Larto Lake is a lake in Louisiana, near Catahoula 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.
Larto Lake is an 8,200-acre cypress-lined oxbow in Catahoula Parish and one of the most productive pieces of the larger Saline-Larto complex. Crappie give the lake much of its reputation, but largemouth bass can be excellent around cypress, docks, brush piles, and channel-related cover. Blue, channel, and flathead catfish, bluegill, redear, warmouth, gar, bowfin, and drum are also present.
The current inventory lists Larto at 8,200 acres with 126,000 acre-feet of storage, equal to about 41.1 billion gallons. Unlike a deep highland reservoir, Larto is an old oxbow-style water with cypress and backwater connections. Water moving through the Saline-Larto complex during floods can change both clarity and fish location, and the lake often retains fish that enter the system during high water.
Larto has an oxbow shape and a strong cypress identity. Louisiana Sportsman has described cypress trees, docks, planted brush piles, channels, and connected backwater as major fish-holding features. The lake is also known for producing unusually large crappie. Because the system is connected, anglers need to think about water movement and channel routes in addition to visible shoreline cover.
Crappie are the star of Larto. In cooler weather, channel bends and deeper water become especially important. After cold fronts, guides have reported fish gathering in 10 to 15 feet of water and suspending at different depths. Small jigs and live minnows are the obvious starting choices. Electronics help when fish suspend over channels, but slow vertical jigging along bends and brush can still produce without sophisticated equipment.
Larto's bass fishery is easy to overlook because of the crappie reputation. Louisiana Sportsman has highlighted cypress trees with nearby deeper water as a productive late-winter pattern. Spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits can find active fish, while a jig and trailer is a better choice when bigger bass are tight to wood. As spring progresses, bass can group around certain cypress trees, making repeated casts to the best-looking trunks and knees worthwhile.
Larto also supports blue, channel, and flathead catfish. Cut shad is a strong all-around bait for blues and channels, while live bait is better suited to flatheads around wood and channel cover. Bluegill, redear, and warmouth can be caught around cypress roots, grass, and shallow banks on crickets, worms, and small jigs.
Start with channel-related water for crappie, especially after a cool front. Once the sun is up, work cypress trees with a spinnerbait, jig, or Texas-rigged plastic for bass. If one group of trees produces, slow down because the fish often cluster rather than spreading evenly across every cypress trunk. Larto is best approached as an oxbow connected to a larger backwater system, not as an isolated round lake.
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.