Fishing in De Soto Parish, Louisiana
Parish seat: Mansfield. Population 26,812.
- 3lake pages
- 6launches
- 2river and bayou pages
Pick for white bassPiscifun Viper X spinning reel50% OFFSale $39.99 Photo of Toledo Bend Reservoir: Billy Hathorn, CC BY-SA 3.0
Where De Soto Parish fits on a Louisiana fishing map
De Soto Parish keeps its courthouse in Mansfield, and 26,812 people lived in the parish at the 2020 Census. It sits in what this guide calls North Louisiana, a map grouping, not an agency region. A neighbouring state holds part of Toledo Bend Reservoir and Sabine River.
The largest of 3 paged lakes is Toledo Bend Reservoir, and all of them span 186,928 acres. LDWF records 6 boat launches in the parish; 5 are public. Shore fishing has 2 bank or pier sites on LDWF maps, and 0 include a pier.
Census 2020 population; LDWF Inland Waterbodies, boat launch inventory, Banks and Piers and artificial reef layers; GNIS coastal names; retrieved October 2026.
Where boats go in across De Soto Parish
LDWF boat launch inventory and Banks and Piers layer, LDWF lake points, NHD river midpoints and GNIS coastal points. Checked October 2026.
Lakes and reservoirs mapped by LDWF in De Soto Parish
| Lake | Acres | Launches | Depth | Fish LDWF names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toledo Bend Reservoir | 181,600 | 49 | 24 ft average | largemouth bass, white bass, white crappie |
| Clear Lake and Smithport Lakes | 3,028 | 1 | 4 ft average | largemouth bass, white crappie, bluegill |
| Wallace Lake (De Soto Parish) | 2,300 | 3 | 3.4 ft average | largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish |
Beyond the De Soto Parish line, these lake pages lie closest to Mansfield.
| Lake | From Mansfield | Acres | Launches | Depth | Fish LDWF names |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red River Pool 5 | 24 miles north | 10,800 | 4 | 10 ft average | flathead catfish, largemouth bass, white crappie |
| Grand Bayou Reservoir | 26 miles east | 2,500 | 1 | 10 ft average | largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish |
| Lake Bistineau | 34 miles northeast | 17,200 | 19 | 9 ft average | largemouth bass, white crappie, redear sunfish |
| Cross Lake | 34 miles north | 8,576 | 4 | 7.7 ft average | largemouth bass, channel catfish, white crappie |
| Kepler Creek Lake | 39 miles northeast | 1,925 | 3 | 8.7 ft average | largemouth bass, redear sunfish, black crappie |
| Sibley Lake | 39 miles southeast | 2,175 | 3 | 7 ft average | largemouth bass, white crappie |
LDWF Inland Waterbodies with Management Plans (published size, average depth, popular species), LOWA records and LDWF stocking releases; retrieved October 2026.
For the white bass herePiscifun AlumiX spinning reel46% OFFSale $64.99 Fish named for water near De Soto Parish
Within 50 miles of Mansfield, largemouth bass turns up on more water pages than any other fish.
Species named in LDWF popular-species text, the LOWA state record list and LDWF stocking releases, counted per water page within 50 miles; not a survey.
River and bayou guides for De Soto Parish
- Sabine RiverLDWF management plan water, 2 LDWF-listed launches, 267 mi of main channel in Louisiana
- Bayou Pierre (Caddo Parish)1 LDWF-listed launch, 85 mi of main channel in Louisiana
How De Soto Parish rivers are running today
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Cypress Bayou Near Keithville, La | 0 cfs, 1.46 ft gage height | Nov 12 8:00 pm |
| Bayou Grand Cane Near Stanley, La | 0 cfs, 1.87 ft gage height | Nov 12 7:30 pm |
| Bayou San Patricio Near Benson, La | 0 cfs, 5.56 ft gage height | Nov 12 7:30 pm |
US Geological Survey provisional data, retrieved Nov 12, 2026 8:32 pm ET. Provisional readings can be revised.
USGS NHD flowlines and lengths, Louisiana Natural and Scenic Rivers list, LDWF launches and USGS gauges; retrieved October 2026.
LDWF hatchery releases that reached De Soto Parish
- Toledo Bend ReservoirFlorida Bass, 499,400 fingerlings, 2025
- Toledo Bend ReservoirFlorida Bass, 620,000 fingerlings, 2024
- Toledo Bend ReservoirFlorida Bass, 41,900 fingerlings, 2024
- Clear Lake and Smithport LakesFlorida Bass, 15,100 fingerlings, 2025
LDWF hatchery stocking releases (spring 2024 and 2025 per-water tables, single stockings to 2026); LDWF publishes no per-row dates; Get Out and Fish sites from the LDWF Banks and Piers layer.
LDWF access sites listed for De Soto Parish
- Circle Drive Landing on Toledo Bend ReservoirToledo Bend Reservoir, 1-lane concrete ramp, private, fee
- Garrett Park on Toledo Bend ReservoirToledo Bend Reservoir, 2-lane concrete ramp, public, no fee
- Hwy 509 Ramp on Clear Lake and Smithport LakesClear Lake and Smithport Lakes, 2-lane concrete ramp, public, no fee
- Logansport Boat Launch on Toledo Bend ReservoirToledo Bend Reservoir, 1-lane concrete ramp, public, no fee
- SRA Parksite 2, Oak Ridge Park on Toledo Bend ReservoirToledo Bend Reservoir, 2-lane concrete ramp, public, fee
- SRA Parksite 3-A on Toledo Bend ReservoirToledo Bend Reservoir, 1-lane dirt ramp, public, no fee
Shore access in De Soto Parish (2)
- Logansport City Park (Sabine River) on Toledo Bend Reservoirbank fishing
- Toledeo Bend Oak Ridge Recreation Area on Toledo Bend Reservoirfishing site
LDWF boat launch inventory (BoatRamps05152025), coastal launches and Banks and Piers layer; retrieved October 2026.
Daily creel limits that govern De Soto Parish
Every De Soto Parish water missing from the exception list uses these statewide rows. The LDWF Basic Fishing License runs $17 a year for Louisiana residents and $68 for anglers from other states.
| Species | Limit | 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 |
Waters of De Soto Parish with their own LDWF rules (10)
| Water | Where | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Toledo Bend Reservoir and the Sabine River above Toledo Bend | Black bass: Sabine River upstream from Toledo Bend Reservoir to the point at which the entire river enters TX (state line is marked with a sign). | 14" MLL for Largemouth Bass; no MLL for Spotted Bass; 8 daily in combination or aggregate |
| Toledo Bend Reservoir | Crappie: Whole water | no size limit; 25 daily; 100 fish possession limit |
| Caddo Lake, Sabine River and Toledo Bend Reservoir | White bass: Whole water | no size limit; 25 daily |
| Caddo Lake, Sabine River and Toledo Bend Reservoir | Yellow bass: Whole water | no size limit; No limit |
| Caddo Lake, Sabine River and Toledo Bend Reservoir | Blue and channel catfish: Whole water | Blue & Channel Catfish: no size limit; 50 daily in the aggregate; no more than five over 30" total length |
| Caddo Lake, Sabine River and Toledo Bend Reservoir | Flathead catfish: Whole water | Flathead Catfish: 18" MLL; 10 daily |
| Toledo Bend Reservoir | Whole water | No gill nets, trammel nets, flag webbing or fish seines. No hoop nets from March 1 to May 15 (only in that portion of the reservoir from a point north of Logansport where the lake enters Texas and south to a point on the lake where the Texas Duck Refuge Canal |
| Sabine River from Toledo Bend dam to I-10 | Black bass: Whole water | 12" MLL for Largemouth Bass; no MLL for Spotted Bass; 8 daily in combination or aggregate |
| Sabine River south of I-10 (Louisiana waters only) | Black bass: Whole water | Statewide regulations apply; 10 daily |
| Caddo Lake, Poverty Point, and Sabine River | Crappie: Whole water | no size limit; 25 daily; 50 fish possession limit |
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. 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.
LOWA list entries connected to De Soto Parish
| Species | Weight (lb) | Division | Water | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bass, Hybrid Yellow | 3.19 | Rod & Reel | Sabine River | March 2019 |
| Bass, Striped | 47.50 | Rod & Reel | Toledo Bend Reservoir | August. 1991 |
| Bowfin (Choupique) | 20.50 | Rod & Reel | Toledo Bend Reservoir | April 1976 |
| Buffalo, Smallmouth | 45.00 | Rod & Reel | Toledo Bend Reservoir | November 2019 |
Louisiana Outdoor Writers Association (LOWA) state fish records list, records current through the record awarded September 25, 2026; LDWF keeps no record list.
Shops and guide services listed in De Soto Parish
Shop listings for De Soto Parish
- Blue Bird Bait & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Mansfield
- Circle Drive Landingbait and tackle shop, Mansfield
- Fishing Frenzy Tackle & Outdoorsbait and tackle shop, Stonewall
Yellow Pages and chain store listings, guide and charter listings (parish of business); retrieved October 2026.
Beside De Soto Parish
Places to stay while fishing De Soto Parish
- Mansfieldpop. 4,714
- Stonewallpop. 2,273
- Logansportpop. 1,340
The next parishes over from De Soto Parish
- Red River Parish23 miles east
- Sabine Parish36 miles south
- Caddo Parish37 miles north
- Bossier Parish44 miles north
Piscifun casting and spinning gear packed for De Soto Parish
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
Lakes and bayous close to De Soto Parish, pictured
Photo: Chrismiceli, Public domain
Photo: Michael McCarthy (msm62166), CC BY 2.0
Photo: David Pirmann, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Billy Hathorn at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
Common asks on fishing De Soto Parish
How many boat launches does LDWF list in De Soto Parish?
6 launches in all, 5 public.
Which LDWF-sized lake in De Soto Parish covers the most ground?
Toledo Bend Reservoir, at 181,600 acres as LDWF publishes it.
Which species lead the lists near De Soto Parish?
Largemouth bass lead the count of water pages within 50 miles, followed by bluegill, white crappie and redear sunfish.
Is there a bait stand in De Soto Parish?
There are 3, Blue Bird Bait & Tackle among them.
Which guide listings name De Soto Parish?
No guide service in the listings is based here.
Where is the De Soto Parish courthouse?
Mansfield, home of the courthouse.
Which Louisiana license covers De Soto Parish water?
The LDWF Basic Fishing License runs $17 a year for Louisiana residents and $68 for anglers from other states.
Which parishes wrap around De Soto Parish?
The nearest parish pages are Red River Parish, Sabine Parish and Caddo Parish.
Do any De Soto Parish waters carry special LDWF limits?
The 2026 pamphlet prints 10 water-body exceptions touching this parish, starting with Toledo Bend Reservoir and the Sabine River above Toledo Bend; the table above shows each.
Has a Louisiana record fish come from De Soto Parish?
Bass, Hybrid Yellow, 3.19 lb, from Sabine River (March 2019).
Hook up the boat for De Soto Parish
Open a lake for its launches, limits and reefs.