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2,000-acre lake near Ville Platte. A cypress-lined state-park lake in Evangeline Parish with clear water, brush and a solid bass and bream bite. The lake tops out around 30 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.
Lake Chicot maps at 1,534 acres behind 45.3 miles of shoreline — 7 islands included. The 8.3 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. About 89% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft on the modeled chart — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Figure 5.7 mi of water from one end to the other, 2.2 mi at the beam. Evangeline Parish claims this one. Atchafalaya River sits 30 mi east — the closest neighbouring chart.
Spring largemouth bass on Lake Chicot hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 9 to 30 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 4 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (26 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Early season crappie use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 9 to 30 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 26 ft that grades prime for winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (26 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (26 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Early season bluegill use the shallows, holding in 1 to 6 ft. Summer is a 4 to 15 ft game here, winter a 10 to 25 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 4 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Deep basin (26 ft) | Tiny spoon |
Spring channel catfish on Lake Chicot hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 9 to 30 ft. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 26 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (26 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Deep basin (26 ft) | |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (26 ft) |
The chart marks 6 structure features on Lake Chicot; the deepest is Deep basin at about 26 ft.
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 Lake Chicot specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Louisiana fishing regulations →
Lake Chicot is about 30 ft (9 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, bluegill, channel catfish on Lake Chicot.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each 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 Lake Chicot 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.
Atchafalaya River 30 mi · Lower Old River 38 mi, LA/MS · Kincaid Lake 38 mi · False River 50 mi · Vermilion River 51 mi · Lake Iatt 60 mi · Anacoco Lake 69 mi · Vernon Lake 70 mi · Lake Concordia 74 mi · Sabine River 82 mi, TX · Saline Lake 86 mi · Calcasieu Lake 87 mi
See how Lake Chicot 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.