Lake Charles, LA
Lake Charles is a town in southwest Louisiana. This area is very popular as a tourist destination because of its casinos and great outdoors. The area has plenty of water with Lake Charles and the Calcasieu Estuary, which includes the Calcasieu River and Ship Channel from Lake Charles all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico. Most fishermen visit this area to visit Calcasieu Lake, which is about a half hour drive from Lake Charles. There are many more accommodations and much more entertainment in Lake Charles, so fishermen will typically book their lodging in Lake Charles, then meet up with their fishing charter at Calcasieu Lake.
Calcasieu Lake is known as one of the best speckled trout fisheries in the country. Other types of fish can be caught throughout the lake and estuary system. Some of the common species are redfish, flounder, black drum, sheepshead and ladyfish.
Toledo Bend Reservoir
Toledo Bend Reservoir is a huge reservoir with more than 181,000 surface acres. It is located on the Sabine River in Shelby, Sabine and Newton counties and it straddles the Texas-Louisiana state line. The dam is in Newton County approximately 24 miles northeast of Jasper, Texas. Its maximum depth is 110 feet. Toledo Bend Reservoir is one of the best largemouth bass lakes in the country.
Venice, LA
Venice, Louisiana is a small, unincorporated community located about 75 miles south of New Orleans. This community was almost completely destroyed by Hurricane Katrina and the the rebuilding process is ongoing, but the people that cater to the tourists have been very resilient. This area is known as one of the best fishing destinations on the planet.
The nutrient-driven Mississippi River helps create one of the most exciting fisheries in the entire world. With all of the oil rigs and deep water located just miles offshore, anglers can expect to catch a variety of fish on a regular basis. Redfish get a lot of attention here as you can catch them by the dozens and maybe even hundreds if you hit it right. Trout are also here in good numbers inshore and you can go offshore and fish for so many different species of fish. The fishing is truly unbelievable compared to most other destinations.
