Fishing at Little Bear Lake, Madison Parish, Louisiana

• Overview

  Look for Little Bear Lake in the Madison Parish part of Louisiana. Everything around it is open plain. It runs to roughly 34 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The closest town, Tallulah, is 9 miles distant. For a city, Jackson is 65 miles off. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Little Bear Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Species logged nearby in open biodiversity records include Alligator gar, spotted gar and threadfin shad. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Fish Little Bear Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 82°F in July and bottoms out near 45°F in January. No part of the year shuts this water. October and November give a second good stretch as it cools. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. At Little Bear Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. Keep the gear simple: light line, small hooks, split shot and a couple of proven lures. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Horseshoe Lake sits 3 miles off and takes the overflow. Rules at Little Bear Lake are worth checking on the day.