Louisiana packs an unusual range of fishing into one state. In the north, clear-water reservoirs like Caney Lake and Toledo Bend produce trophy largemouth bass. In the middle, the Red River runs through five navigation pools stacked with bass, crappie, and catfish. Along the coast, Grand Isle and Port Fourchon put redfish, speckled trout, and offshore charters within a short run of the dock.
Those regions are far apart, and Caney Lake to Grand Isle is close to a six-hour drive. That distance is exactly why an RV works well here. You can camp near one fishery for a few days, then move to the next, and you’ll find developed campgrounds with water and electric hookups near most of the state’s best-known fishing spots.
Best Places for RV Fishing in Louisiana
| Fishing spot | Best for | RV camping experience | Good to know |
| Caney Lake | Trophy largemouth bass, redear sunfish | Jimmie Davis State Park — water/electric, dump station | Holds the state bass record; small lake, heavy pressure in spring |
| Caddo Lake | Largemouth bass, crappie, bream | Earl G. Williamson Park (Oil City) — water/electric, budget rates | Straddles the Texas line; the state park is on the Texas side |
| Toledo Bend Reservoir | Largemouth bass, crappie, catfish | Two state parks plus private parks with full hookups | 185,000 acres — pick your end of the lake before you book |
| Black Lake | Crappie, catfish, largemouth bass | Private lots and lodges; no state park on the lake | Periodic LDWF drawdowns for giant salvinia control |
| Red River | Bass, white bass, crappie, catfish | Grand Ecore RV Park — 59 full-hookup sites | Ramps close when river stages get high |
| Lake Verret | Bass, crappie, bream, catfish | Lake End Park, Morgan City — full hookups | Boat access only to Elm Hall WMA |
| Tangipahoa River | Spotted bass, bream, crappie | Full-hookup family resorts near Robert and Hammond | Small, shallow river — jon boats and kayaks |
| Grand Isle | Redfish, speckled trout, tarpon | Grand Isle State Park — water/electric pull-throughs | Pier and boardwalks still closed from Hurricane Ida |
| Port Fourchon | Offshore tuna, snapper, mahi; marsh redfish | Marina RV hookups; Grand Isle SP about 15 miles away | Offshore species need a free landing permit |
| Jean Lafitte / Barataria | Speckled trout, redfish | Bayou Segnette State Park — water/electric, 98 sites | Closest saltwater base camp to New Orleans |
Fishing Spots in Louisiana
Here are some of the best fishing spots in Louisiana. You’ll find plenty of redfish fishing in the state, along with a variety of other fish to catch.
Caney Lake
Caney Lake is a 5,000-acre reservoir that sits between Chatham and Jonesboro in Jackson Parish. The state’s record largemouth bass, which weighed around 15.97 pounds, came from these waters. Caney Lake also produces yellow bass, crappie, and bluegill.
RV Trip Snapshot
- Base camp: Jimmie Davis State Park sits on a peninsula in the lake and has premium and improved campsites.
- Fishing access: Two boat launches and a fishing pier inside the park. Bank access along undeveloped shoreline and near the landings.
- Hookups: Water and electric at campsites, with a dump station rather than sewer at most sites. Concrete back-in pads accommodate larger rigs.
- Good for: Anglers who want to launch, fish, and be ten minutes from their campsite.
Caddo Lake
Caddo Lake straddles the Louisiana–Texas line northwest of Shreveport, covering roughly 26,000 acres across Caddo Parish and two Texas counties. It is a maze of bald cypress, Spanish moss, sloughs, and bayous rather than an open reservoir, and both states stock Florida-strain largemouth bass into it. Largemouth, crappie, bluegill, and redear sunfish are the main sport fish.
LDWF’s management plan lists six boat launches on the Louisiana side. The Mooringsport ramp and the ramp at Earl G. Williamson Park are public while the others charge a launch fee.
RV Trip Snapshot
- Base camp: Earl G. Williamson Park in Oil City, a Caddo Parish facility on the lakeshore with RV sites, tent sites, and primitive sites.
- Fishing access: Public boat launch on site, plus shoreline fishing. Several campsites sit at the water’s edge.
- Hookups: Water and electric at the RV sites; primitive sites available at lower rates. Not a resort, expect a basic parish park.
- Good for: Budget-conscious anglers and anyone who wants to fish the Louisiana side without crossing into Texas each morning.
Toledo Bend Reservoir
Toledo Bend Reservoir is among the good fishing spots in Louisiana. It stretches from south to north along the Louisiana-Texas border. This spot covers more than 185,000 acres, making it the fifth-biggest artificial lake in the United States. Toledo Bend offers over 1,200 miles of shoreline for birdwatchers, anglers, and general nature enthusiasts. It is best known nationally for largemouth bass, and it also holds crappie, white bass, and catfish. Louisiana allows anglers to possess up to 100 crappie on Toledo Bend, a higher limit than the statewide rule.
The lake is big enough that where you camp determines what you fish. The north end near Logansport, and the south end near the dam are more than an hour apart by road.
RV Trip Snapshot
- Base camp: North Toledo Bend State Park near Zwolle, or South Toledo Bend State Park near the dam. Private parks around the lake offer full hookups.
- Fishing access: Both state parks have boat launches and fish cleaning stations. North Toledo Bend has a double ramp and boat rentals.
- Hookups: State park sites are water and electric with a dump station. For sewer at the site, look to the private parks.
- Good for: Longer stays and serious bass anglers — plus families, since North Toledo Bend has a swimming pool and trails.
Black Lake
Black Lake sits between Campti and Creston, about 15 miles northeast of Natchitoches, and spans Natchitoches and Red River parishes. It is a shallow cypress lake, and the Louisiana Highway 9 bridge splits it. The western side is Black Lake, and the eastern side is Clear Lake. Crappie, catfish, and largemouth bass are the draw, and the fish move down the channel toward Black Bayou as water temperatures drop in fall and winter.
LDWF periodically schedules temporary drawdowns on Black and Clear Lake to control giant salvinia. Check the agency’s notices before committing to dates.
RV Trip Snapshot
- Base camp: There is no state park on the lake. Private lots, lodges, and camps near the Black Lake bridge and boat launch offer sites with water, electric, and sewer.
- Fishing access: Public launches include Chandler’s Camp and Black Lake Haven. Both stay open during drawdown periods.
- Hookups: Varies by operator so confirm directly before booking.
- Good for: Anglers who want an uncrowded cypress lake and don’t need campground amenities.
Red River
The Red River is one of Louisiana’s best bass fisheries, thanks to its lock-and-dam system. Five locks and dams completed in 1994 created five pools and a navigation channel running from the confluence with the Old River up to Shreveport and Bossier City. Each pool is like a small lake, with stabilized water levels and large flooded backwaters. The Red River Waterway Commission has stocked Florida-strain largemouth fingerlings into all five pools.
Expect largemouth and spotted bass, white bass around the rock jetties, crappie, and catfish in the deep holes. Water clarity in the backwaters is usually around a foot, which suits bass fishing well.
RV Trip Snapshot
- Base camp: Grand Ecore RV Park near Natchitoches, a Red River Waterway Commission facility with 59 full-hookup sites, or Colfax RV Park at Lock and Dam 3.
- Fishing access: Grand Ecore sits next to a recreation area with a boat launch and floating dock. The Commission maintains roughly 20 recreation areas along the river, most with launches.
- Hookups: Grand Ecore has water, sewer, and electric hookups at every site on concrete pads, with 24 pull-throughs. It’s also big-rig friendly.
- Good for: Travelers moving through central Louisiana who want a full-hookup site and a ramp in the same place.
Lake Verret
Lake Verret is a roughly 14,000-acre natural lake near Pierre Part in Assumption Parish, part of the Atchafalaya Basin. Cypress trees, slow-moving marsh, and about 60 miles of mostly wooded shoreline define it. Largemouth bass, crappie, bream, and catfish are the common catches, and the lake hosts regular bass tournaments. It’s roughly an hour from Baton Rouge.
Elm Hall Wildlife Management Area, about 2,800 acres, forms part of the lake’s eastern edge and is accessible only by boat, which keeps fishing pressure low back in the canals. Bald eagles nest in the cypress there.
RV Trip Snapshot
- Base camp: Lake End Park in Morgan City, a municipal campground on Lake Palourde with full-hookup RV sites, a marina, and a boat launch. About a half-hour south of Pierre Part on LA 70.
- Fishing access: Public launches on Lake Verret at Attakapas Landing at the end of LA 401, at Pierre Part off LA 70, and on the northwest shore off Shell Beach Road.
- Hookups: Water, sewer, and electric hookups at Lake End Park, with pull-through options.
- Good for: Anglers with a trailered boat who want full hookups and don’t mind a short drive to the launch.
Tangipahoa River
The Tangipahoa River rises in southwest Mississippi near McComb, runs 122 miles south, and empties into the northwest corner of Lake Pontchartrain southeast of Ponchatoula. It’s a smaller, sandier river than most Louisiana fishing waters. A Corps of Engineers study noted it as one of the few Louisiana streams with water quality good enough to support strong spotted bass populations; largemouth, crappie, catfish, and bream are also present.
Public ramps sit at Ponchatoula Beach and Lee Landing. This is jon boat and kayak water, not the place for a big bass boat.
RV Trip Snapshot
- Base camp: Full-hookup family campgrounds cluster around Robert and Hammond, a short drive from the river and close to I-12 and I-55.
- Fishing access: Bank and wade access at public landings; most small boats are launched from the bank or at the two ramps.
- Hookups: Full hookups are standard at the private parks in this area; concrete pads and pull-throughs are common.
- Good for: Families combining a fishing trip with New Orleans or Baton Rouge day trips. Both are under an hour away.
Grand Isle
Grand Isle is a popular fishing spot on the Gulf Coast. It’s a barrier island that stretches about eight miles east to west and has a beach on its southern border. This fishing spot is home to the International Tarpon Rodeo, a fishing tournament meant for anglers pursuing tarpon that migrate to Louisiana’s coastal waters during summer. Redfish, speckled trout, amberjack, sailfish, blue marlin, and mahi-mahi are the most common fish species you will find here.
RV Trip Snapshot
- Base camp: Grand Isle State Park at the island’s eastern end, with paved pull-through RV sites.
- Fishing access: Beach fishing from the park. The park’s Gulf fishing pier was destroyed by Hurricane Ida and remains closed, and the boardwalks are closed as well. Beach and campsite access points are limited.
- Hookups: Water and electric at RV sites. Sites accommodate long rigs.
- Good for: Surf anglers and anyone planning to fish from a charter boat. Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, and the park closes for approaching storms.
Port Fourchon
Port Fourchon sits at the end of LA 1 at the bottom of Lafourche Parish and offers the shortest run to deep Gulf water in Louisiana. Charters from the marinas here aim for tuna, red snapper, grouper, cobia, wahoo, and mahi-mahi, often fishing near offshore rigs. Closer in, the marshes, tidal flow, and rock jetties hold redfish.
The Greater Lafourche Port Commission operates the free Irvin P. Melancon Recreational Boat Launch, which includes a kayak launch, ADA-accessible ramps, and elevated restrooms.
RV Trip Snapshot
- Base camp: Port Fourchon Motel & Marina offers RV hookups at the water. Grand Isle State Park is about 15 miles away and works as a more developed alternative.
- Fishing access: Free public launch plus several marinas with fuel, ice, and fish cleaning stations.
- Hookups: Limited and marina-based. Be sure to reserve well ahead.
- Good for: Anglers booking an offshore charter who want to sleep near the dock before a pre-dawn departure.
Jean Lafitte and the Barataria Marshes
The marshes south of New Orleans around Jean Lafitte and Barataria Bay produce speckled trout and redfish in volume, and the area is easy to reach from the city. This is protected inshore water, fishable in a bay boat on days when the Gulf isn’t an option.
RV Trip Snapshot
- Base camp: Bayou Segnette State Park in Westwego, about 15 minutes from downtown New Orleans.
- Fishing access: Boat launch into Bayou Segnette leading to the Barataria estuary, plus fishing piers in the park. You can catch both fresh and saltwater species in the area.
- Hookups: Water and 50-amp electric at sites, with a dump station and free laundry. Sites handle rigs up to about 50 feet. Watch out for the speed bumps at the entrance.
- Good for: Anglers who want marsh fishing in the morning and the French Quarter in the evening.
How to Plan an RV Fishing Trip in Louisiana
Here are tips to plan an RV fishing trip in Louisiana.
Choose an RV-Friendly Base Camp
Louisiana’s state parks are the backbone of RV fishing here, and most have the same amenities. They often have water and electric at the site, a dump station near the exit, and a boat launch on the property. You don’t often get sewer hookups at your site. If you need full hookups, look at the Red River Waterway Commission parks at Grand Ecore and Colfax, private parks around Toledo Bend, or municipal campgrounds like Lake End Park in Morgan City.
Book early for spring. March through May is peak season for bass and bedding bream statewide, and lakefront sites at Jimmie Davis and the Toledo Bend parks fill first.
On the coast, make sure to consider hurricane season, which runs from June 1 through November 30. Coastal parks close ahead of storms, and damage from past storms still affects what’s open. Check park status before you begin your trip.
Pack Your RV for a Fishing Trip
Here are the things to pack for your Louisiana fishing trip.
- Rods and reels matched to your target. Bring heavier gear for reservoir bass, lighter tackle for bream and crappie
- Terminal tackle, lures, and live bait containers
- Cooler and ice for the catch. Bring fish cleaning supplies if the campground doesn’t have a station
- Sunscreen, polarized sunglasses, and lightweight long-sleeved shirts
- Serious insect repellent. Mosquitoes in the marsh and swamp parks are relentless after dark
- Rain gear; afternoon thunderstorms are routine from late spring through summer
- Life jackets for everyone aboard, and a VHF radio if you’re at the Red River near the locks
- Printed or downloaded regulations, since cell service is limited at several of these lakes
Know Before You Go
Anglers 18 and older need a Basic Fishing License to fish recreationally in Louisiana. Anyone 17 and under does not need a license. If you’re fishing south of the state’s saltwater line and targeting saltwater species, you need a Saltwater License in addition to the Basic license, not instead of it.
Offshore anglers need one more document: a free Recreational Offshore Landing Permit is required to possess tuna, billfish, amberjack, snapper, grouper, cobia, wahoo, mahi-mahi, or gray triggerfish. Anglers on a paid for-hire charter are exempt.
A few other planning notes:
- WMA access: Fishing on LDWF-managed lands, including Elm Hall and Caddo Lake Wildlife Management Areas, requires a WMA Access Permit for anyone 18 or older.
- Water levels: Red River boat ramps close at specific river stages. LDWF schedules drawdowns on lakes like Black and Clear Lake for invasive plant control.
- Alligators: They’re present in nearly every south Louisiana body of water listed here, including state park campgrounds. Keep pets leashed and away from the bank.
Check current seasons, size limits, and bag limits with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries before your trip. Regulations change.
Find an RV for Your Louisiana Fishing Trip
Louisiana’s best fishing is spread across the state, and an RV makes it practical to fish more than one area on a single trip. Park at Jimmie Davis for the bass, then move south to the marsh a few days later without needing a hotel near a boat launch.
An RV also makes it easier to handle your gear. Rods, tackle boxes, waders, nets, and coolers all travel easily with you. You can clean and cook your catch at the campsite, leave before sunrise without checking out of anywhere, and come back midday to rest out of the heat. If you’re traveling with family, someone can fish the pier while others head to the beach at Grand Isle or the pool at North Toledo Bend.
Find your RV for a Louisiana fishing trip and start planning.
