Bonnet Carre Spillway Fishing
A 7,623-acre Louisiana lake in St. Charles Parish.
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Bonnet Carre Spillway at a glance for Louisiana anglers
Bonnet Carre Spillway spans 7,623 acres of lake water in St. Charles Parish, by the LDWF figure. A run of about 3 miles reaches Norco, the closest town.
The LDWF launch inventory lists 2 launches, 2 of them public. Questions go to LDWF District 8.
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 8; 61384 Fish Hatchery Rd, Lacombe, LA 70445; 985-882-5228.
Bass, sac-a-lait and catfish on Bonnet Carre Spillway
Popular species on the LDWF record for Bonnet Carre Spillway: Largemouth bass, bluegill, redear, channel catfish, hybrid striped bass.
Seasonal patterns LDWF gives for Bonnet Carre Spillway
Bass: soft plastics (worm or crawfish) or spinnerbaits; bluegill: live bait (cricket or worm) under a cork
Stumps, grass and timber in Bonnet Carre Spillway
Tree shorelines
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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- Bonnet Carre launch on Bonnet Carre Spillway1-lane gravel ramp, public
- Lower Guide Levee Road launch on Bonnet Carre Spillwayboat launch public
Bank access, in the LDWF words: Ample shoreline access
More LDWF launches a short tow from Bonnet Carre Spillway
- Moll Canal LaunchMoll Canal, 8 miles west
- Reserve Canal launch on Reserve Relief CanalReserve Relief Canal, 9 miles west
- Williams Boulevard Boat Ramp on Lake PontchartrainLake Pontchartrain, 10 miles east
- Ruddock Boat Launch on Lake MaurepasLake Maurepas, 11 miles north
- Pier 90 launch on Lake CataouatcheLake Cataouatche, 12 miles southeast
- Hope Canal Launch (Maurepas Swamp WMA)Hope Canal, 13 miles west
LDWF boat launch inventory (BoatRamps05152025) and LDWF Banks and Piers layer, retrieved October 28, 2026.
Louisiana freshwater limits on Bonnet Carre Spillway
| 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 |
The statewide rows are the default on Bonnet Carre Spillway, with any listed exception on top.
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.
Comparing Bonnet Carre Spillway with nearby Louisiana lakes
The biggest lake in the table is Lake Des Allemands with 12,000 acres.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Average depth | Launches | LDWF reefs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonnet Carre Spillway | 7,623 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Lake Des Allemands | 13 miles southwest | 12,000 | 7 ft | 0 | 0 |
| Dufrene Ponds | 17 miles south | 1,516 | 1 | 0 | |
| Lake Cataouatche | 18 miles southeast | 8,000 | 5 ft | 0 | 0 |
| New Orleans City Park | 19 miles east | 114 | 3 ft | 0 | 9 |
| Lake Boeuf | 22 miles southwest | 2,000 | 4 ft | 0 | 0 |
LDWF Inland Waterbodies with Management Plans, launch inventory and reef layers; retrieved October 28, 2026.
The parish country around Bonnet Carre Spillway
Louisiana lakes a short drive from Bonnet Carre Spillway
- Lake Des Allemands13 miles southwest
- Dufrene Ponds17 miles south
- Lake Cataouatche18 miles southeast
- New Orleans City Park19 miles east
- Lake Boeuf22 miles southwest
Louisiana tackle counters close to Bonnet Carre Spillway
- Academy Sports + Outdoors Metairiesporting goods store, Metairie, 11 miles
- Academy Sports + Outdoors Harahansporting goods store, Harahan, 15 miles
- Dick's Sporting Goods Metairiesporting goods store, Metairie, 15 miles
- Black Lake Club Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Maurepas, 21 miles
- Gulf Outlet Boat Launch Baitbait and tackle shop, Marrero, 21 miles
- Kingfish Developmentbait and tackle shop, New Orleans, 21 miles
Places to sleep near Bonnet Carre Spillway
- Norco3 miles
- Laplace5 miles
- Hahnville5 miles
Parish guides covering Bonnet Carre Spillway
- St. Charles Parishseat: Hahnville
A Piscifun outfit to take down to Bonnet Carre Spillway
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Pictures of fishing water by Bonnet Carre Spillway
Photo: Lane Lefort, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Public domain
Photo: Infrogmation of New Orleans, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Infrogmation, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: cemaxx, CC BY-SA 2.0
Questions people ask LDWF about Bonnet Carre Spillway, answered here
How do I spot Bonnet Carre Spillway on a parish map?
Look in St. Charles Parish, about 3 miles from Norco.
How big is Bonnet Carre Spillway by the LDWF figure?
7,623 acres by the LDWF size field.
Is there a public launch on Bonnet Carre Spillway?
2 launches in the LDWF inventory; try Bonnet Carre launch on Bonnet Carre Spillway.
What does LDWF say anglers catch at Bonnet Carre Spillway?
largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish, channel catfish and hybrid striped bass, by LDWF and the records.
Which pamphlet rules reach Bonnet Carre Spillway?
Black bass (largemouth and spotted): 10 daily; Open year-round.
Which LDWF license do I carry on Bonnet Carre Spillway?
Louisiana anglers 18 and older carry a Basic Fishing License: $17 a year for residents and $68 for nonresidents.
Is Bonnet Carre Spillway a shallow lake?
LDWF lists no average depth here.
Which tackle counter on our Louisiana list sits nearest Bonnet Carre Spillway?
Academy Sports + Outdoors Metairie is the nearest tackle stop we list, about 11 miles away.
Take the back roads to Bonnet Carre Spillway
Every Louisiana fee and creel limit is one click away.