Lake D'Arbonne Depth Map & Fishing Spots (LA)

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Lake depth chart

Lake D'Arbonne, LA

Max 30 ft

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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 Lake D'Arbonne

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 Lake D'Arbonne on the board.

Fishing Lake D'Arbonne: what the data says

15,250-acre lake near Farmerville. A flooded-timber Union Parish reservoir famous for slab crappie and bass along the standing cypress. The lake tops out around 30 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.

Drawn out, this is 12,265 acres of water rimmed by 109.7 miles of bank, with 12 islands in the mix. A development index of 7.1 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. Roughly 85% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 11.3 mi, about 7.4 mi across. You'll find it in Union Parish. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Lake Claiborne, 31 mi west of here.

Largemouth Bass fishing at Lake D'Arbonne

In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 9 to 30 ft for winter. Spring largemouth bass concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 4 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait most summer days.

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	Break off the point (14 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	Break off the point (14 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Crappie fishing at Lake D'Arbonne

Spring puts crappie in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 9 to 30 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 26 ft, rated prime for winter crappie. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.

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	Break off the point (14 ft)	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	8 to 20 ft	dawn	Break off the point (14 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

Bluegill fishing at Lake D'Arbonne

The spring pattern is a shallow one: bluegill in 1 to 6 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 4 to 15 ft before dropping to 10 to 25 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.

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	Break off the point (14 ft)	Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped
Winter	10 to 25 ft	midday	Deep basin (26 ft)	Tiny spoon

Channel Catfish fishing at Lake D'Arbonne

In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 25 ft before dropping to 9 to 30 ft for winter. Spring channel catfish concentrate at Corney Bayou inflow, a prime-rated inflow / creek mouth around 4 ft. Fish it in after dark and the evening and you'll meet the bite.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dusk	Corney Bayou inflow (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)

White Bass fishing at Lake D'Arbonne

When the water first warms, white bass slide up into 2 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 9 to 30 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Corney Bayou inflow: an inflow / creek mouth around 4 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a slab spoon or a small topwater (schooling fish) rigged through the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Corney Bayou inflow (4 ft)	Curly-tail jig (white), Small lipless crank
Summer	8 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (8 ft)	Slab spoon, Small topwater (schooling fish)
Fall	6 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (8 ft)	Jigging spoon, Blade bait
Winter	9 to 30 ft	midday	Deep basin (26 ft)	Jigging spoon (deep), Blade bait

Flathead Catfish fishing at Lake D'Arbonne

Start shallow in spring: flathead catfish sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 9 to 30 ft. Top water on the chart: Deep basin, a deep basin in the 26 ft range, prime in fall. Fish it in after dark and the evening and you'll meet the bite.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	5 to 20 ft	night & dusk	Corney Bayou inflow (4 ft)
Summer	8 to 30 ft	night & dusk	Deep basin (26 ft)
Fall	9 to 30 ft	night & dusk	Deep basin (26 ft)
Winter	9 to 30 ft	midday	Deep basin (26 ft)

Notable structure

Count 19 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 26 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 26 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 14 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 8 ft
Secondary point: point, around 8 ft
Feeding flat: feeding flat, around 7 ft
Shoreline point: point, around 6 ft
Gravel shoal: gravel shoal, around 4 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 4 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 4 ft
Corney Bayou inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 4 ft
Cane Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 4 ft
Weed flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 0 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 0 ft

Lake D'Arbonne 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 Lake D'Arbonne specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Louisiana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Lake D'Arbonne?

Lake D'Arbonne 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.

What fish are in Lake D'Arbonne?

Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, white bass, flathead catfish on Lake D'Arbonne.

Where is the best fishing spot on Lake D'Arbonne?

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.

When is the best time to fish Lake D'Arbonne?

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 Lake D'Arbonne?

Fishing on Lake D'Arbonne 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

Lake Claiborne 31 mi · Caney Lake 36 mi · Kepler Creek Lake 50 mi · Poverty Point Reservoir 58 mi · Lake Bistineau 59 mi · Saline Lake 65 mi · Black Lake 67 mi · Grand Bayou Reservoir 69 mi · Lake Chicot 80 mi, AR · Mississippi River - Vicksburg 81 mi, MS/LA · Lake Iatt 81 mi · Lake Washington 83 mi, MS

See how Lake D'Arbonne stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Louisiana · best white bass lakes in Louisiana · best crappie lakes in Louisiana · best bluegill 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.