Area 2 - Fishing Louisiana

Destination	Parish	Links

Bayou Bartholomew	Morehouse	Chemin-A-Haut State Park

Bussey Lake	Morehouse	Georgia Pacific Wildlife Management Area
Bussey Lake was constructed in 1959 to provide water for two paper mills in Bastrop La. and also to serve as a recreational area. This 2,200 acre lake is located just north of Bastrop La. in Morehouse Parish. Fishing is excellent for bass, bluegill, crappie, redear and catfish.
Catahoula Lake	LaSalle	Catahoula National Wildlife Refuge
This lake is located south of Jena La. and northeast of Alexandria. This area is subject to seasonal water level fluctuations and will be dry in the summer. The ecology of these lowlands supports large populations of migratory waterfowl and this lake is better known for duck hunting. It is still a popular fishing lake, with several accesses, best access is from launches on the Little River.
False River	Pointe Coupee
False River is located 25 miles northwest of Baton Rouge in Pointe Coupee Parish. The town of New Roads is located on the west side of the lake. This 3,212 acre oxbow lake is a popular fishing area in this part of the state. The area around the lake is built up with homes and camps. Numerous piers and boat houses provide good cover for largemouth bass and crappie. The flats, located on each end of the lake are known for producing bluegills. Many other freshwater fish are also caught in the lake. Due to its heavy use as a recreational boating lake, best fishing is in the early morning and late evenings
Lake Bruin	Tensas	Lake Bruin State Park
Lake Bruin is located just north of the town of St. Joseph La. Approximately 3,000 acres in size the lake is an oxbow of the Mississippi River. Having the typical oxbow shape this lake is considered to be deep with areas of water exceeding 55 feet. Shallower water can be found at both ends of the lake and is the best area for catching bluegill. Anglers yield the best catches of bass in the months of April, May and June. Fall fishing is also productive for bass. There is good fishing for crappie, bluegill, spotted bass, and hybrid striped bass. Crappie are best taken during early spring using jigs around piers. Large cypress trees provide a picturesque setting for the beautiful Lake Bruin State Park. Offering picnic areas, camp sites, and other facilities the park is a great way to enjoy this lake.
Lake Concordia	Concordia
Lake Concordia is located near Ferriday and is an oxbow of the Mississippi River. Cypress trees line the banks of this beautiful 1,000 acre lake. It is a open lake used both for recreational boating and fishing. There are several accesses with improved commercial facilities and campgrounds. Special management on this "trophy" lake is enforced to promote larger sized bass. The lake is stocked with Florida strain largemouth bass. A new lake record was set in March of 1998, when a 13 lb.04 oz. largemouth bass was caught. The bass was donated to the Louisiana Lunker Bass Program. Other species include crappie, bluegill, redear sunfish.
Lake Larto - Saline	Catahoula & Avoyelles Parishes	Saline Wildlife Management Area
Lake Larto- Saline is one of the few remaining large backwater systems in Louisiana. Its is an 8,000 acre complex of interlacing waterways located south of Jonesville, La. The water level on the complex fluctuates with the conditions on the Black and Red Rivers. Recently a project was completed that will restore inflow of good quality Black River water, while excluding murky Red River backwater. With the hydrology problem corrected the complex is greatly improving, and once again offers excellent fishing for largemouth bass, bluegill, readear and channel catfish. Crappie fishing is said to be great especially when the water level is falling and water is within its banks.
Lake Providence	East Carroll
Located in the northeast corner of Louisiana is Lake Providence, an oxbow lake of the Mississippi River. The lake is 5.5 miles long and comprises 1380 acres. The average depth of the lake is 12 feet, with maximum depths of up to 37 feet. The shoreline of the lake is studded with beautiful cypress trees. The aesthetics of the lake make it very popular with recreational boaters. A variety of fishing can be enjoyed at Lake Providence. Freshwater species include bass, bream and a large population of catfish.
Lake St. John	Concordia
Lake St. John is a oxbow of the Mississippi River. It is located just north of Lake Concordia and the town of Ferriday. The lake is approximately 2,100 acres and is considered to be fairly shallow. The lake is beautiful with stands of cypress trees shading its banks. There are many homes and camps built up around the lake. There are several boat launches with commercial facilities. The most sought after fish are largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill and catfish. Bass can be caught around the many piers and cypress trees using worms, spinnerbaits, and crankbaits. There is a large population of bluegill in the lake and the best time to catch them is during spawning season. The best time to catch the hybrid stripers that are stocked in the lake is during spring and fall.
Lake St. Joseph	Tensas
Lake St. Joseph is an oxbow of the Mississippi River and is located near Newellton, La. It is approximately 1150 acres in size. Nearly eight miles long this lake is used for fishing and recreational boating.
Old River	Pointe Coupee
Old River is a 12 mile long, 4,000 acre oxbow lake near the town of Morganza Louisiana. Flooding from the nearby Mississippi River affects the water levels on Old River and in turn affect the fishing conditions. In the spring of 1997 many camps were flooded when the Mississippi River levels were extremely high. Anglers familiar with the river stages fish certain backwater areas that are only passable during higher water in the spring and early summer. As the water recedes and warms, the fish will move out into the original lake. Old River is known for its exceptional catches of sac-a-lait, bream, bluegill, and catfish. Although it is not known for its numbers of largemouth bass, it is known for big native largemouth's. The average size of largemouth bass coming out of Old River are larger than those taken from other lakes in the area. Many types of fish holding structure can be found in Old River. Brushtops sunk around piers and house boats are good areas to fish. Use small tube jigs, hair jigs and shiners when fishing for sac-a-lait. Bass can be caught on artificial worms, jigs, crankbaits, top-water and buzz baits. Old River is gaining in popularity for its fishing and recreational boating opportunities. There are several commercial launches located off of La. Hwy. 419 along the levee side of the lake.
Spring Bayou	Avoyelles
Located on Spring Bayou Wildlife Mangement Area near Marksville, this 5,000 acre back water lake provides great fishing for largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie and redear sunfish. Best fishing occurs when water conditions are favorable. Outdoor recreation activities include, birding, canoeing, hunting, camping and fishing. There are free public boat launches as well as free primitive camp sites.
Tensas River		Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge

Turkey Creek	Franklin	Turkey Creek Game and Fish Preserve
Located 15 miles south of Winnsboro, near Wisner, La., this 3,000 acre reservoir reports good catches of bass, bream and crappie. In late winter and early spring, flooding from the Boeuf River causes the water in Turkey Creek to be muddy. Fishing is best when the water recedes and clears. The upper end of the lake is heavily wooded with moss covered cypress trees. Along with stocking of Florida largemouth bass, improvements were made to the lake in 1992.

Area 2 Back
Bayou Bartholomew	Lake Bruin	Lake St. John
Bussey Lake	Lake Concordia	Lake St. Joseph
Catahoula Lake	Lake Larto - Saline	Old River
False River	Lake Providence	Turkey Creek