Best fishing lakes in Louisiana: 12 lakes and what bites

The lakes at a glance

1. Lake Pontchartrain

Lake Pontchartrain covers some 403,000 acres. The fish here are catfish, white bass and largemouth bass. At about 65 ft deep, it stays cooler below the surface well into summer.

Lake Pontchartrain today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

2. Lake Verret

Lake Verret covers some 14,100 acres. You will find it about 34 miles north of Baton Rouge. Largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill and catfish are the draw. It goes down to about 9 ft. On the 3-D map the bed has four steep ledges: good places to start.

Lake Verret today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

3. Lac des Allemands

Lac des Allemands covers 12,000 acres. The lake is about 18 miles east of Kenner. It holds catfish, largemouth bass, crappie and bluegill. At about 10 ft at its deepest, it warms quickly in spring. The lake bed gives you three steep ledges and an upper arm to work. Lac des Allemands is a shallow freshwater cypress-swamp lake whose nearby namesake town is known as the Catfish Capital of the Universe.

Lac des Allemands today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

4. Lake Bruin

Lake Bruin covers about 2,460 acres. It lies within an easy drive of Jackson (about 63 miles). Largemouth bass, crappie and bluegill are the draw. The lake bed gives you three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves to work. Lake Bruin is an oxbow lake left behind when the Mississippi River changed course, now home to a Louisiana state park.

Lake Bruin today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

5. Lake Salvador

At 44,800 acres, Lake Salvador is a big lake. It lies within an easy drive of Metairie Terrace (about 8 miles). The fish here are catfish. Lake Salvador is a shallow brackish estuary in the Barataria Basin fed by Bayou des Allemands.

Lake Salvador today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

6. Catahoula Lake

At 29,400 acres, Catahoula Lake is a big lake. The lake is near Deville. The usual Louisiana mix applies: largemouth bass, crappie, catfish and bluegill. On the 3-D map the bed has three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves: good places to start.

Catahoula Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

7. Caney Lake (Caney Creek Lake)

Caney Lake (Caney Creek Lake) spreads over some 5,000 acres. You will find it within an easy drive of Bossier City (about 69 miles). Expect largemouth bass. On the 3-D map the bed has three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves: good places to start. Caney Lake is a north Louisiana reservoir renowned for producing some of the largest largemouth bass ever caught in the state.

Caney Lake (Caney Creek Lake) today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

8. Cross Lake

Cross Lake covers 8,580 acres. You will find it about 2.9 miles east of Shreveport. Like most lakes its size in Louisiana, it should hold largemouth bass, crappie, white bass and catfish. On the 3-D map the bed has three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves: good places to start. Cross Lake is a man-made reservoir near Shreveport that serves as the city's primary drinking-water supply.

Cross Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

9. Deep Saline

Deep Saline spreads over about 50,000 acres. It lies next to Dulac. Like most lakes its size in Louisiana, it should hold largemouth bass, crappie, catfish and bluegill.

Deep Saline today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

10. Calcasieu Lake (Big Lake)

Calcasieu Lake (Big Lake) spreads over some 49,200 acres. It lies right by Prien. Like most lakes its size in Louisiana, it should hold largemouth bass, crappie, catfish and bluegill. On the 3-D map the bed has two steep ledges and a point drop-off: good places to start. Calcasieu Lake, locally called Big Lake, is a shallow brackish estuary that forms the natural outlet of the Calcasieu River to the Gulf of Mexico.

Calcasieu Lake (Big Lake) today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

11. Lake Claiborne

Lake Claiborne is a reservoir of some 6,400 acres. You will find it within an easy drive of Bossier City (about 46 miles). Like most lakes its size in Louisiana, it should hold largemouth bass, crappie, white bass and catfish. Lake Claiborne is a reservoir built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers near Homer and is a popular fishing destination with a state park on its shore.

Lake Claiborne today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

12. Lake D'Arbonne

Lake D'Arbonne is a reservoir of 15,200 acres. You will find it right by Farmerville. It is the Bayou D'Arbonne behind Lake D'Arbonne Dam. The usual Louisiana mix applies: largemouth bass, crappie, white bass and catfish. On the 3-D map the bed has three point drop-offs and a sheltered cove: good places to start. Lake D'Arbonne is a reservoir near Farmerville completed in the early 1960s and is a popular fishing and boating destination in north Louisiana.

Lake D'Arbonne today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

Louisiana lakes by fish

A lake appears under a fish when it holds it, by the record or by the type of lake.

• Bass: Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Verret, Lac des Allemands and Lake Bruin
• Crappie: Lake Verret, Lac des Allemands, Lake Bruin and Catahoula Lake
• Catfish: Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Verret, Lac des Allemands and Lake Salvador

The fishing year

• Spring: largemouth bass are usually at their best. Prime time. Spawning in shallow coves and pockets.
• Summer: largemouth bass are usually fair. Hot water. Best at dawn, then they drop to deeper, cooler water.
• Fall: largemouth bass are usually at their best. Fall feed. They chase baitfish into creeks and coves.
• Winter: largemouth bass are usually fair. Cooling down. Try slow baits on points and deeper channel edges.

Before you go

Buy a Louisiana fishing licence before the trip and read the state's rules for each lake: seasons, size and bag limits change from water to water. Each lake page on LakeScope shows today's water temperature, the wind, the best bite times and a 3-D view of the bed, so check it the morning you go.