Fishing at College Lake, East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana

• Overview

  Out in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, sits College Lake. It sits at 30 feet above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 4 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. On size it sits at the modest end of our East Baton Rouge Parish list. For supplies, Baton Rouge is 2.7 miles out. Then Port Allen, 3.9 miles, and Gardere, 4.6 miles. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on College Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Open occurrence data for the surrounding area lists bluegill, green sunfish, threadfin shad and gizzard shad. The records cover the area rather than this water alone. On College Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 82°F for July and 50°F for January. Winter is simply the pleasant end of an unbroken season. Heat pushes fish deep from June onwards, so start early. November and March are the quiet, comfortable months to be out. College Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. A boat ramp sits about half a mile from the water. Parking is mapped about 150 yards from the bank. Somewhere to sit and eat is half a mile out. There are toilets half a mile off. For the catfish, fish bottom baits into the deeper holes and let them sit. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. For a change of water, Campus Lake is 0.2 miles distant. For College Lake in particular, ask before you travel.