Mallard Lake, Louisiana: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  The Union Parish entry here is Mallard Lake, in Louisiana. Oak and grass runs right down to the water. At 8 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. The nearest place of any size is West Crossett, 13 miles away. Shreveport sits 102 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Mallard Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Records collected within a few miles name green sunfish, largemouth bass, logperch and orangespotted sunfish. Check the state or provincial list before planning around one species. The shape of Mallard Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 81°F, while January sits near 43°F. No part of the year shuts this water. Heat pushes fish deep from June onwards, so start early. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. Anyone fishing Mallard Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Little Mallard Lake sits 0.6 miles off and takes the overflow. Where Mallard Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.