Fishing in Louisiana: Top Spots for Freshwater Angling in the Pelican State

When choosing where to freshwater fish in Louisiana, anglers have many options. There's no shortage of rivers, lakes, and ponds in which to drop a line.

Here are a handful of the top spots for freshwater angling in the Pelican State.

1. Caddo Lake
This lake along the Louisiana-Texas border is known for its largemouth bass, catfish, bream and crappie. "Caddo Lake has the best potential for a trophy bass in northwest Louisiana," James Seales, a Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries (LDWF) biologist, told New Orleans Magazine. "People catch bass up to 10 pounds fairly often and numerous 8-pound fish. It has a potential to break the Louisiana record."

ALERT: Should Obama Have More Control Over Guns? Vote Now

2. Caney Lake
Known as a spot for record-setting bass catches, this spot, also know as Caney Creek Reservoir, has 72 miles of shoreline and an average depth of 16 feet. It became a designated Louisiana Trophy Bass Lake in 1994. "We're not seeing the giants we saw in the 1990s, but it's still one of the best bets for catching a double-digit bass in Louisiana," Ryan Daniel, a LDWF fisheries biologist, told Game & Fish magazine. "People still catch a lot of 10- to 12-pounders. It's produced some 13-pound bass in the past few years."

3. Mississippi River Delta
Bass Master magazine calls the Mississippi River Delta one of the top 100 bass fishing spots in the country. There are 300 million acres to drop a line. If you can find the right water, Bassmaster said, the largemouth are "fat and plentiful" and you can catch redfish "until your arms are sore."

4. Poverty Point Reservoir
This 2,700-acre spot near Delhi is relatively shallow and a popular spot for catching big bass. "Poverty Point has a lot of good 6- to 10-pound bass in it," Bobby Reed, a fisheries biologist for the LDWF, told Game & Fish magazine. "In our samples, we've seen some 14-pound fish.

VOTE NOW: Is Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy Doing a Good Job?

5. Toledo Bend Lake
This is the largest man-made lake in the southern United States. It covers 186,000 acres and is known for its trophy fish. Bass is king here, but anglers also go for crappie, bream, white bass, striped bass, and catfish. The lake also attracts major fishing tournaments every year.

Related Stories:

• Travel Tips for New Orleans Foodies: 6 Places to Visit for Food Loving Travelers
• Louisiana History: 8 Events That Shaped the State