Grand Lake Fishing
A 44,000-acre Louisiana lake in Cameron Parish.
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What LDWF records about Grand Lake
Wildlife and Fisheries rates Grand Lake at 44,000 acres; it sits in Cameron Parish. Expect an average of roughly 5 feet of water. The nearest town is Lake Arthur, roughly 14 miles out.
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 Grand Lake
LDWF names these as the popular fish of Grand Lake: Excellent for blue, channel, and flathead catfish; good for freshwater drum; fair for alligator gar; poor for crappie, bass; paddlefish available; saltwater species sometimes available.
Working Grand Lake through the seasons
Rod and reel where bayous or canals meet the lake especially in flowing water; catfish: hoop nets, trotlines; alligator gar: juglines baited with dead mullet
Where structure sits in Grand Lake
Open water, limited cover or structure
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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LDWF records no boat launch on Grand Lake.
Launches within a short drive of Grand Lake
- Gary's Landing on Mermentau RiverMermentau River, 7 miles north
- Lacassine South launch on Lacassine PoolLacassine Pool, 10 miles northwest
- Lacassine North launch on Lacassine PoolLacassine Pool, 12 miles northwest
- Joseph's HarborJoseph's Harbor Bayou, 13 miles south
- Rockefeller Refuge Launch on North Boundary Line CanalNorth Boundary Line Canal, 13 miles south
- Hwy. 14 Launch on Bayou LacassineBayou Lacassine, 14 miles northwest
LDWF boat launch inventory (BoatRamps05152025) and LDWF Banks and Piers layer, retrieved October 28, 2026.
Daily creel at Grand 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 Grand Lake first, then any water-body rule.
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 Grand Lake measures up against its neighbours
Of the five nearest Louisiana lakes with pages, Lake Arthur is the largest at 4,131 acres.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Average depth | Launches | LDWF reefs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Lake | 44,000 | 5 ft | 0 | 0 | |
| Lake Arthur | 11 miles north | 4,131 | 5 ft | 1 | 0 |
| Spanish Lake | 55 miles east | 1,260 | 4.8 ft | 1 | 0 |
| Lake Martin | 56 miles northeast | 800 | 1 | 0 | |
| Bundick Lake | 62 miles north | 1,750 | 5 ft | 4 | 9 |
| Millers Lake | 63 miles northeast | 1,014 | 2 | 0 |
LDWF Inland Waterbodies with Management Plans, launch inventory and reef layers; retrieved October 28, 2026.
Within a short run of Grand Lake
Other LDWF lakes near Grand Lake
- Lake Arthur11 miles north
- Spanish Lake55 miles east
- Lake Martin56 miles northeast
- Bundick Lake62 miles north
- Millers Lake63 miles northeast
Bait shops along the drive to Grand Lake
- M-M Bait-Tacklembait and tackle shop, Mermentau, 23 miles
- Blue Horizon Seafood-Live Baitbait and tackle shop, Hackberry
- Spicer Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Hackberry
- Spicer Bait Cobait and tackle shop, Hackberry
Who guides on Grand Lake
- Capt'N Sammie Faulkcharter, Lake Charles, (337) 598-2001
- Hackberry Charterscharter, Hackberry, (337) 762-3713
- Hackberry Fishing Camp & Marinacharter, Hackberry, (832) 444-4892
- Rue, Erik Captcharter, Lake Charles, (337) 598-4700
Louisiana towns with a room near Grand Lake
- Lake Arthur14 miles
- Gueydan18 miles
- Jennings23 miles
Which parishes take in Grand Lake
- Cameron Parishseat: Cameron
Piscifun gear lined up for the bayou run to Grand Lake
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Cypress, marsh and open water by Grand Lake, in photos
Photo: Megan Romer, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Louisiana Sea Grant College Program, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Patrick Feller, CC BY 2.0
Photo: David Wilson, CC BY 2.0
Grand Lake: questions a Louisiana angler asks before launching
Which Louisiana town is nearest Grand Lake?
LDWF maps it in Cameron Parish, about 14 miles from Lake Arthur.
Is Grand Lake a big lake for Louisiana?
Some 44,000 acres.
How many LDWF-listed launches reach Grand Lake?
LDWF records no launch for it.
What is biting on Grand Lake, according to LDWF?
Count on flathead catfish, freshwater drum, alligator gar, white crappie, largemouth bass and paddlefish at the top of the LDWF list.
How many bass go in the ice chest at Grand Lake?
Black bass (largemouth and spotted): 10 daily; Open year-round.
What does a nonresident buy for Grand 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 Grand Lake?
LDWF gives an average depth of about 5 feet; maximum depth is not published.
Where do Grand Lake regulars fill the bait bucket?
M-M Bait-Tacklem, about 23 miles away, tops our Louisiana shop list.
Block out a Saturday for Grand Lake
Fees, seasons and exceptions are on the license page.