Finch Lake Fishing
A 586-acre Louisiana lake in Union Parish.
Pick for largemouthPiscifun Chaos Pro CNC baitcasting reel25% OFFSale $97.99 Photo of D'Arbonne Lake: (WT-de) Mistoffeles, CC BY-SA 4.0
Sizing up Finch Lake from the LDWF file
The LDWF management layer gives 586 acres for Finch Lake, a lake of Union Parish. Bastrop, about 11 miles away, is the nearest Census place.
Boaters can pick from 1 launch in the LDWF inventory (1 public). The Banks and Piers layer adds 1 pier or bank site.
LDWF Inland Waterbodies with Management Plans layer (Size, average depth, popular species, cover, access and tips text), Census 2023 places, retrieved October 28, 2026.
Public and private launches around Finch Lake
- Finch Bayou2-lane concrete ramp, public, fee, Public; pay to launch
Piers and cleared banks at Finch Lake
- Finch Bayou Recreation Areabank fishing, Bank access to Ouachita River, parking, boat launch ($3), restrooms
Second-choice LDWF launches around Finch Lake
- Ouachita River Levee on Bayou BartholomewBayou Bartholomew, 9 miles south
- Bussey Brake RampBussey Brake Lake, 10 miles east
- Sterlington launch on Ouachita RiverOuachita River, 11 miles south
- Barrett's launch on Bartholomew LakeBartholomew Lake, 11 miles south
- Hwy 136 launch on Bartholomew, Desiard and Black Bayou ComplexBartholomew, Desiard and Black Bayou Complex, 12 miles south
- Ben Lilly launch on Bayou BartholomewBayou Bartholomew, 14 miles east
LDWF boat launch inventory (BoatRamps05152025) and LDWF Banks and Piers layer, retrieved October 28, 2026.
Legal keepers at Finch 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 |
For Finch Lake, statewide freshwater limits hold except where LDWF prints a change.
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.
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By the LDWF size figures, D'Arbonne Lake heads the list at 15,000 acres.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Average depth | Launches | LDWF reefs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finch Lake | 586 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Bussey Brake Lake | 9 miles east | 2,200 | 11 ft | 1 | 1 |
| Bartholomew, Desiard and Black Bayou Complex | 16 miles south | 800 | 14 ft | 4 | 0 |
| Black Bayou Lake (Ouachita Parish) | 18 miles south | 800 | 1 | 0 | |
| Bonne Idee Bayou | 22 miles east | 1,900 | 6.5 ft | 5 | 0 |
| D'Arbonne Lake | 22 miles west | 15,000 | 8.5 ft | 12 | 3 |
LDWF Inland Waterbodies with Management Plans, launch inventory and reef layers; retrieved October 28, 2026.
Next Louisiana stops near Finch Lake
More lakes and brakes by Finch Lake
- Bussey Brake Lake9 miles east
- Bartholomew, Desiard and Black Bayou Complex16 miles south
- Black Bayou Lake (Ouachita Parish)18 miles south
- Bonne Idee Bayou22 miles east
- D'Arbonne Lake22 miles west
Where to buy shiners and crickets for Finch Lake
- Toledo Tackle, 7913 Desiard Stbait and tackle shop, Monroe, 23 miles
- Toledo Tackle, 5129 Cypress Stbait and tackle shop, West Monroe, 24 miles
- Dick's Sporting Goods Monroesporting goods store, Monroe, 24 miles
- Academy Sports + Outdoors West Monroesporting goods store, West Monroe, 25 miles
- Buoys Anchor Point Marinamarina, Farmerville
Home bases for Finch Lake
- Bastrop11 miles
- Sterlington11 miles
- Swartz19 miles
The parish pages for Finch Lake
- Union Parishseat: Farmerville
Piscifun tackle a Sportsman's Paradise angler might load for Finch Lake
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
Telling apart the fish of Finch Lake by photo

Photo: Dominic, CC BY 4.0

Photo: United States Fish and Wildlife Services, Public domain

Photo: USFWS Mountain Prairie, Public domain

Photo: qfc79, CC BY 4.0
Settling the details of a day on Finch Lake
Which corner of the Pelican State holds Finch Lake?
It is in Union Parish, about 11 miles from Bastrop.
What size does LDWF give Finch Lake?
Near 586 acres.
Where does a Louisiana bass boat go in at Finch Lake?
1 launch, including Finch Bayou (1 public in all).
What fish does LDWF list for Finch Lake?
The LDWF layer names no fish for it.
Does Finch Lake have its own fishing rules?
Black bass (largemouth and spotted): 10 daily; Open year-round.
Is a saltwater license needed on Finch Lake?
Louisiana anglers 18 and older carry a Basic Fishing License: $17 a year for residents and $68 for nonresidents.
How much water is under the boat at Finch Lake?
Depth is not in the LDWF data.
Who sells shiners and crickets near Finch Lake?
Head to Toledo Tackle, about 23 miles away, for bait and ice.
Circle a Louisiana weekend for Finch Lake
Check the creel limit before a fish goes in the ice chest.

