Lake Jefferson Fishing in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana

• Overview

  Louisiana holds Lake Jefferson, in St. Mary Parish. Around the bank it is open low country. It runs to roughly 48 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Our St. Mary Parish list holds plenty of bigger water. Start from Delcambre, 25 miles down the road. For a city, Lafayette is 44 miles off. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Lake Jefferson

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. This is tidal water: the state of the tide decides where fish sit, so plan the session around it. Slack water is dead water on a place like this. Flats either side fish on the drop as bait is pushed off them. Fish reported in the area, according to open records, include flathead grey mullet, bluegill and redear sunfish. Presence in the area does not guarantee a fish in this exact water on the day. On Lake Jefferson the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect August to average close to 82°F, with January the cold end at about 52°F. Fish feed through every month here. Shade and hour of day matter more than month. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. Lake Jefferson fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Long Lake at 4 miles is the sensible second choice. Rules at Lake Jefferson are worth checking on the day.