Catfish Lake Fishing Guide, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana

• Overview

  Set in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, this is Catfish Lake. It lies 72 feet above sea level. Small at around 4 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. The town to know is Nicholson, 6.2 miles out. Picayune follows at 6.3 miles, then Hide-A-Way Lake at 9.1 miles. A county line runs close by, so local bylaws can differ within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Catfish Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Species logged nearby in open biodiversity records include gulf logperch, Alabama shad, American eel, threadfin shad and gizzard shad. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. At Catfish Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 81°F and January at 50°F. The calendar barely matters here; the time of day does. March through May is the strongest run, with autumn a second stretch. Late winter often fishes better here than midsummer does. On Catfish Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Failing this one, try Rice Patch Lake, 0.8 miles away. For Catfish Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.