Fishing at Little Lake, Catahoula Parish, Louisiana

• Overview

  Little Lake lies in Catahoula Parish, Louisiana. It lies 30 feet above sea level. At some 1,011 acres it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. There is roughly 9.8 miles of bank, more than one visit can cover properly. Size puts it in the front rank of our Catahoula Parish list. Head to Jena, 11 miles away, for anything you forgot. After that come Midway at 12 miles and Jonesville at 13 miles. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Little Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Biodiversity records within roughly six miles include largemouth bass, spotted bass, freshwater drum and mud darter. Presence in the area does not guarantee a fish on the day. On Little Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 82°F in July and bottoms out near 47°F in January. Cooler months are the productive ones on most of this water. March through May is the strongest run, with autumn a second stretch. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. Little Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Little Lake Slough, 1.6 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Ask locally about Little Lake if anything is unclear.