They don’t call Louisiana “Sportsman’s Paradise” for nothing. Fishing and wildlife opportunities are excellent with the state’s many bayous, swamps, and coastal marshes. Our lakes aren’t too shabby either.
Every year Bassmaster Magazine puts out its list of the Best Bass Lakes in America and once again, Louisiana is well represented. Of special note to residents of Jackson Parish is the #5 ranking in the Central Region of the United States given to Caney Creek Reservoir a.k.a. Caney Lake.
The local waterway was one of three Louisiana lakes that made the top ten coming behind second ranked Toledo Bend and one spot ahead of Bussey Brake, which like Caney Lake, was a destination spot of the “Heavy Hitters” Major League Fishing Tour this past spring. Also earning top 25 designation was Caddo Lake and Lake Bistineau checking in at #11 and #23 respectively.
Bassmasters Magazine description of Caney Lake
[5,000 acres] This little lake in north Louisiana has made a big splash in recent years, and 2023 might be its biggest yet. A five-bass total that’s believed to be a high school national record was caught during the Louisiana High School B.A.S.S. Nation Hawg Fest. Caney Lake, as it’s often called, is home to six of the 10 heaviest largemouth catches in Bayou State history. And with high schoolers catching stringers averaging nearly 8 pounds per bass, it’s easy to see why.
Bassmasters Magazine Top 25 Lakes in Central Region
- O.H. Ivie Lake, Texas
- Toledo Bend, Louisiana
- Lake Fork, Texas
- Possum Kingdom Lake, Texas
- Caney Lake, Louisiana
- Bussey Brake Reservoir, Louisiana
- Mille Lacs, Minnesota
- Sam Rayburn Reservoir, Texas
- Grand Lake O’ The Cherokees, Oklahoma
- West Okoboji Lake, Iowa
- Caddo Lake, Louisiana/Texas
- Lake Eufaula, Oklahoma
- Lake of the Arbuckles/Arbuckle Lake, Oklahoma
- Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri
- Lake Falcon, Texas
- Lake Oahe, South Dakota
- Lake Nacogdoches, Texas
- Bull Shoals, Arkansas/Missouri
- Lake Conroe, Texas
- Table Rock Lake, Missouri
- Upper Mississippi River, Wisconsin
- Lake Hudson, Oklahoma
- Lake Bistineau, Louisiana
- Newton Lake, Illinois
- Lake Texoma, Oklahoma/Texas
