HOTSPOTS
Picking a marsh trout hotspot in Louisiana is sort of like picking a good Cajun restaurant: They’re everywhere!

Starting in the east, the marshes around Venice probably hold more trout per acre than any other system in the world. A stunning number of fish in the 3- to 5-pound class swim there, and occasionally it produces a real head-turner. My experience in Venice has been that the fishing is either feast or famine, with most of the best fishing taking place when things otherwise look dismal outside.

Some truly respectable catches have been reported in recent years at Port Fourchon, another top area for specks. This is a good spot for finding trout around shell in the marsh, as the little lakes in the area have plenty of clams and oysters, which are magnets for marsh-dwelling specks.

Big Lake (Calcasieu) is the top pick in the state for catching a wallhanger in the backwater. On the east side of the lake, the best spots are the little lakes and weirs around the Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge, which have been excellent in recent years. On the west side, lots of fish will be found around the cuts in West Cove and to the north around Lake Charles in the marsh surrounding the Intracoastal Waterway corridor. Don’t let the developed look of this area fool you. Some of the most non-pristine looking areas hold the most fish.

Over on Sabine Lake, anglers have dozens of miles of shorelines and hundreds of thousands of acres of perfectly pristine marsh to fish. When it’s open (up until Oct. 15), the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge is a top pick with areas like Bridge and Willow bayous holding nice fish up until just after the first cold fronts. Johnson Bayou is another great spot that is not under the control of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and it gives anglers access to lots of shallow lakes and cuts and during the summer has the best tidal flow on the entire Louisiana shoreline. To the south, target Green’s Bayou, which has become one of my personal favorite hotspots. It has everything a trout could want: tidal flow, shell and lots of baitfish.

As you can see, anglers in Louisiana have many choices on how and where to catch the trout that dwell in their home state’s magnificent marshes. Sometimes anglers overlook the skinny water in exchange for easier fishing on the main body of bay systems -- but awaiting those seeking both solitude and something that doesn’t just tug their lines but bends their rods, however, are the backwaters.

Find more about Louisiana fishing and hunting at: LAgameandfish.com.