Poverty Point Reservoir Fishing
A 2,785-acre Louisiana reservoir in Richland and Madison parishes.
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Poverty Point Reservoir at a glance for Louisiana anglers
Poverty Point Reservoir spans 2,785 acres of reservoir water in Richland and Madison parishes, by the LDWF figure. Its average depth is about 7.4 feet, per LDWF. A run of about 4 miles reaches Delhi, the closest town.
The LDWF launch inventory lists 3 launches, 3 of them public. There are 1 pier or bank site as well. Anglers can fish 7 LDWF reef sites. Read 6 water-body exceptions before keeping fish. Questions go to LDWF District 2.
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 2; 368 Century Tel Dr, Monroe, LA 71203; 318-343-4044.
Bass, sac-a-lait and catfish on Poverty Point Reservoir
Popular species on the LDWF record for Poverty Point Reservoir: Excellent for crappie and blue and channel catfish; good for largemouth bass (stocked annually); sunfish also available.
Seasonal patterns LDWF gives for Poverty Point Reservoir
Bass: shallow cover in coves during spring, near creek channels and brush piles in summer on crankbaits; catfish: shallow flats using cutbait
Stumps, grass and timber in Poverty Point Reservoir
Stumps near old creek channels
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 reef crews left 7 sites at Poverty Point Reservoir; each row gives depth, material and target fish.
| Reef | Deployed | Depth | Material | Target fish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shallow Bay | 7/17/2017 | 7 ft. | Feed pallet trees, cane buckets, natural brush, gas pipe buckets with cane | Largemouth Bass, Sunfish |
| Choctaw Trail | 7/17/2017 | 9-24 ft | Feed pallet trees | Crappie,Sunfish |
| Marina Cove Point | 2/23/2026 | 8ft | 1 dozen Christmas trees | Bass, Crappie |
| 5 Snags | 5/28/2019 | 7 – 9 ft. | 35 pipe/pallet structures | crappie,bass |
| Northwest Snags | 6/7/2023 | 10 ft. | Mossback Fish Attractors: four 8 ft. trees | bass, crappie |
| Old Pier | 6/7/2023 | 10 ft. | Mossback Fish Attractors: two 8 ft. trees, five 6 ft. trees | bass, crappie |
| Jungle Reef | 5/22/2024 | 8 ft. | 15 poly bushes | bass, crappie |
LDWF Freshwater Artificial Reefs layer (deployment, depth, material and target species as published), retrieved October 28, 2026.
Backing a trailer down at Poverty Point Reservoir
- Bayou Macon@PPSP on Poverty Point Reservoir1-lane concrete ramp, public
- Poverty Point State Park North Facility5-lane concrete ramp, public
- Poverty Point State Park South Facility5-lane concrete ramp, public
Fishing Poverty Point Reservoir on foot
- Poverty Point Reservoir State Parkfishing pier, Pier, bank access, restrooms
Bank access, in the LDWF words: Piers and shoreline access at both state parks
More LDWF launches a short tow from Poverty Point Reservoir
- Bayou Macon (Hwy 80)Bayou Macon, 4 miles south
- Baker's Cutoff launch on Bakers Cut-offBakers Cut-off, 12 miles south
- Bunge Ramp on Cypress CreekCypress Creek, 12 miles northwest
- Bull Chute launch on Bonne Idee BayouBonne Idee Bayou, 13 miles northwest
LDWF boat launch inventory (BoatRamps05152025) and LDWF Banks and Piers layer, retrieved October 28, 2026.
The LDWF stocking file for Poverty Point Reservoir
Releases LDWF lists for Poverty Point Reservoir:
- Florida BassFlorida Bass, 20,100 fingerlings, 2025 (Stocked January-June 2025.)
- Florida BassFlorida Bass, 20,000 fingerlings, 2024 (Stocked January-June 2024.)
- Hybrid Striped BassHybrid Striped Bass, 7,100 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.
Louisiana freshwater limits on Poverty Point Reservoir
| 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 Poverty Point Reservoir, with any listed exception on top.
Water-body rules LDWF prints for Poverty Point Reservoir
| Water as printed | Where | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty Point Reservoir | Black bass: Whole water | 15-19" protected SL; 8 daily; no more than one over 19" total length. Fish falling within a protected slot limit must be immediately released. |
| Poverty Point Reservoir | Crappie: Whole water | 25 daily; 50 fish possession limit |
| Caddo Lake, Poverty Point, and Sabine River | Crappie: Whole water | no size limit; 25 daily; 50 fish possession limit |
| Poverty Point Lake and Bussey Brake Reservoir | Whole water | No trotlines or yo-yos. |
| Poverty Point Reservoir | Whole water | No hoop nets, wire nets, or seines. |
| Poverty Point Lake and Bussey Brake Reservoir | Whole water | No slat traps. |
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.
LOWA record catches pulled from Poverty Point Reservoir
| Species | Division | Weight | Angler | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRAPPIE, BLACK | Rod & Reel | 3.84 lb | Randy K. Causey | April 2010 |
| CRAPPIE, WHITE | Fly Fishing | 2.28 lb | Gary Peterson | March 2026 |
Louisiana Outdoor Writers Association state fish records (rank 1 entries; LDWF keeps no record list), retrieved October 28, 2026. All Louisiana records.
Comparing Poverty Point Reservoir with nearby Louisiana lakes
The biggest lake in the table is Bonne Idee Bayou with 1,900 acres.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Average depth | Launches | LDWF reefs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poverty Point Reservoir | 2,785 | 7.4 ft | 3 | 7 | |
| Horseshoe Lake (Mer Rouge) | 19 miles northwest | 133 | 4.5 ft | 1 | 0 |
| Bonne Idee Bayou | 22 miles northwest | 1,900 | 6.5 ft | 5 | 0 |
| Lake Providence | 27 miles northeast | 1,380 | 12 ft | 3 | 7 |
| Bartholomew, Desiard and Black Bayou Complex | 32 miles west | 800 | 14 ft | 4 | 0 |
| Black Bayou Lake (Ouachita Parish) | 33 miles west | 800 | 1 | 0 |
LDWF Inland Waterbodies with Management Plans, launch inventory and reef layers; retrieved October 28, 2026.
The parish country around Poverty Point Reservoir
Louisiana lakes a short drive from Poverty Point Reservoir
- Horseshoe Lake (Mer Rouge)19 miles northwest
- Bonne Idee Bayou22 miles northwest
- Lake Providence27 miles northeast
- Bartholomew, Desiard and Black Bayou Complex32 miles west
- Black Bayou Lake (Ouachita Parish)33 miles west
Louisiana tackle counters close to Poverty Point Reservoir
- Smith's Live Baitbait and tackle shop, Mangham, 21 miles
Places to sleep near Poverty Point Reservoir
- Delhi4 miles
- Rayville16 miles
- Tallulah19 miles
Parish guides covering Poverty Point Reservoir
- Richland Parishseat: Rayville
- Madison Parishseat: Tallulah
A Piscifun outfit to take down to Poverty Point Reservoir
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Pictures of fishing water by Poverty Point Reservoir
Photo: Sinneed, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Bart Everson, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Ktkvtsh, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Billy Hathorn, CC BY 3.0
Questions people ask LDWF about Poverty Point Reservoir, answered here
How do I spot Poverty Point Reservoir on a parish map?
Look in Richland and Madison parishes, about 4 miles from Delhi.
How big is Poverty Point Reservoir by the LDWF figure?
2,785 acres by the LDWF size field.
Is there a public launch on Poverty Point Reservoir?
3 launches in the LDWF inventory; try Bayou Macon@PPSP on Poverty Point Reservoir.
What does LDWF say anglers catch at Poverty Point Reservoir?
white crappie, channel catfish, largemouth bass, bluegill, blue catfish, black crappie and hybrid striped bass, by LDWF and the records.
Which pamphlet rules reach Poverty Point Reservoir?
Black bass (largemouth and spotted): 10 daily; Open year-round. The pamphlet also prints an exception for this water; see the limits band.
Which LDWF license do I carry on Poverty Point Reservoir?
Louisiana anglers 18 and older carry a Basic Fishing License: $17 a year for residents and $68 for nonresidents.
Is Poverty Point Reservoir a shallow lake?
Average about 7.4 feet; LDWF prints no deepest point.
Which tackle counter on our Louisiana list sits nearest Poverty Point Reservoir?
Smith's Live Bait is the nearest tackle stop we list, about 21 miles away.
Where did LDWF put reefs in Poverty Point Reservoir?
The reef band maps 7 sites.
What record-book fish came out of Poverty Point Reservoir?
CRAPPIE, BLACK, 3.84 lb, by Randy K. Causey (April 2010).
What has LDWF stocked in Poverty Point Reservoir?
Hatchery rows include Florida Bass, 20,100 fingerlings, 2025.
Take the back roads to Poverty Point Reservoir
Every Louisiana fee and creel limit is one click away.