Lake Bistineau Fishing
A 17,200-acre Louisiana lake in Webster, Bossier and Bienville parishes.
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The LDWF picture of Lake Bistineau
In Webster, Bossier and Bienville parishes, Lake Bistineau offers 17,200 acres of lake water by the LDWF count. On average it runs about 9 feet deep, LDWF says. Fuel and ice are closest in Ringgold, near 8 miles away.
There are 19 launches on file with LDWF; 6 are public. The pamphlet prints 1 water-body exception for it. Biologists work it out of District 1.
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 1; 9961 Hwy 80, Minden, LA 71055; 318-371-5216.
Fish LDWF biologists name for Lake Bistineau
The popular species LDWF lists for Lake Bistineau: Excellent for largemouth bass and crappie; good for redear, bluegill, channel and flathead catfish.
The LDWF playbook for Lake Bistineau
Bass: gold/black jerkbaits, black or watermelon plastics in spring, school in summer; crappie: main channels in winter, yo-yos baited with shiners near surface in spring, in isolated cover and brush tops in summer; flathead catfish: live bait on limbline
Habitat notes for Lake Bistineau
Cypress trees, piers, floating vegetation
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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- Beckham's Camp on Lake Bistineau1-lane concrete ramp, private, fee, Private; $2 to launch
- Bienville Public Boat Ramp on Lake Bistineau1-lane concrete ramp, public
- Bossier Public Ramp on Lake Bistineau1-lane concrete ramp, public
- Burge's Camp on Lake Bistineau1-lane concrete ramp, private, fee, Private; $3 to launch
- Camp Bistineau1-lane concrete ramp, private, fee, Private; $3 to launch
- Camp Joy on Lake Bistineau1-lane concrete ramp, private, fee, Private; $3 to launch
- Caple's Camp on Lake Bistineau1-lane concrete ramp, private, fee, Private; pay to launch
- Dorcheat Public Ramp (Dewey Morgan's) on Lake Bistineau1-lane concrete ramp, public
- Green Park on Lake Bistineau1-lane concrete ramp, private, fee, Private; $3 to launch
- Grice's Launch (North Ramp) on Lake Bistineau1-lane concrete ramp, private, fee, Private; $3 to launch
- Grice's Launch (South Ramp) on Lake Bistineau1-lane concrete ramp, private, fee, Private; $3 to launch
- Lake Bistineau State Park Area 12-lane concrete ramp, public, fee, Public; park entrance fee required
- Lake Bistineau State Park Area 21-lane concrete ramp, public, fee, Public; park entrance fee required
- Pine Cove Marina on Lake Bistineau1-lane concrete ramp, private, fee, Private; $3 to launch
- Plum Orchard launch on Lake Bistineau1-lane concrete ramp, private, fee, Private; $3 to launch
- Port O' Bistineau launch1-lane concrete ramp, private, fee, Private; pay to launch
- RV Park on Lake Bistineau1-lane concrete ramp, private, fee, Private; pay to launch
- Webster Parish Boat Ramp on Lake Bistineau1-lane concrete ramp, public
- Westwood Camp on Lake Bistineau1-lane concrete ramp, private, fee, Private; $2 to launch
From the LDWF access note: Piers at Area 1 and Area 2; handicap accessible pier on west side of dam
If the Lake Bistineau launch is crowded
- Loggy Bayou WMALoggy Bayou, 12 miles south
- Dorcheat Public Ramp (Dixie Inn)Bayou Dorcheat, 12 miles north
- Nix Crossing launch on Black Lake BayouBlack Lake Bayou, 13 miles southeast
- Bishop's Point on Red River Pool 5Red River Pool 5, 14 miles southwest
- Myrick's Landing on Kepler Creek LakeKepler Creek Lake, 14 miles southeast
- JJ's Camp on Kepler Creek LakeKepler Creek Lake, 14 miles southeast
LDWF boat launch inventory (BoatRamps05152025) and LDWF Banks and Piers layer, retrieved October 28, 2026.
Lake stage LDWF anglers check at Lake Bistineau
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Bistineau Near Ringgold, La | 3.34 ft gage height, 133.34 ft lake elevation | Oct 31 6:00 pm |
US Geological Survey provisional data, retrieved Oct 31, 2026 6:33 pm ET. Provisional readings can be revised.
Each level for Lake Bistineau carries an agency and time stamp.
LDWF hatchery releases into Lake Bistineau
Lake Bistineau received these LDWF releases:
- Florida BassFlorida Bass, 229,900 fingerlings, 2025 (Stocked January-June 2025.)
- Florida BassFlorida Bass, 139,900 fingerlings, 2024 (Stocked January-June 2024.)
LDWF hatchery stocking releases (spring 2024 and 2025 per-water tables, single stockings to 2026); LDWF publishes no per-row dates; retrieved October 28, 2026.
Creel and size limits for Lake Bistineau
| 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 |
Lake Bistineau follows the statewide freshwater limits unless named below.
Special pamphlet rules on Lake Bistineau
| 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.
Parish lakes near Lake Bistineau, side by side
Red River Pool 5 has the most water in this group, 10,800 acres.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Average depth | Launches | LDWF reefs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Bistineau | 17,200 | 9 ft | 19 | 0 | |
| Kepler Creek Lake | 14 miles southeast | 1,925 | 8.7 ft | 3 | 0 |
| Caney Lakes | 17 miles north | 220 | 2 | 0 | |
| Red River Pool 5 | 18 miles west | 10,800 | 10 ft | 4 | 0 |
| Wallace Lake (De Soto Parish) | 23 miles west | 2,300 | 3.4 ft | 3 | 0 |
| Clear Lake and Smithport Lakes | 24 miles southwest | 3,028 | 4 ft | 1 | 0 |
LDWF Inland Waterbodies with Management Plans, launch inventory and reef layers; retrieved October 28, 2026.
More of Louisiana near Lake Bistineau
Lakes worth a look after Lake Bistineau
- Kepler Creek Lake14 miles southeast
- Caney Lakes17 miles north
- Red River Pool 518 miles west
- Wallace Lake (De Soto Parish)23 miles west
- Clear Lake and Smithport Lakes24 miles southwest
Louisiana bait stops around Lake Bistineau
- Dick's Sporting Goods Shreveportsporting goods store, Shreveport, 21 miles
- Academy Sports + Outdoors Bossier Citysporting goods store, Bossier City, 22 miles
- Academy Sports + Outdoors Shreveportsporting goods store, Shreveport, 23 miles
- Bass Pro Shops Bossier Citysporting goods store, Bossier City, 23 miles
- Bait Bucketbait and tackle shop, Benton
- The Bait Shackbait and tackle shop, Plain Dealing
Where to stay for Lake Bistineau
- Ringgold8 miles
- Sibley9 miles
- Haughton11 miles
Parishes along Lake Bistineau
- Webster Parishseat: Minden
- Bossier Parishseat: Benton
- Bienville Parishseat: Arcadia
Bayou-tough Piscifun reels for a day on Lake Bistineau
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A picture guide to fish at Lake Bistineau
Photo: Dominic, CC BY 4.0
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Photo: United States Fish and Wildlife Services, Public domain
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: (c) Quinn, some rights reserved (CC BY), CC BY 4.0
Before the drive to Lake Bistineau, the common questions
What parish line does Lake Bistineau sit on?
It lies in Webster, Bossier and Bienville parishes, about 8 miles from Ringgold.
How much water does Lake Bistineau spread across its parish?
About 17,200 acres.
Which launch should I use at Lake Bistineau?
Use Bienville Public Boat Ramp on Lake Bistineau, one of 19 launches.
Which species can I catch at Lake Bistineau?
LDWF points to largemouth bass, white crappie, redear sunfish, bluegill, flathead catfish and channel catfish.
What creel does LDWF allow on Lake Bistineau?
Black bass (largemouth and spotted): 10 daily; Open year-round. An exception in the 2026 pamphlet overrides part of that.
Do I need a Louisiana license to fish Lake Bistineau?
Louisiana anglers 18 and older carry a Basic Fishing License: $17 a year for residents and $68 for nonresidents.
How deep does Lake Bistineau run on average?
About 9 feet on average, per LDWF; no maximum is printed.
Is there a bait stand on the way to Lake Bistineau?
Dick's Sporting Goods Shreveport, about 21 miles away, is the first bait counter on our Louisiana list.
Where can I check the pool at Lake Bistineau?
Above: the dated reading from USGS.
Is Lake Bistineau on the LDWF stocking list?
LDWF reports Florida Bass, 229,900 fingerlings, 2025.
Put Lake Bistineau on the Sportsman's Paradise list
License prices and the statewide creel limits sit on one page.