Where to Go Fishing in Lake Charles and Southwest Louisiana
For those looking to go hunting and fishing in Lake Charles, LA, get ready for amazing adventures. Louisiana is often referred to as “Sportsman’s Paradise” in recognition of all the outdoor activities that are available, and that certainly is evident in this corner of the state.
Spend Some Quality Time in Paradise
“These five parishes (Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron and Jeff Davis) are the definition of what the phrase Sportsman’s Paradise is all about,” says Westlake Mayor Hal McMillin, a lifelong resident of the area and an avid outdoors enthusiast. “We have some of the best hunting and fishing you can find. There are piney woods for deer and rabbit hunting. Marshes for duck Swamps for mallards. Then when it comes to fishing, we have the best of both worlds – saltwater and freshwater.”
“Every variety of what makes up a Sportsman’s Paradise is in this five-parish area,” he adds. “There are just so many opportunities to enjoy the outdoors throughout Southwest Louisiana.”
McMillin speaks from experience. He has spent much of his life working at least part time as an outdoors guide, beginning when he was 17 years old when a local hotel hired him to take guests on hunting excursions.
“I couldn’t believe it. They were going to pay me to take people hunting,” McMillin says with a laugh. “I had found the ultimate job.”
As a result, McMillin has decades of experience being in the woods and along the waterways throughout Southwest Louisiana. Here are some of his suggestions for where to go in the area to enjoy fishing and hunting – and just spending time in paradise.
Get Hooked on Fishing in Lake Charles and SWLA
You don’t have to cast your gaze very far to find somewhere to fish in Southwest Louisiana. That’s because there is water everywhere. Even the largest city in the region – Lake Charles – is named after a body of water. In addition to the numerous freshwater lakes and rivers, the southern edge of Southwest Louisiana runs along the Gulf, with saltwater estuaries seeping through the landscape.
“People come from all over the United States to enjoy some of the best fishing in the world right here in Southwest Louisiana,” McMillin says. “Our river system goes all the way to the Gulf, so we have access to deep-sea fishing. But the inland fishing is also tremendous.”
Fishing locations in the area include:
- The Calcasieu River and the Sabine River provide plentiful possibilities for catching bass, white perch, redfish, speckled trout and flounder.
- Bundick Lake is a 1,750-acre reservoir and popular fishing destination for largemouth bass, blue catfish and white perch.
- At nearly 35,000 acres, the Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge is a pristine marshland that harbors plenty of bass, brim and perch. “There’s no better place in the region,” McMillin says.
- For those without access to a boat, Calcasieu Point Landing in Lake Charles offers easy fishing access from the pier or shoreline bank.
- And for a special experience, Grosse Savanne Lodge has more than 1,000 acres of privately managed freshwater fisheries, with marsh flats that are 4 feet deep and filled with bass.
Find Fabulous Hunting Hot Spots
Southwest Louisiana is a stop for millions of birds and waterfowl, particularly ducks and geese, traveling along the Mississippi Flyway migration route. Public hunting is permitted at both the Lacassine and Sabine National Wildlife Refuges.
Meanwhile, the northern part of the five parishes has areas for a variety of wildlife hunting, including deer, quail, dove, pheasant, rabbit and turkey. Most of these are in official game management areas or through local preserves. Two such offerings in Allen Parish are Dry Creek Ranch and the West Bay Wildlife Management Area.
“The best way to hunt in Southwest Louisiana is with a guide,” McMillin says. “There are a number of really good professional guide operations in the area, some that offer overnight stays.”
Because once outdoor enthusiasts arrive in the hunting and fishing paradise that is Southwest Louisiana, they just might want to stick around for a long while.