Louisiana

Fishing in Louisiana

The state of Louisiana presents a wonderful fishing as both freshwater and saltwater fishery. Fishing in Louisiana therefore becomes a lifetime experience.

The state of Louisiana can be divided in 7 parts.

Region 1: The Caddo Parish contains lakes Black Bayou, Caddo, and Cross, the Jackson Parish contains Caney, Claiborne contains Lake Claiborne, Natchitoches contains lakes Clear, Black and Saline, Bossier contains Cypress Black Bayou Reservoir, Union and Lincoln Parish contains D’Arbonne Lake, Red River contains Grand Bayou John K. Kelly Reservoir, Grant contains lake Latt and Nantachie, Lake Bistineau is consisted in Bossier and Bienville counties, Winn contains River Saline, and Wallace Lake is consisted in Caddo and Desoto Perishes. All these lakes are important bass fishing lakes, so also they offer fishing of bream, crappie, hybrid stipers, and channel and flathead catfish. On the Louisiana-Texas border there is one of the finest bass fishing lakes in North America, the Toledo Bend Lake.

Region 2: This region has lakes Bayou Bartholomew and Bussey in the Morehouse Parish, Catahoula in LaSalle, False and Old Rivers in Pointe Coupee, Lake Bruin and St. Joseph in Tensas, Concordia and St. John in Concordia, larto-Saline in Catahoula and Avoyelles, Providence in East Carroll, Spring Bayou in Avoyelles, Turkey Creek in Franklin, and Tensas River. These waters offer excellent fishing of bass, bluegill, crappie, redear and catfish.

Old River is famous for its freshwater fishing in Louisiana exclusive catches of sac-a-lait, blugill, bream and catfish and also for big native largemouth bass. When fishing for sac-a-lait, use small tube jigs, shiners and hair jigs, while bass can be caught on artificial worms, crankbaits, jigs, top-water and buzz baits.

Region 3: This region contains lake Anacoco and Vernon in Vernon Perish, Bundick in Beauregard, Cocodrie in Rapides and Evangeline, Cotile, Kincaid, Rodemacher, Spring Creek, and Indian Creek Reservoir in Rapides, Crooked Creek Reservoir, Millers, and Chicot in Evangeline, Six Mile Creek and Ten Mill Creek in Allen, and Whiskey Chitto in Allen and Beaurgard. All these lakes, reservoirs and rivers offer fisheries of largemouth, striped and spotted bass, crappie, channel catfish, redear sunfish, and bream.

Region 4: This region contains Blind and Bloods River in Livingstone Parish, Bougue Chtto, Pearl Rivers in Washington and St. Tammany, Natalbany River in Livingstone and Tangipahoa, Tchefuncte River in St. Tammany and Tangipahoa, Tickfaw River in St. Helena and Livingstone, Lakes University in E. Baton Rouge, and Pass Rigolets in St. Tammany. The beautiful rivers Tchefuncte and Tickfaw are famous for largemouth and spotted bass.

Region 5: This region contains Big Burn Marsh, Sabine, and Lacassine Pool Marsh Lakes in Cameron Parish, and Calcasieu in Calcasieu and Cameron. On the Louisiana-Texas border, there is River Sabine which contains a good number of largemouth bass and Kentucky spotted bass. River Calcasieu flows through Sabine, Jeff Davis, Vernon, Rapides, and Calcasieu parishes and gives good catches of white perch, bream, bass, gou and catfish.

Region 6: This region contains Alabama Bayou in Pointe Coupee, Iberville and St. Martin, Bayous Courtableau and Two O’Clock in St. Landry, Pigeon, Ramah, Spanish and Sorrel in Iberville, Teche in St. Mary, Iberia, St. Martin and St. Landry, Cypremort Point in St. Mary and Iberia, Henderson Swamp in St. Martin, Lakes Fausse Pointe, and Spanish in Iberia, Palourde in St. Martin, and Wax Lake Outlet and West Grande Lake in St. Mary. In the Assumption Perish there is Lake Verret-Belle River area, which is very popular amongst anglers for the fishing of largemouth bas, bluegill and catfish. In the spring, Lake Verret gives excellent catches of bream, for which best baits are crickets and worms, and fly fishermen use popping bugs.

Atchafalaya Basin is the largest active river delta in the continent. It begins near Old River and flows south to the Gulf of Mexico. Large number of fishes are caught when the water is falling, using spinnerbaits, buzz baits, and soft plastics along with many others.

Region 7: This region contains Bayou Bienvenue in St. Bernard, and Orleans, Lake Borgne, Bayou Segnette, Lafiette, and Grand Isle in Jefferson, Caernarvon and Delacroix in St. Bernard, Cocodrie in Terrebonne, Empire-Buras, Myrtle Grove, Port Sulphur, and Point a la Hache in Plaquemines, Lac des Allemands in St. John the Baptist, Lafourche, Lake Salvador in St. Charles, Jefferson and Lafourche, Leeville, Venice, and Port Fourchon in Lafourche, in Plaquemines, Reggio in St. Bernard, Rigolets in Orleans, and Shell Beach in St. Bernard/Lake Borgne. Bayou Segnette is a gateway to a big area including Cataouatche, Des Allemands, Salvado, Bouef, Gauche and bayous Des Allemands, which contains thousands of acres of marshlands, ponds and canals which offer excellent healthy largemouth bass fishing. Other areas in the Region 7 gives fishing of hybrid white, bass, speckled trout, redfish, crappie, flounder and bluegill.

Saltwater Fishing

Southwest region of the state offer some of the finest inshore and coastal fishing in Louisiana. Fishing in the Calcasieu Estuary, including the Calcasieu River and Ship Channel from Lake Charles to the Gulf of Mexico is an unforgettable experience. Lake Calcasieu is the main amongst Gulf of Mexico’s most prolific estuaries. The most sought after inshore gamefish are speckled trout, flounder and redfish, so also black drum sheepshead, sand trout, croakers, and ladyfish.

Louisiana is an exciting fishing destination as you can see. Never miss a chance to go for fishing in Louisiana, if you get one!