Bussy Brake is a lake in Louisiana, near Morehouse 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.
Bussey Brake in Morehouse Parish is one of Louisiana's most unusual modern fisheries. The reservoir was almost completely drained after LDWF took ownership, rebuilt with new habitat and access improvements, refilled in 2020, and then reopened as a deliberately managed trophy fishery. Largemouth bass and crappie are the headline fish, but bluegill, redear sunfish, catfish, shad, gar, bowfin, buffalo, and other species are also part of the lake.
The water record lists 2,600 acres and 39,000 acre-feet of storage, or about 12.7 billion gallons. LDWF describes the managed reservoir itself as roughly 2,200 acres within a 2,600-acre tract. After the state received the property, more than 90 percent of the lake bottom was exposed during renovation. Woody and herbaceous vegetation grew across the exposed bottom, creating a burst of new fish habitat before the reservoir was refilled.
Bussey Brake is still benefiting from what fisheries biologists call the new-lake effect. Freshly flooded nutrients and young habitat produced exceptional growth, and LDWF says the reservoir has already produced numerous Louisiana top-10 bass and crappie. The state has adjusted regulations as the fishery matures, including a bass maximum-length rule designed to protect the trophy potential.
Bass are the main reason many anglers travel here. A spinnerbait, vibrating jig, squarebill, or topwater bait can cover flooded vegetation and woody habitat when fish are active. When bass stop chasing, slow down with a jig, Texas-rigged creature bait, or worm around submerged wood and edges of remaining vegetation.
Black and white crappie have both produced standout fish here. Small jigs and live minnows are the safest starting choices around flooded timber, brush, channel edges, and other vertical cover. Bluegill and redear sunfish were also part of the rebuilding program, and crickets, worms, and tiny jigs can be very effective when they move shallow.
Treat Bussey Brake like a young trophy lake rather than an old reservoir. Start around flooded wood and vegetation for bass, then check deeper cover for crappie. Bring tackle strong enough to pull fish away from wood, and check the current Bussey-specific regulations before keeping bass or crappie because the rules are intentionally more restrictive than statewide limits.
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.
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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.
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.