Ryan Lake Fishing near Merryville, Louisiana

• Overview

  Ryan Lake belongs to Beauregard Parish, Louisiana. The setting is oak and grass on every side. It covers about 5 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Nearest place of any size is Merryville, 6.1 miles away. Newton lies 12 miles off, DeRidder another 16 miles. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Ryan Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Species logged nearby in open biodiversity records include spotted bass, bluegill, Rio Grande longear sunfish and blue sucker. It is a record of sightings and surveys, so use it as a guide. Read Ryan Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 82°F in July and bottoms out near 48°F in January. Winter is a mild inconvenience here, nothing more. March through May is the strongest run, with autumn a second stretch. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. Ryan Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Palmer Lake at 0.6 miles is the sensible second choice. The position on Ryan Lake is worth confirming on the day.