Black Lake is a reservoir in Louisiana, near Natchitoches County.
Stocking records show that the following fish or strains were stocked here. A historical stocking does not by itself prove that a self-sustaining population remains today.
Black Lake in Natchitoches Parish is a large cypress-and-vegetation lake connected to the wider Black Lake, Clear Lake, and Saline Lake system. It covers roughly 13,800 acres and is known locally for largemouth bass, crappie, and catfish. The lake has a maze-like character in places because cypress growth and old channels can make navigation very different from what the open surface suggests.
The Natchitoches Convention and Visitors Bureau lists Black Lake at about 13,800 acres with roughly 50 miles of shoreline. Reported water depths generally range from 8 to 18 feet, giving the lake a maximum depth of about 18 feet. The current Fishing Tips Daily inventory lists 320,000 acre-feet of storage, equal to roughly 104.3 billion gallons.
Louisiana Highway 9 crosses the lake and helps divide the system into recognizable sections. The west side is generally called Black Lake, while the east side is associated with Clear Lake or Clear Lake Bayou. Cypress trees, submerged timber, aquatic vegetation, old channels, and shoreline grass create most of the fish-holding cover. This is a lake where boat channels matter because leaving them carelessly can put a lower unit into stumps or shallow timber.
For bass, I would focus on cypress, submerged wood, grass edges, and places where a channel swings close to shallow cover. A spinnerbait or vibrating jig is useful when wind is pushing against cypress lines or vegetation. A squarebill works around scattered wood where snags are manageable. When fish tighten to cover, a black-and-blue or green-pumpkin jig, Texas-rigged creature bait, or worm can be worked slowly beside cypress knees and stumps.
Black Lake has a strong crappie reputation, including plenty of black crappie. Small jigs and live minnows are the obvious starting baits. In cooler water, follow deeper channels, brush, and stump beds where fish can suspend around bait. As temperatures rise toward the spawn, move toward cypress, shoreline vegetation, and protected shallow cover. If the water is stained, chartreuse, black-and-chartreuse, or other high-contrast jig colors are easy starting choices.
Channel and larger catfish can be targeted along deeper channels, flats near moving water, and around the same cypress system that holds bass. Cut shad and nightcrawlers are dependable. Bluegill and other sunfish respond well to crickets, worms, and small jigs around cypress roots and shoreline vegetation, especially when the water warms.
Start by learning the marked boat route and the nearest channel before branching into shallow cypress water. Fish bass around cypress and grass, check channel-side timber for crappie, and keep cut bait ready for catfish if the sport-fish bite slows. Black Lake is shallow enough that wind, water level, and vegetation can quickly change where the most comfortable and productive fishing is.
Explore nearby waters, including local Featured destinations. Check each page for access and fishing restrictions.
Distances are straight-line estimates between mapped water locations.
Source dates describe the evidence, not a live catch forecast. Check the managing authority before planning access or keeping fish.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.
The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.
Source checked:
This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.