Black Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (LA)

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Lake depth chart

Black Lake, LA

Max 12 ft

Today's read

Where to start

Fall shad migration window is on — see the hatch outlook

Hatch outlook

Fall shad migrationActive window

Typical here: Sep 1 – Dec 15 · upper ends and stained creeks turn on first, the main lake follows; Deep-South creeks hold bait into December

adultall day, best mid-afternoon as the sun warms the bait — the rare pattern where you can sleep in — follow the bait, not the structure: gulls, herons and egrets diving or stacked in a creek mean the shad (and the bass) are there — run and gun until you find flickering bait or surface activity

Concentrates hard but unevenly — whole stretches go empty while one creek loads up. The birds are the map.

Creek-arm run-and-gun: lipless crankbait and squarebill through the flats and ditches, walking topwater over surface schools, a 3/8 oz spinnerbait around isolated cover along the creek channel. Downsize to match the young-of-year shad; jerkbaits are the sleeper.

The event happens over backs of creek arms, pockets and ditches, secondary points on the way in, and main-lake flats where the bait balls roam

Willow fly (summer mayfly)Active window

Typical here: Apr 1 – Oct 31 · recurring broods all summer — the heart of it is June–July, famously around July 4th on the Tennessee River lakes; any one hatch lasts days to ~3 weeks

dunhatches at dusk — clouds of bugs just before dark, continuing into the night — after hatching they fly to shoreline foliage — trees near lighted docks get covered; the feeding zone is the water under bug-loaded overhanging bushes and willows
spinnerthe following days: mating, egg drop and spent flies falling from the overhangs — the bream bite under the bushes runs as long as the bugs do

A two-level event: bream stack under the bug trees, and the big bass stack under the bream. Fish the same bushes twice — small for bream, big for the bass just outside them.

Crickets or small poppers under a float tight to the bug-covered bushes for bream; beetle spins and hair jigs just under the surface; for the bass, run a bluegill-pattern topwater or squarebill down the outside edge of the overhangs.

The event happens over under and just outside overhanging willows and bushes on steep banks; trees near lighted docks after dark

Next on this water

Spring crawfish emergence · forageFeb 15 – May 15 · in ~5 months

Shad spawn · baitfishMar 15 – Jun 15 · in ~6 months

Bluegill spawn (bream-bed bass) · forageMay 1 – Jul 31 · in ~8 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours on this water are approximations. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

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Recent catches at Black Lake

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Black Lake on the board.

Fishing Black Lake: what the data says

7,700-acre lake near Campti. A shallow cypress lake in the Black-Clear-Prairie complex north of Natchitoches, thick with crappie and bass cover. The lake tops out around 12 ft. The depth picture is modeled, anchored to the true shoreline and the water's published max depth — a scouting aid, never a chart to run a boat by. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.

On the chart, Black Lake draws 9,899 acres inside 142.3 miles of shoreline — 86 islands included. An index of 10.2 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. Nothing on this chart breaks 15 ft, which makes the whole surface littoral: weeds, bait and ambush cover everywhere. Call it 15.3 mi long by 4.9 mi wide at the broadest reach. You'll find it in Natchitoches Parish. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Saline Lake, 6 mi east of here.

Largemouth Bass fishing at Black Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 4 to 12 ft before dropping to 4 to 12 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	4 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Weed flat (5 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	3 to 12 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (8 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	4 to 12 ft	midday	Deep basin (10 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Crappie fishing at Black Lake

Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 12 ft; cold water stacks them in 4 to 12 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 10 ft range, prime in winter. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub
Summer	4 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Weed flat (5 ft)	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	4 to 12 ft	dawn	Weed flat (5 ft)	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	4 to 12 ft	midday	Deep basin (10 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Channel Catfish fishing at Black Lake

The spring pattern is a shallow one: channel catfish in 3 to 12 ft. The depth story barely changes: 4 to 12 ft through summer, 4 to 12 ft in winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in winter. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dusk	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)
Summer	4 to 12 ft	night & dusk	Deep basin (10 ft)
Fall	4 to 12 ft	dusk	Deep basin (10 ft)
Winter	4 to 12 ft	midday	Deep basin (10 ft)

Bluegill fishing at Black Lake

In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 3 to 12 ft before dropping to 4 to 12 ft for winter. Spring bluegill concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 3 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 6 ft	midday & dusk	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings)
Summer	3 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig
Fall	4 to 12 ft	midday	Weed flat (5 ft)	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	4 to 12 ft	midday	Deep basin (10 ft)	Tiny spoon

Notable structure

Structure-wise the chart holds 11 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 10 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 10 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
Weed flat: weed flat, around 5 ft
Shoreline point: point, around 3 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Gravel shoal: gravel shoal, around 2 ft
Gravel shoal: gravel shoal, around 2 ft
Weed flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Weed flat: weed flat, around 2 ft

Black Lake fishing regulations

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 Black Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Louisiana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Black Lake?

Black Lake is about 12 ft (4 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.

What fish are in Black Lake?

Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, channel catfish, bluegill on Black Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Black Lake?

Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.

When is the best time to fish Black Lake?

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.

What are the fishing regulations for Black Lake?

Fishing on Black Lake 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.

Nearby waters

Saline Lake 6 mi · Grand Bayou Reservoir 14 mi · Kepler Creek Lake 29 mi · Lake Iatt 30 mi · Caney Lake 36 mi · Lake Bistineau 41 mi · Kincaid Lake 50 mi · Vernon Lake 53 mi · Toledo Bend Reservoir 53 mi, TX/LA · Lake Claiborne 58 mi · Anacoco Lake 60 mi · Cross Lake 64 mi

See how Black Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Louisiana · best crappie lakes in Louisiana · best bluegill lakes in Louisiana · best channel 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.