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Fishing Calcasieu Lake: what the data says
57,675-acre estuary near Hackberry. The water tops out around 43 ft. The depth chart is built from real NOAA hydrographic survey soundings (depths referenced to low tide), so the channels, holes and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Red Drum (Redfish) fishing at Calcasieu Lake
Start shallow in spring: red drum (redfish) sit in 1 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 2 to 12 ft, and winter fish settle into 3 to 15 ft. The spot to know is Feeding flat, a feeding flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for red drum (redfish) in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a weedless gold spoon or a paddletail swimbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Gold weedless spoon, Paddletail on 1/4 oz jighead |
| Summer | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Weedless gold spoon, Paddletail swimbait |
| Fall | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & midday | 1/2 oz spoon (schools), Big paddletail |
| Winter | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Scented soft plastic on 1/8 oz head, Slow-rolled paddletail |
Spotted Seatrout fishing at Calcasieu Lake
In spring, spotted seatrout run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 20 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring spotted seatrout. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. A popping cork + shrimp or a 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Topwater walker, Suspending twitchbait |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn | Popping cork + shrimp, 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | dawn | Popping cork rig, Soft plastic jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 20 ft | midday & dusk | Suspending twitchbait (long pauses), Scented plastic crawled on bottom |
Southern Flounder fishing at Calcasieu Lake
Spring southern flounder on Calcasieu Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 18 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Old creek channel, a creek channel in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for southern flounder in spring. Best bite is early morning. A jighead + gulp swimming mullet or a bucktail tipped with shrimp covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn | 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (white/chartreuse), Bucktail + Gulp shrimp |
| Summer | 3 to 18 ft | dawn | Jighead + Gulp swimming mullet, Bucktail tipped with shrimp |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | midday | 3/8 oz bucktail + Gulp (passes), Big paddletail on the jetty edge |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | Slow jig + scented grub in the holes |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 16 ft
- Calcasieu Ship Channel inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 11 ft
- Feeding flat: feeding flat, around 6 ft
- Weed flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 5 ft
- Old creek channel: creek channel, around 5 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 5 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 4 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 4 ft
- Gravel shoal: gravel shoal, around 3 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 3 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 2 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 2 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Calcasieu Lake?
Calcasieu Lake is about 43 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real NOAA hydrographic surveys (charted soundings referenced to low tide), so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Calcasieu Lake?
Anglers target red drum (redfish), spotted seatrout, southern flounder on Calcasieu Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Calcasieu Lake?
Feeding flat is the top-rated area: a feeding flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for red drum (redfish) in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Calcasieu Lake?
For red drum (redfish), 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.