West End.
Transfer
21 min
Staying
Base in New Orleans or Metairie. No spot-specific kite lodging was found.
No-wind days
New Orleans restaurants and nightlife · sailing on Lake Pontchartrain · fishing
Photos
FAQ
When is the best time to kite Lake Pontchartrain South Shore?
Winter cold fronts are the main wind engine, often bringing NW wind at 15-20+ knots early in the day; late summer and fall tropical systems can also produce wind.
Is this spot suitable for beginners?
No, local guidance calls the New Orleans lakefront a non-beginner zone, since riders need to be proficient and kite-confident to manage the rocky or gravel water entries.
What is the wind like?
Wind is mainly synoptic and frontal, with north-component wind onshore to the south shore but capable of stacking confused chop against the concrete bulkhead.
What hazards should riders know about?
A rock-jetty entry at Bucktown, a gravel crossing at West End, submerged pilings near shore, and confused chop on north winds are the main hazards.
Last updated: August 2026