Bernard Lagoon Fishing Guide, Saint Bernard Parish, Louisiana

• Overview

  The Saint Bernard Parish entry here is Bernard Lagoon, in Louisiana. The ground round it is warm bottomland. It measures about 93 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. Around 1.7 miles of margin, front to back. Our Saint Bernard Parish list holds plenty of bigger water. The town to know is Poydras, 17 miles out. Beyond it, Violet at 18 miles and Meraux at 20 miles. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Bernard Lagoon

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Salt or brackish and tidal: fish the flow, rest at slack, and watch the mud on a falling tide. The mouth fishes hardest when the run is at its strongest. The channel is where water moves, and fish follow it. Fish reported in the area, according to open records, include Atlantic croaker, spotted seatrout and red drum. Records show what people reported, so treat the list as a guide to what lives in the area. On Bernard Lagoon the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 53°F to 82°F. The year runs unbroken and warm. The first and last hours carry the summer; the middle is slow. Spring and autumn carry the year; summer squeezes it into the ends of the day. Bernard Lagoon fishes to that pattern most years. A grey, mild day is often better than a bright, still one.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Should this one be busy, Adema Pond is 12 miles off. None of that is settled for Bernard Lagoon in what we hold.