Vernon Lake Fishing
A 4,200-acre Louisiana lake in Vernon Parish.
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Vernon Lake in the LDWF management layer
LDWF lists Vernon Lake at 4,200 acres, lying in Vernon Parish. LDWF puts the mean depth at about 23 feet. Count on about 6 miles of road to Leesville, the closest town.
Trailers go in at 8 launches, of which 4 are public. The LDWF reef layer marks 2 sites in it. Statewide limits change here through 1 water-body exception. Its LDWF contact is the District 5 office.
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 LDWF says bites on Vernon Lake
For Vernon Lake, LDWF points anglers to Excellent for largemouth bass, bluegill, redear, and channel catfish; good for crappie.
LDWF advice for fishing Vernon Lake
Largemouth bass: large bass in spring with soft plastics and crank-baits on drop-offs, buzzbaits and frogs over lily pad beds in early morning and late evening; crappie: night fishing around duck blinds and structure with shiners in fall and winter, in s
What the bottom of Vernon Lake holds
Lily pad beds along shoreline; duck blinds, piers, drop-offs
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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Here are the 2 artificial reefs LDWF built at Vernon Lake.
| Reef | Deployed | Depth | Material | Target fish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spillway reef 1 | 12/1/2017 | 9-12 ft. | Rolled PVC cemented in bottom in arcs. 1256 square feet | Crappie, Sunfish, and Bass |
| Spillway reef 2 | 12/1/2017 | 9-12 ft. | Rolled PVC cemented in bottom in arcs. 3750 square feet | Crappie, Sunfish, and Bass |
LDWF Freshwater Artificial Reefs layer (deployment, depth, material and target species as published), retrieved October 28, 2026.
Putting an LDWF-registered boat onto Vernon Lake
- Biven's East launch on Vernon Lake1-lane concrete ramp, public
- Biven's West launch on Vernon Lake1-lane gravel ramp, public
- Lake View Landing on Vernon Lake1-lane concrete ramp, public, fee, Public; park entrance fee
- Twin Bridges launch on Vernon Lake1-lane gravel ramp, private, fee, Private; $2 to launch
- Vernon Park1-lane sand ramp, private, Private; monthly membership
- Vernon Spillway Park1-lane concrete ramp, public, fee, Public; pay to launch
- Hickory Ridge launch on Vernon Lakeboat launch private
- Vernon Lake Spillwayboat launch private
Where LDWF says you can fish from land: Access at Hickory Ridge Park (by appointment only; call 337-238-0324), Spillway Park, where Hwy 171 and Hwy 111 cross the lake, Biven’s and Biven’s West boat ramps; piers at Hwy 171 and Spillway Park
Other trailer launches by Vernon Lake
- Sandy Creek Landing on Anacoco LakeAnacoco Lake, 6 miles south
- Methodist Landing on Anacoco LakeAnacoco Lake, 6 miles south
- VFW Landing on Anacoco LakeAnacoco Lake, 8 miles south
- Spillway Park Landing on Anacoco LakeAnacoco Lake, 8 miles south
- Hadden's Ferry launch on Sabine RiverSabine River, 11 miles west
- Toledo Bend ResortToledo Bend Reservoir, 13 miles west
LDWF boat launch inventory (BoatRamps05152025) and LDWF Banks and Piers layer, retrieved October 28, 2026.
Florida bass and fry LDWF put in Vernon Lake
Hatchery releases on file for Vernon Lake:
- Florida BassFlorida Bass, 84,000 fingerlings, 2025 (Stocked January-June 2025.)
- Florida BassFlorida Bass, 84,000 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.
The pamphlet rules for Vernon 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 |
On Vernon Lake the freshwater statewide rows apply unless an exception below says otherwise.
LDWF exceptions written for Vernon Lake
| 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.
Neighbouring lakes and Vernon Lake in one table
Size leader among these neighbours: Toledo Bend Reservoir, 181,600 acres.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Average depth | Launches | LDWF reefs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vernon Lake | 4,200 | 23 ft | 8 | 2 | |
| Anacoco Lake | 7 miles south | 2,600 | 9.2 ft | 4 | 5 |
| Hodges Garden | 12 miles north | 215 | 20 ft | 0 | 0 |
| Fullerton Lake | 26 miles southeast | 24 | 1 | 0 | |
| Toledo Bend Reservoir | 33 miles northwest | 181,600 | 24 ft | 49 | 35 |
| Bundick Lake | 35 miles southeast | 1,750 | 5 ft | 4 | 9 |
LDWF Inland Waterbodies with Management Plans, launch inventory and reef layers; retrieved October 28, 2026.
What else is close to Vernon Lake
Louisiana still water close to Vernon Lake
- Anacoco Lake7 miles south
- Hodges Garden12 miles north
- Fullerton Lake26 miles southeast
- Toledo Bend Reservoir33 miles northwest
- Bundick Lake35 miles southeast
Stores that stock up Vernon Lake anglers
- Jeane Tacklebait and tackle shop, Evans, 15 miles
- B J's Grocery & Baitbait and tackle shop, Many, 25 miles
- Pirate Cove Marinamarina, Hornbeck
Towns handy to Vernon Lake
- Leesville7 miles
- New Llano9 miles
- Fort Polk South14 miles
Parish-by-parish pages for Vernon Lake
- Vernon Parishseat: Leesville
Piscifun casting and spinning gear packed for Vernon Lake
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Lakes and bayous close to Vernon Lake, pictured
Photo: Chrismiceli, Public domain
Photo: Charles Barilleaux, CC BY 2.0
Photo: US Forest Service – Southern Region, Public domain
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Photo: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0
Quick answers for a trip to Vernon Lake
Which parish is Vernon Lake in?
Head to Vernon Parish, about 6 miles from Leesville.
What acreage does LDWF list for Vernon Lake?
LDWF lists 4,200 acres.
Can I trailer a bass boat onto Vernon Lake?
LDWF lists 8 launches (4 public); Biven's East launch on Vernon Lake is one.
Does Vernon Lake hold bass and sac-a-lait?
Popular catches: largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish, channel catfish and white crappie.
Which 2026 Louisiana rules apply on Vernon Lake?
Black bass (largemouth and spotted): 10 daily; Open year-round. Check the exception table above as well.
What does LDWF charge for a license to fish Vernon Lake?
Louisiana anglers 18 and older carry a Basic Fishing License: $17 a year for residents and $68 for nonresidents.
How deep does LDWF say Vernon Lake is?
Its average depth is near 23 feet by LDWF.
Which shop on our list serves Vernon Lake?
Try Jeane Tackle, about 15 miles away, for live bait and ice.
Has LDWF sunk artificial reefs in Vernon Lake?
2 sites, each with depth and material above.
Does LDWF stock Vernon Lake?
Latest on file: Florida Bass, 84,000 fingerlings, 2025.
Get the bay boat or bass boat to Vernon Lake soon
Read the limits, then choose the launch nearest your target water.