Poverty Point Reservoir Depth Map & Fishing Spots (LA)

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Lake depth chart

Poverty Point Reservoir, 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 ~6 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 Poverty Point Reservoir

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 Poverty Point Reservoir on the board.

Fishing Poverty Point Reservoir: what the data says

2,700-acre reservoir near Delhi. A clear, purpose-built northeast-LA reservoir with brush piles, ledges and a strong bass and crappie fishery. The lake tops out around 30 ft. This chart interpolates between a real shoreline and a known maximum depth. It will point you at likely water, but it is not a navigation product. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:

The outline encloses 2,192 acres, worked by 22.6 miles of shoreline. A development index of 3.4 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. Roughly 71% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. Figure 3.7 mi of water from one end to the other, 1.6 mi at the beam. Richland Parish claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Mississippi River - Vicksburg, is 23 mi to the east.

Largemouth Bass fishing at Poverty Point Reservoir

Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 9 to 30 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 4 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.

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 Poverty Point Reservoir

Spring crappie on Poverty Point Reservoir hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 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 early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled).

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 Poverty Point Reservoir

Spring bluegill on Poverty Point Reservoir hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 25 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 4 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig.

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 Poverty Point Reservoir

Early season channel catfish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 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 after dark and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
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)

Notable structure

Structure-wise the chart holds 7 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 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
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 4 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 4 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 2 ft

Poverty Point Reservoir 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 Poverty Point Reservoir specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Louisiana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Poverty Point Reservoir?

Poverty Point Reservoir 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 Poverty Point Reservoir?

Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish on Poverty Point Reservoir.

Where is the best fishing spot on Poverty Point Reservoir?

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 Poverty Point Reservoir?

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 Poverty Point Reservoir?

Fishing on Poverty Point Reservoir 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

Mississippi River - Vicksburg 23 mi, MS/LA · Eagle Lake 27 mi, MS/LA · Lake Bruin 40 mi · Lake Washington 45 mi, MS · Lake D'Arbonne 58 mi · Lake Chicot 58 mi, AR · Lake Concordia 60 mi · Caney Lake 64 mi · Lake Ferguson 66 mi, MS/AR · Lake Dockery 74 mi, MS · Mayes Lake 79 mi, MS · Pearl River 80 mi, MS

See how Poverty Point Reservoir 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.