Sandy Lake Fishing in Catahoula Parish, Louisiana

• Overview

  Set in Catahoula Parish, Louisiana, this is Sandy Lake. Land around it is dry hill. Roughly 80 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Around 2.2 miles of margin, front to back. Jonesville is the closest town at 6.5 miles. After that come Jena at 14 miles and Midway at 15 miles. Also worth knowing: Fish Lake 1.7 miles, Wallace Lake within 4.3 miles, Elm Lake 4.5 miles, Long Lake within 4.6 miles and Black Lake 4.7 miles. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Sandy Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Open occurrence data for the surrounding area lists longear sunfish, Rio Grande longear sunfish and Mississippi silvery minnow. It reflects what has been logged, which depends on who was looking. Sandy Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 82°F on average, January about 47°F. Heat sets the pattern from late spring onward. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to be out. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Sandy Lake. Autumn feeding runs harder as the light drops away.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. Bluegill and other panfish take small jigs or worms under a float near any cover. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Fish Lake at 1.7 miles is the sensible second choice. Check the position on Sandy Lake before loading the car.