Lake Cataouatche is one of the closest major fishing areas to downtown New Orleans and has a strong reputation for largemouth bass. Many local anglers spend more time chasing trout and redfish, but Cataouatche gives bass fishermen a productive option close to the city.
The western side of the lake tends to offer more traditional bass habitat, while the eastern side has more brackish influence and can also hold redfish. The Davis Pond Diversion adds freshwater to the system and helps shape the vegetation and habitat around the lake.
Grass, Canals, and Ponds
Areas such as Bayou Coba and Umbrella Canal give anglers plenty of grass to work. A topwater frog is a natural choice around vegetation. When the topwater bite is slow, a soft-plastic fluke can be an effective way to pull bass out of cover.
Umbrella Canal, in the northwestern part of the lake, has long been one of the better-known largemouth areas. The smaller ponds and grass-lined shorelines around the lake also give anglers plenty of targets to work.
Lake Cataouatche is also part of the water used by many New Orleans-area swamp tours, so expect to share portions of the system with tour boats and other recreational traffic.