Fishing near Shreveport, Louisiana
Caddo Parish, population 187,593.
- 6 milesto nearest paged water
- 8launches nearby
Pick for channel catfishPiscifun LumiCat II catfish rod48% OFFSale $114.99 Photo: Bart Everson, CC BY 2.0
Water a short drive from Shreveport
187,593 people called Shreveport home in 2020; it is a city of Caddo Parish. About 6 miles northwest lies Cross Lake, the closest water with its own guide. For open water, Caddo Lake leads at 26,800 acres. South Lakeshore Ramp on Cross Lake is the nearest launch at 4 miles.
Without a boat, Ford Park (Cross Lake) on Cross Lake is about 3 miles away. A stocked pond, Turner's Pond, sits some 32 miles away.
Census 2020 population and Gazetteer point for Shreveport; miles are straight lines.
Lake pages closest to Shreveport
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Launches | Depth | Fish LDWF names |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cross Lake | 6 miles northwest | 8,576 | 4 | 7.7 ft average | largemouth bass, channel catfish, white crappie |
| Red River Pool 5 | 9 miles southeast | 10,800 | 4 | 10 ft average | flathead catfish, largemouth bass, white crappie |
| Wallace Lake (De Soto Parish) | 10 miles south | 2,300 | 3 | 3.4 ft average | largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish |
| Black Bayou Reservoir | 14 miles north | 620 | 1 | 9.9 ft average | largemouth bass, bluegill, white crappie |
| Cypress Bayou Reservoir | 17 miles northeast | 3,100 | 3 | 8.3 ft average | white crappie, channel catfish, largemouth bass |
| Caddo Lake | 24 miles northwest | 26,800 | 6 | 4.8 ft average | largemouth bass, white crappie, blue catfish |
LDWF Inland Waterbodies with Management Plans (published size, average depth, popular species); retrieved October 2026.
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USGS stream readings around Shreveport
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Cross Bayou At Shreveport, La | 144.79 ft gage height | Oct 31 5:30 pm |
| Red River At Bossier City, La | 14.27 ft gage height | Oct 31 5:15 pm |
US Geological Survey provisional data, retrieved Oct 31, 2026 6:33 pm ET. Provisional readings can be revised.
USGS NHD flowlines, Louisiana Natural and Scenic Rivers list, LDWF launches and USGS gauges; retrieved October 2026.
Ramps and piers plotted near Shreveport
- South Lakeshore Ramp on Cross LakeCross Lake, 4 miles
- Stoner Ramp on Red River Pool 5Red River Pool 5, 5 miles
- Barron's Landing on Cross LakeCross Lake, 6 miles
- Teague Parkway on Red River Pool 5Red River Pool 5, 6 miles
- Johnson's Ramp on Cross LakeCross Lake, 8 miles
- Richard Fleming Park on Cross LakeCross Lake, 9 miles
- Wallace Lake Road RampWallace Lake, 10 miles
- Cash Point on Red RiverRed River, 10 miles
Bank fishing by Shreveport
- Ford Park (Cross Lake) on Cross Lakefishing pier, 3 miles
- Cross Lake Municipal Pierfishing pier, 4 miles
- C. Bickham Dickson Park (Sunflower Lake)fishing pier, 6 miles
- Robert Fleming Park (Cross Lake)bank fishing, 9 miles
- Black Bayou Reservoir Fishing Pierfishing pier, 14 miles
LDWF boat launch inventory, coastal launches and Banks and Piers layer; retrieved October 2026.
Kid-friendly stocked ponds near Shreveport
| Water | Program | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Turner's Pond | Get Out and Fish community pond | 32 miles |
LDWF stocks these ponds with hatchery rainbow trout in winter and catfish at other times of year.
LDWF hatchery stocking releases (spring 2024 and 2025 per-water tables, single stockings to 2026); LDWF publishes no per-row dates; sites from the LDWF Banks and Piers layer.
Bait sellers working the Shreveport area
Live shrimp and shiners near Shreveport
- Lorant's Sports Center Incbait and tackle shop, Shreveport, 3 miles
- Bass Pro Shops Bossier Citysporting goods store, Bossier City, 5 miles
- Dick's Sporting Goods Shreveportsporting goods store, Shreveport, 5 miles
- Bacon's Tacklebait and tackle shop, Shreveport, 5 miles
- Academy Sports + Outdoors Shreveportsporting goods store, Shreveport, 5 miles
- Academy Sports + Outdoors Bossier Citysporting goods store, Bossier City, 8 miles
- Gator Bait Incbait and tackle shop, Shreveport, 10 miles
- Northwood Bait & Tackle Cobait and tackle shop, Shreveport, 10 miles
Yellow Pages and chain store listings (miles only for shops with an exact point), guide and charter listings; retrieved October 2026.
Tournaments near Shreveport
| Date | Event | Water | Organizer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 25, 2027 | Stage 2: Caddo Lake & Cross Lake (Dual-Lake Event) | Caddo Lake | Major League Fishing |
| Nov. 21, 2025 | MLF Bass Pro Shops Summit Cup, Shreveport-Bossier City (2025) | Cross Lake | Major League Fishing |
| Nov. 16, 2025 | Bass Pro Shops Summit Cup Presented by Zenni (Fishing Clash Team Series Presented by Bass Pro Shops) | Waters within 60 miles of Shreveport-Bossier City (revealed each morning) | Major League Fishing |
Organizer schedule and results pages for events in Caddo Parish or within 20 miles, checked October 2026.
LDWF creel limits for a Shreveport stay
From age 18 up, a Louisiana angler buys the Basic Fishing License: $17 for a resident, $68 for a nonresident.
| 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 |
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. Lake, bayou and coastal pages print any water-body exception.
Around Shreveport
Overnight towns ringing Shreveport
- Bossier City9 miles
- Greenwood10 miles
- Blanchard11 miles
- Red Chute13 miles
- Stonewall14 miles
Parish fishing guide for Shreveport
- Caddo Parishseat: Shreveport
Bayou-tough Piscifun reels for a day on Shreveport
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A picture guide to fish at Shreveport
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
Photo: USFWS Mountain Prairie, Public domain
Bunking in Shreveport for a fishing trip, in questions
Is there a lake within a few miles of Shreveport?
Cross Lake, 6 miles northwest.
How far is Shreveport from a boat launch?
South Lakeshore Ramp on Cross Lake, 4 miles away.
Where can kids fish from the bank near Shreveport?
Ford Park (Cross Lake) on Cross Lake, some 3 miles off.
Can Shreveport anglers buy live bait on the way out?
Lorant's Sports Center Inc, 3 miles away.
What parish covers Shreveport?
Caddo Parish, whose page maps each launch.
What does a Louisiana fishing license cost a Shreveport visitor?
Visitors buy the $68 nonresident Basic Fishing License for a year of fishing.
Which nearby lake to Shreveport has the most LDWF acres?
Caddo Lake, 26,800 acres, 24 miles away.
What town guide is next door to Shreveport?
Closest: Bossier City (9 miles), Greenwood (10 miles) and Blanchard (11 miles).
Which events launch near Shreveport?
3 events on file; next is Stage 2: Caddo Lake & Cross Lake (Dual-Lake Event) on Caddo Lake, Feb. 25, 2027.
Start the morning out of Shreveport
Each lake, bayou and bay above opens a full page.