Lake Ramsay in Saint Tammany Parish: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Louisiana holds Lake Ramsay, in Saint Tammany Parish. Tidal water begins 9.4 miles from here. Roughly 359 acres of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. Some 5.2 miles of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. On our Saint Tammany Parish list it sits near the top for size. Supplies mean a trip to Covington, 5.8 miles off. Abita Springs follows at 8.8 miles, then Mandeville at 13 miles. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Lake Ramsay

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Public wildlife records from this area list bluegill, blackbanded darter, gulf darter, speckled darter and blacktail redhorse. Use it to know what is possible here, not what is certain. At Lake Ramsay the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 81°F and January at 50°F. Fish feed through every month here. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer squeezes it into the edges of the day. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to fish here. The season on Lake Ramsay rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. The water borders Lake Ramsay Savannah Wildlife Management Area, so reserve rules are likely to apply. For the panfish, a small hook, a float and a piece of worm outfish everything fancy. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. The nearest alternative is Corkern Lake, 13 miles out. None of that is settled for Lake Ramsay in what we hold.