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Simmesport to Krotz Springs. The Basin's main artery: swamp bass, sac-a-lait and big cats. The river tops out around 40 ft. Contours on this water are modeled from its actual shoreline and max depth. Good for finding likely water, never for navigation. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
Atchafalaya River maps at 6,933 acres behind 71 miles of shoreline. A development index of 6.1 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. About 38% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft on the modeled chart — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Tip to tip the water measures near 31.1 mi with a 3.6-mi widest point. It sits in St. Landry Parish. If the bite dies, Lower Old River is 18 mi to the north.
When the water first warms, largemouth bass slide up into 2 to 10 ft. Summer is an 8 to 20 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. Start at Basin swamp edges. It's a standing timber / brush holding about 8 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Basin swamp edges (8 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Basin swamp edges (8 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Channel bar / point (mile 6.2) (16 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (30 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for crappie tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 10 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Basin swamp edges: a standing timber / brush around 8 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Basin swamp edges (8 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Basin swamp edges (8 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Basin swamp edges (8 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (30 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring puts blue catfish in skinny water — 5 to 25 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 40 ft, wintering in 12 to 40 ft. Summer blue catfish concentrate at Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6), a prime-rated creek channel around 30 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | Slackwater eddy (mile 4.4) (22 ft) | |
| Summer | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (30 ft) | |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (30 ft) | |
| Winter | 12 to 40 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (30 ft) |
Come spring, look for flathead catfish tight to the bank in 5 to 20 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 12 to 40 ft. Start at Basin swamp edges. It's a standing timber / brush holding about 8 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | night & dusk | Basin swamp edges (8 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | night & dusk | Basin swamp edges (8 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | night & dusk | Slackwater eddy (mile 4.4) (22 ft) | |
| Winter | 12 to 40 ft | midday | Slackwater eddy (mile 4.4) (22 ft) |
When the water first warms, channel catfish slide up into 3 to 12 ft. Summer is an 8 to 25 ft game here, winter a 20 to 40 ft one. Start at Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6). It's a creek channel holding about 30 ft of water and rates prime come fall. The feeding windows run after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Basin swamp edges (8 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Slackwater eddy (mile 4.4) (22 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (30 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (30 ft) |
Come spring, look for longnose gar tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 1 to 12 ft, then a winter hold in 10 to 25 ft. Start at Slackwater eddy (mile 4.4). It's an eddy pocket holding about 22 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in midday and the evening. A rope lure or a small white spinner is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday | Basin swamp edges (8 ft) | Rope lure (hookless nylon), Inline spinner (slow) |
| Summer | 1 to 12 ft | midday & dusk | Basin swamp edges (8 ft) | Rope lure, Small white spinner |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday | Basin swamp edges (8 ft) | Rope lure, Small jerkbait (pause-heavy) |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Slackwater eddy (mile 4.4) (22 ft) |
Atchafalaya River also holds freshwater drum (8 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
18 pieces of structure are mapped here — Main-channel hole (mile 16.8), around 32 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Louisiana waters are set by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries — and special regulations can apply to Atchafalaya River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Louisiana fishing regulations →
Atchafalaya River is about 40 ft (12 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, blue catfish, flathead catfish, channel catfish, longnose gar, freshwater drum on Atchafalaya River.
Basin swamp edges is the top-rated area: a standing timber / brush in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For largemouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Atchafalaya River is regulated by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Check the official Louisiana regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Lower Old River 18 mi, LA/MS · False River 21 mi · Lake Chicot 30 mi · Vermilion River 50 mi · Kincaid Lake 61 mi · Lake Concordia 63 mi · Belle River 67 mi · Lake Verret 71 mi · Lake Okhissa 72 mi, MS · Amite River 72 mi · Lake Iatt 78 mi · Lower Atchafalaya River 79 mi
See how Atchafalaya River stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Louisiana · best crappie lakes in Louisiana · best channel catfish lakes in Louisiana · best flathead catfish lakes in Louisiana
Browse all Louisiana fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.