Larto-Saline Complex Fishing
A 8,000-acre Louisiana lake in Catahoula and LaSalle parishes.
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First facts on Larto-Saline Complex from LDWF
By the LDWF size figure, Larto-Saline Complex spreads across 8,000 acres of Catahoula and LaSalle parishes. Average depth: near 10 feet in the LDWF text. Jonesville lies some 17 miles from the outline point. Anglers get in through Dewey W Wills WMA.
LDWF tallies 6 launches, with 2 listed as public. 23 reef sites of brush, pallets or concrete sit on its bottom. LDWF names it in 2 water-body exceptions. LDWF handles it from District 3.
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 3; 1995 Shreveport Hwy, Pineville, LA 71360; 318-487-5881.
The LDWF popular-species line for Larto-Saline Complex
LDWF biologists rate these as the main catch at Larto-Saline Complex: Excellent for crappie; catfish, bass available.
How biologists say to work Larto-Saline Complex
Crappie: with minnow or jig under a cork in shallow water with cover in spring during spawn, drift fishing with numerous poles rigged with multiple jigs around schools of shad in deep water in summer and winter
Cover worth casting to in Larto-Saline Complex
Mostly open water with submerged and floating vegetation in backwater areas
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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Below: 23 reef sites LDWF placed at Larto-Saline Complex, with what each was built from.
| Reef | Deployed | Depth | Material | Target fish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop’s Point #1 | 4/17/2024 | 14-16ft | Christmas Tree Reef | Crappie |
| Pop’s Point #2 | 4/17/2024 | 14-16ft | Christmas Tree Reef | Crappie |
| Fools Bayou #1 | 4/17/2024 | 14-16ft | Christmas Tree Reef | Crappie |
| Fools Bayou #2 | 4/17/2024 | 14-16ft | Christmas Tree Reef | Crappie |
| Youngblood’s #1 | 4/17/2024 | 14-16ft | Christmas Tree Reef | Crappie |
| Youngblood’s #2 | 4/17/2024 | 14-16ft | Christmas Tree Reef | Crappie |
| Saline Bayou Barge #1 | 2/22/2024 | 12-14ft | Christmas Tree Reef | Crappie |
| Saline Bayou Barge #2 | 2/22/2024 | 12-14ft | Christmas Tree Reef | Crappie |
| Fools Bayou #3 | 2/5/2025 | 14-16ft | Large Christmas Tree Reef | Crappie |
| Saline Bayou Barge #3 | 2/5/2025 | 14-16ft | Large Christmas Tree Reef | Crappie |
| Reef #1 | 1/12/2026 | 15 ft. | Christmas tree reefs | Bass, Crappie, etc |
| Reef #2 | 1/12/2026 | 15 ft. | Pallet Reefs | Bass, Crappie, etc |
| Reef #3 | 1/12/2026 | 15 ft. | Christmas tree reefs | Bass, Crappie, etc |
| Reef #4 | 1/12/2026 | 10 ft. | Christmas tree reefs | Bass, Crappie, etc |
LDWF Freshwater Artificial Reefs layer (deployment, depth, material and target species as published), retrieved October 28, 2026.
LDWF-listed launches on Larto-Saline Complex
- Phil's Landing on Larto-Saline Complex1-lane concrete ramp, private
- Saline Bayou Campground on Larto-Saline Complex2-lane concrete ramp, public
- Sander's Boat Launch on Larto-Saline Complex1-lane concrete ramp, private, fee, Private; pay to launch
- Uncle Bud's Boat Launch on Larto-Saline Complex1-lane concrete ramp, private, fee, Private; pay to launch
- Wiley's Boat Launch on Larto-Saline Complex1-lane concrete ramp, private
- Youngblood Boat Launch on Larto-Saline Complexboat launch public
LDWF on shoreline access: Access at Dewey Wills WMA
Nearby launches when Larto-Saline Complex is busy
- Taylor Bayou Boat RampTaylor Bayou, 8 miles west
- Black River Dam Landing on Black River and Cocodrie Lake ComplexBlack River and Cocodrie Lake Complex, 8 miles north
- Muddy Bayou LandingMuddy Bayou, 9 miles west
- Workinger Bayou LaunchWorkinger Bayou, 11 miles northeast
- Open Bayou Boat LaunchOpen Bayou, 12 miles west
- Catfish BayouCatfish Bayou, 13 miles southeast
LDWF boat launch inventory (BoatRamps05152025) and LDWF Banks and Piers layer, retrieved October 28, 2026.
Where Larto-Saline Complex stands today
USACE Vicksburg District, Larto Lake; reading for October 28, 2026, retrieved October 28, 2026. Provisional; source page.
USGS lake gauges refresh live; Corps and river authority figures above are the dated reading from their page.
What hatcheries stocked in Larto-Saline Complex
LDWF hatcheries report these releases into Larto-Saline Complex.
- Florida BassFlorida Bass, 80,500 fingerlings, 2025 (Stocked January-June 2025.)
- Florida BassFlorida Bass, 80,200 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.
What may go in the ice chest at Larto-Saline Complex
| 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 |
Begin with the statewide freshwater table for Larto-Saline Complex; pamphlet exceptions take priority.
Where the pamphlet singles out Larto-Saline Complex
| Water as printed | Where | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Saline-Larto Complex | Black bass: Including Saline Lake, Larto Lake, Shad Lake, and all associated waterbodies located south of southern bank of the Diversion Canal between H | 14" MLL; 8 daily |
| Saline-Larto Complex | Crappie: Including Saline Lake, Larto Lake, Shad Lake, and all associated waterbodies located south of southern bank of the Diversion Canal between H | 10" MLL; 25 daily |
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.
Larto-Saline Complex and five nearby lakes
Anglers wanting a bigger lake can run to Catahoula Lake, 16,527 acres.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Average depth | Launches | LDWF reefs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Larto-Saline Complex | 8,000 | 10 ft | 6 | 23 | |
| Black River and Cocodrie Lake Complex | 14 miles northeast | 1,500 | 40 ft | 4 | 0 |
| Catahoula Lake | 16 miles northwest | 16,527 | 2 | 0 | |
| Red River Bay | 18 miles southeast | 356 | 1 | 0 | |
| Jeff Lake | 18 miles southeast | 118 | 1 | 0 | |
| Spring Bayou | 19 miles south | 2,718 | 5 ft | 5 | 13 |
LDWF Inland Waterbodies with Management Plans, launch inventory and reef layers; retrieved October 28, 2026.
Shops, towns and water by Larto-Saline Complex
Neighbouring lakes to Larto-Saline Complex
- Black River and Cocodrie Lake Complex14 miles northeast
- Catahoula Lake16 miles northwest
- Red River Bay18 miles southeast
- Jeff Lake18 miles southeast
- Spring Bayou19 miles south
Louisiana overnight bases for Larto-Saline Complex
- Jonesville17 miles
- Marksville20 miles
- Mansura23 miles
Parish pages that list Larto-Saline Complex
- Catahoula Parishseat: Harrisonburg
- LaSalle Parishseat: Jena
Reels and line from Piscifun ahead of Larto-Saline Complex
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
Fish to recognise before a trip to Larto-Saline Complex
Photo: Dominic, CC BY 4.0
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Photo: United States Fish and Wildlife Services, Public domain
Photo: moxostoma, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Prof. emerit. Dr. Hans Schneider ( Geyersberg ), CC BY-SA 3.0
What first-timers on Larto-Saline Complex want to know
Where in Louisiana is Larto-Saline Complex?
The outline sits in Catahoula and LaSalle parishes, about 17 miles from Jonesville.
How many acres does LDWF credit to Larto-Saline Complex?
Roughly 8,000 acres.
Where is the closest launch to Larto-Saline Complex?
Yes: LDWF lists 6 launches, Saline Bayou Campground on Larto-Saline Complex among them.
Which gamefish does LDWF credit to Larto-Saline Complex?
LDWF names white crappie, channel catfish and largemouth bass.
Is there a size limit at Larto-Saline Complex?
Black bass (largemouth and spotted): 10 daily; Open year-round. Its own pamphlet rules sit in the limits band.
Can a visitor from Texas fish Larto-Saline Complex?
Louisiana anglers 18 and older carry a Basic Fishing License: $17 a year for residents and $68 for nonresidents.
What is the average depth of Larto-Saline Complex?
LDWF lists roughly 10 feet as the average.
Where can I pick up shiners near Larto-Saline Complex?
Buy bait before the drive; no listed shop is close.
Has LDWF added fish cover to Larto-Saline Complex?
Yes: 23 sites on the LDWF freshwater reef layer.
What was the latest reading at Larto-Saline Complex?
See the level panel (USACE Vicksburg District).
Were Florida bass put in Larto-Saline Complex?
The stocking band shows Florida Bass, 80,500 fingerlings, 2025.
Spend a Louisiana weekend on Larto-Saline Complex
Buy the Louisiana license online before you go.