Nicknamed the “Sportsman’s Paradise”, Louisiana offers spectacular fishing opportunities for freshwater and saltwater species. The massive Mississippi River, fertile bayous, swamps, and the Gulf of Mexico provide seemingly endless potential. This guide explores five of the top fishing spots anglers should target when visiting Louisiana.
Why Fish in Louisiana?
Some key reasons Louisiana stands out for its phenomenal fishing:
- The mighty lower Mississippi River system flowing through the state.
- Thousands of miles of rivers, streams, bayous, and man-made canals.
- Hundreds of thousands of acres of marsh, swamp, and flooded timber.
- Quick access to the rich fishing grounds of the Gulf of Mexico.
- Warm, mild climate allows year-round fishing.
- Outstanding fishing infrastructure with ample boat launches and marinas.
- Variety of species from bass to redfish, catfish to speckled trout.
Let’s look closer at five prime Louisiana fisheries.
Toledo Bend Reservoir
Straddling the Louisiana and Texas border, Toledo Bend Reservoir is the largest man-made body of water in the South at 185,000 acres. A legendary bass fishery, Toledo Bend boasts lunker largemouth and trophy-sized smallmouth bass. Crankbaits and Carolina rigged plastics excel during spring. When summer arrives, fishing picks up on main lake points and structure using deep diving cranks, jigs, and big plastic worms. Afternoon topwater action can be incredible.
Atchafalaya Basin
The enormous Atchafalaya Basin located in south-central Louisiana offers outstanding catfishing and bass action seasonally flooded hardwood swamps and backwater bayous. During periods of high water, fish creek channels with shad or crawfish imitating baits. As water drops, target bait gulping largemouths around shady cover. Atchafalaya monster cats love stink baits and cut shad. Expect blue cats over 100 lbs!
Calcasieu Lake and River
In southwest Louisiana near Lake Charles, Calcasieu Lake and the Calcasieu River system provides fabulous estuary fishing for speckled trout, redfish, flounder and more. The ideal mix of shallow vegetation and sandy potholes holds tons of fish. Wade fish the northern end of the lake or pole backwaters drifting live shrimp below a cork for feisty fish. Topwater plugs and soft plastic grubs on jigheads also produce in this region.
Venice Fishing Charter Trips
Located at the mouth of the mighty Mississippi River south of New Orleans, Venice, Louisiana serves as the marlin fishing capital of the Gulf Coast. Venice’s close proximity to deep water and abundant baitfish attract trophy fish year round. Charter trips offer incredible offshore action catching yellowfin tuna, blue marlin, wahoo, amberjack and snapper. Venice also provides excellent inshore fishing around Snake Island for bull redfish and gator trout.
Lake Bruin
In northeast Louisiana, scenic Lake Bruin offers some of the finest crappie fishing in the South. This clear, spring-fed 12,000 acre lake holds massive black crappie and white crappie. Troll small jigs or minnows around standing timber in the river channel and adjoining oxbow lakes. 8-12” crappies are common, with plenty of slab size fish over 2 pounds possible. The spring spawn bite is amazing, but Lake Bruin sustains crappie action all year long for numbers of fish.
Put Louisiana on your bucket list of must visit fishing destinations. It won’t take long tangling with their famous hard fighting fish for you to see why Louisiana earns its nickname as the Sportsman’s Paradise
