Anacoco Lake Fishing
A 2,600-acre Louisiana lake in Vernon Parish.
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What LDWF records about Anacoco Lake
Wildlife and Fisheries rates Anacoco Lake at 2,600 acres; it sits in Vernon Parish. Expect an average of roughly 9.2 feet of water. The nearest town is Leesville, roughly 6 miles out.
LDWF records 4 launches here, 4 open to the public. LDWF has placed 5 freshwater reefs in it. The 2026 rules list 1 water-body exception here. The LDWF office for it: District 5.
LDWF Inland Waterbodies with Management Plans layer (Size, average depth, popular species, cover, access and tips text), Census 2023 places, retrieved October 28, 2026. LDWF office: District 5; 1213 Lakeshore Dr, Lake Charles, LA 70601; 337-491-2219.
What lands in the boat on Anacoco Lake
LDWF names these as the popular fish of Anacoco Lake: Good for largemouth bass, blue and flathead catfish, crappie; bluegill, longear available.
Working Anacoco Lake through the seasons
Bass: small torpedoes in spring, chrome rattletraps in shallow flats and around drop-offs for schooling bass in summer and fall, blue and chartreuse spinnerbaits near islands, points, and cypress trees year round, night fishing around duck blinds with sh
Where structure sits in Anacoco Lake
Cypress trees, duck blinds, submerged vegetation in north and western areas, planted bullwhips, lily pads
LDWF Inland Waterbodies with Management Plans text (popular species, fishing tips, cover; not a full species census), LOWA records and LDWF stocking; retrieved October 28, 2026.
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The 5 LDWF reef sites at Anacoco Lake appear below with their depth and material.
| Reef | Deployed | Depth | Material | Target fish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VFW reef 1 | 1/11/2022 | 6-8 feet | Array of three groups of PVC "spider blocks" spaced approximately 12 ft. apart … | Bass and Crappie |
| VFW reef 7 | 1/12/2022 | 3-4 feet | Group of PVC "spider blocks" for enhancement of bank fishing under the north dock | Bass and bream |
| VFW reef 8 | 1/12/2022 | 3-4 feet | Group of PVC "spider blocks" for enhancement of bank fishing under the south dock | Bass and bream |
| VFW reef 9 | 1/12/2022 | 6-8 feet | Group of PVC "spider blocks" for enhancement of bank fishing | Bass and Crappie |
| VFW reef 10 | 1/12/2022 | 6-8 feet | Group of PVC "spider blocks" for enhancement of bank fishing | Bass and Crappie |
LDWF Freshwater Artificial Reefs layer (deployment, depth, material and target species as published), retrieved October 28, 2026.
Bass boats in the water at Anacoco Lake
- Methodist Landing on Anacoco Lake1-lane concrete ramp, public
- Sandy Creek Landing on Anacoco Lake1-lane concrete ramp, public
- Spillway Park Landing on Anacoco Lake1-lane concrete ramp, public, fee, Public; pay to launch
- VFW Landing on Anacoco Lake1-lane concrete ramp, public
LDWF lists this bank access: Shoreline access and piers at Spillway (fee), Methodist Landing (by appointment only; call 337-238-0324), and VFW Parks (fee)
Launches within a short drive of Anacoco Lake
- Vernon Spillway ParkVernon Lake, 5 miles north
- Lake View Landing on Vernon LakeVernon Lake, 5 miles north
- Vernon ParkVernon Lake, 6 miles north
- Biven's West launch on Vernon LakeVernon Lake, 7 miles north
- Biven's East launch on Vernon LakeVernon Lake, 7 miles north
- Twin Bridges launch on Vernon LakeVernon Lake, 9 miles north
LDWF boat launch inventory (BoatRamps05152025) and LDWF Banks and Piers layer, retrieved October 28, 2026.
Daily creel at Anacoco Lake
| Species | Daily limit and size | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Black bass (largemouth and spotted) | 10 daily | Open year-round |
| Striped or hybrid striped bass (or any combination thereof) | 5 daily; no more than two over 30" total length | Open year-round |
| White bass | 50 daily | Open year-round |
| Yellow bass | 50 daily | Open year-round |
| Sunfish (bream) | No daily limit | Open year-round |
| Crappie (black and white) | 50 daily; 100 fish possession limit | Open year-round |
| Bowfin (choupique) | No daily limit; 16" MLL | Open year-round |
| Buffalo fish (or their hybrids) | 25 daily; 16" MLL | Open year-round |
| Catfish (blue, channel and flathead) | 100 daily in the aggregate. An angler may possess up to 25 undersized catfish of the three species combined.; Blue Catfish: 12" MLL; Channel Catfish: 11" MLL; Flathead Catfish: 14" MLL | Open year-round |
| Freshwater drum (gaspergou) | 25 daily; 12" MLL | Open year-round |
| Paddlefish | 2 daily (fish cannot be retained alive & cannot be harvested by snagging methods); 30" max lower jaw fork length | Open year-round |
| Shad | 50 pounds daily | Open year-round |
| Sturgeon | No legal harvest or possession | Closed (no legal harvest or possession) |
| Other freshwater fish (all species of bream and garfish) | No daily limit | Open year-round |
| Crawfish | 150 pounds daily | Open year-round |
| Rainbow trout (Get Out & Fish! community ponds) | five fish per person (daily limit) | Stocked mid-January to early February, pending a decrease in water temperatures |
Read the statewide rows for Anacoco Lake first, then any water-body rule.
Exceptions to the statewide rows at Anacoco Lake
| Water as printed | Where | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Anacoco Lake, Lake Vernon and the portion of Anacoco Bayou between the lakes, Lake Bartholomew, Lake Bistineau | Whole water | No fish seines, gill nets, hoop nets or trammel nets. |
Rules as printed in the 2026 Louisiana Recreational Fishing Regulations (LDWF pamphlet, updated September 21, 2026), pages 18 to 21 (pamphlet PDF); second read on the LDWF freshwater page October 28, 2026.
Louisiana anglers 18 and older carry a Basic Fishing License: $17 a year for residents and $68 for nonresidents.
Limits and seasons as printed in the 2026 Louisiana Recreational Fishing Regulations (LDWF pamphlet, updated September 21, 2026), page 19 (pamphlet PDF); confirmed on the LDWF freshwater finfish page October 28, 2026.
How Anacoco Lake measures up against its neighbours
Of the five nearest Louisiana lakes with pages, Toledo Bend Reservoir is the largest at 181,600 acres.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Average depth | Launches | LDWF reefs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anacoco Lake | 2,600 | 9.2 ft | 4 | 5 | |
| Vernon Lake | 7 miles north | 4,200 | 23 ft | 8 | 2 |
| Hodges Garden | 19 miles north | 215 | 20 ft | 0 | 0 |
| Fullerton Lake | 24 miles east | 24 | 1 | 0 | |
| Bundick Lake | 30 miles southeast | 1,750 | 5 ft | 4 | 9 |
| Toledo Bend Reservoir | 37 miles northwest | 181,600 | 24 ft | 49 | 35 |
LDWF Inland Waterbodies with Management Plans, launch inventory and reef layers; retrieved October 28, 2026.
Within a short run of Anacoco Lake
Other LDWF lakes near Anacoco Lake
- Vernon Lake7 miles north
- Hodges Garden19 miles north
- Fullerton Lake24 miles east
- Bundick Lake30 miles southeast
- Toledo Bend Reservoir37 miles northwest
Bait shops along the drive to Anacoco Lake
- Jeane Tacklebait and tackle shop, Evans, 9 miles
- Pirate Cove Marinamarina, Hornbeck
Louisiana towns with a room near Anacoco Lake
- Leesville5 miles
- New Llano6 miles
- Fort Polk South10 miles
Which parishes take in Anacoco Lake
- Vernon Parishseat: Leesville
Piscifun gear lined up for the bayou run to Anacoco Lake
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Cypress, marsh and open water by Anacoco Lake, in photos
Photo: Billy Hathorn, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: brando, CC BY 2.0
Photo: rgriff3471, CC BY 3.0
Photo: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0
Anacoco Lake: questions a Louisiana angler asks before launching
Which Louisiana town is nearest Anacoco Lake?
LDWF maps it in Vernon Parish, about 6 miles from Leesville.
Is Anacoco Lake a big lake for Louisiana?
Some 2,600 acres.
How many LDWF-listed launches reach Anacoco Lake?
4 launches on the LDWF list; Methodist Landing on Anacoco Lake makes a good first stop.
What is biting on Anacoco Lake, according to LDWF?
Count on largemouth bass, flathead catfish, white crappie, bluegill and blue catfish at the top of the LDWF list.
How many bass go in the ice chest at Anacoco Lake?
Black bass (largemouth and spotted): 10 daily; Open year-round. LDWF adds a line of its own for it in the limits band.
What does a nonresident buy for Anacoco Lake?
Louisiana anglers 18 and older carry a Basic Fishing License: $17 a year for residents and $68 for nonresidents.
Does LDWF publish a depth for Anacoco Lake?
LDWF gives an average depth of about 9.2 feet; maximum depth is not published.
Where do Anacoco Lake regulars fill the bait bucket?
Jeane Tackle, about 9 miles away, tops our Louisiana shop list.
How many reefs are in Anacoco Lake?
Yes, 5 LDWF reef sites, tabled and mapped above.
Block out a Saturday for Anacoco Lake
Fees, seasons and exceptions are on the license page.