All along the Red River, central and northern Louisiana anglers find good catfish action. Depending upon the river level and the season, anglers can find fish either in the backwaters and oxbows or in the main river channel. In the spring, people tend to catch more fish in the backwaters. As the river level drops and the water temperature rises during the summer, anglers fish the rocky wing dams on the main river channel.

“We have no shortage of catfish in central Louisiana,” said Ricky Moses, an LDWF biologist in Pineville. “The Red River is probably one of the better areas of the state to catch catfish. People can catch a few catfish in just about any lake in this area. Sibley Lake has tremendous numbers of small channel cats, but not many big ones. Indian Creek is not bad. Cotile Lake is good. It has some tremendous flatheads and nice blues and channels. It's one of the better lakes in Rapides Parish.”

Once a part of the Red River, Cane River Lake near Natchitoches produced two Top 10 flathead catfish. In April 1998, Ricky Gauthier caught a 50.44-pounder. In June 1994, Bill Dickinson landed a 38-pounder. In the 19th century, the Red River changed course, leaving a 35-mile long oxbow at Natchitoches.

Moses also recommended Lake Rodemacher (also called “CLECO Lake” after the power company that owns it). The 3,200-acre lake near Boyce offers excellent action for channel cats, but also contains blues and flatheads. Anglers probably won't catch many monsters, but they might fill an ice chest with tasty fillets.

Most lakes in central Louisiana contain all three species, but some excel for one species or the other. Although Black Lake contains all three species, it produces impressive flatheads and blues.

“Black Lake in Campti is an excellent catfish lake,” Moses said. “It has some really big flatheads and blues. People catch 50- to 60-pounders regularly. Cats migrate from the Red River through Saline Bayou into Black Lake.”

Northwest Louisiana anglers can find good numbers of catfish in Cross Lake, Lake Bistineau and Caddo Lake. Cross Lake, which covers about 8,850 acres, provides water for Shreveport. Looking more like a flooded swamp than a lake, Bistineau covers about 15,550 acres. Straddling the Louisiana-Texas line, Caddo Lake sprawls over roughly 26,560 acres. Anglers might also find good action at Lake Claiborne, a 5,760-acre lake near Homer, or Kepler Lake, a 1,730-acre lake near Castor.