Fishing at Mathews Brake, Rapides Parish, Louisiana

• Overview

  Mathews Brake stands in Rapides Parish, Louisiana. The surface lies 72 feet up. 2.6 miles away sits Lecompte, the nearest town. It is 62 miles to Lafayette, the nearest city. Alternatives close at hand: Freeman Lake 1.1 miles, Weems Lake about 2.4 miles, Hardy Lake 2.8 miles, Cocodrie Lake about 4.2 miles and Bayou Sans 4.5 miles. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Mathews Brake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Public wildlife records from this area list bluegill, slough darter, black crappie and redfin pickerel. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. On Mathews Brake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 82°F and January reads 48°F. No part of the year shuts this water. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to be out. November and March are the quiet, comfortable months to be out. Plan around that when you fish Mathews Brake. After a storm, the water clears from the edges inwards.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. The nearest alternative is Freeman Lake, 1.1 miles out. Treat access at Mathews Brake as something to verify.