Lake Maurepas fishing: Striped Bass, Largemouth Bass, Flathead Catfish

Target species: Striped Bass, Largemouth Bass, Flathead Catfish, White Crappie, Redear, Spotted Sunfish, Blue Catfish
Best months: Nov, Dec, Mar, Apr for Striped Bass
Second window: Mar, Apr, May, Oct for Largemouth Bass
Boat: 1 ramp or launch on file for this water.
Start here: Launch at Pass Manchac Ramp, 3 lanes.

The lake

Lake Maurepas covers 58,983 acres in Louisiana, across 3 counties: St. John the Baptist, Livingston and Tangipahoa. It is a lake: the deepest point measured is 42 feet (12.8 m). Our records hold 29 species for this water.

Sea Grant - Lake Maurepas shoreline.jpg
Louisiana Sea Grant · CC BY 2.0

7 target fish, led by Striped Bass

  • Striped Bass — Best months: Nov, Dec, Mar, Apr.
  • Largemouth Bass — Best months: Mar, Apr, May, Oct.
  • Flathead Catfish — Best months: Apr, May, Sep, Oct.
  • White Crappie — Best months: Mar, Apr.
  • Redear — Best months: Mar, Apr, May, Oct.
  • Spotted Sunfish — Best months: Apr, May, Sep, Oct.
  • Blue Catfish — Best months: Apr, May, Sep, Oct.

Also recorded here: Channel Catfish, Freshwater Drum, Spotted Gar, Spotted Bass, Black Bullhead, White Bass, Black Crappie, Bluegill, Warmouth, Longear Sunfish, Silver Carp, Bowfin, Yellow Bullhead, Tadpole Madtom, Gizzard Shad, Golden Shiner, Brook Silverside, Threadfin Shad, Western Mosquitofish, American Eel.

Sea Grant - South shore of Lake Maurepas.jpg
Louisiana Sea Grant · CC BY 2.0

Depth and bottom

Deepest measured point: 42 ft (12.8 m). We hold 8 depth contour lines for this water.

Sea Grant - Bonnet Carre Floodway looking from Lake Maurepas.jpg
Louisiana Sea Grant · CC BY 2.0

Water and conditions

Water temperature averages 80°F across the year. The coldest single reading we hold is 46°F and the warmest is 91°F; the warmest monthly average is 87°F. pH averages 7.7. These readings span 2017–2023.

Monthly average water temperature: Jan 55°F · Feb 55°F · Mar 67°F · Apr 72°F · May 82°F · Jun 87°F · Jul 86°F · Aug 87°F · Sep 84°F · Oct 80°F · Nov 63°F · Dec 62°F

1 ramp or launch on this water

On this water we hold 1 trailer ramp.

  • Pass Manchac Ramp — 3 lanes, open around the clock. Manchac. I-55, 1 mile north of Pass Manchac, west of Hwy 51

The place listed has no fee or opening hours on file: a blank means we hold no such field, not that it is free or always open, and this list may not be complete.

Season by season

  • Winter (Jan, Feb, 55–55°F) — Steady but no peak: Striped Bass, Largemouth Bass, Flathead Catfish, White Crappie, Redear, Spotted Sunfish.
  • Spring (Mar, Apr, 67–72°F) — Biting: Striped Bass, Largemouth Bass, Flathead Catfish, White Crappie, Redear, Spotted Sunfish.
  • Summer (May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, 82–87°F) — Biting: Largemouth Bass, Flathead Catfish, Redear, Spotted Sunfish, Blue Catfish.
  • Fall (Oct, Nov, Dec, 62–80°F) — Biting: Striped Bass, Largemouth Bass, Flathead Catfish, Redear, Spotted Sunfish, Blue Catfish.

What is hard here

Wind is the limit, not the fish: 58,983 acres of open water build a short steep chop, and there is no shelter in the middle. Only 1 public ramp is on file, so the launch decides where you fish. Winter water drops to 55°F, and the warm-water species stop feeding well before you do. Summer water sits at 87°F: heat and afternoon lightning are the real risks, not the fishing.

Where this data comes from

  • NOAA BlueTopo: class A, a survey of the bottom.
  • NOAA National Bathymetric Source (S-102 ed3.0.0) — NOAA S-102 bathymetric surfaces: contours: class A, a survey of the bottom.