Baskin, LA Fishing: A Suburban and Rural Mix

Baskin is a small conservative village situated in the northwest part of Franklin Parish, Louisiana; it sits in the north of the parish seat, Winnsboro. This village has a mix of suburban and rural ambiance. The place is an epitome of a silent, peaceful, and simple lifestyle. Residents of Baskin tend to be conservative, warm-hearted, and fun-loving. The locals’ quality of life is reflected in the contentment of its local settlers, keeping the community tight and determined. Its long and wide roads give its local commuters an easy way to their offices on weekdays and an undisturbed joyride to unwind on weekends.

The village of Baskin was named after Dr. Adolphus McDuffie Baskin to honor and commemorate the life of one of its outstanding pioneer settlers. Baskin’s area is beautiful and scenic from every angle. The streets may be simple, but it is full of wisdom and serenity. With its unique sense of stillness, Baskin is a place just waiting to be discovered. The village’s feature areas are its vast greens, quiet woods, and still farmlands.

Baskin’s creeks and bayous help sustain and support its farmlands for better agriculture and quality of produce. It is surrounded by water bodies, with big lakes and long rivers, perfect for recreational fishing trips.

Baskin Fishing

In Baskin and all over Louisiana, many lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, creeks, brooks, and bayous offer the best habitat and ideal ecosystem for aquatic plants and animals. These waters nurture resources for both fishery and recreational fishing. Get permits and check the updated state regulations to help conserve Louisiana’s resources for generations to come.

Pine Creek forks out of Big Creek to the east, flowing across the village of Baskin from southwest to northeast, and continues out to the Brushy Bayou. These creeks, bayous, and small streams are the prominent supporters of agricultural farmlands in Baskin and other Louisiana cities. Fish found in the stream includes largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, black crappie, bluegill, yellow bullhead, channel catfish, and flathead catfish.

East of Baskin, Big Lake and other smaller lakes such as Chain Lake, Fool Lake, Little Lake, Hog Lake, and Trusler Lake is linked to the Big Lake State Wildlife Management Area (WMA) by small rivers and bayous. The water bodies and waterways in the WMA make up approximately 200 acres. Activities that can be done in the WMA include recreational fishing, boating, horseback riding, berry picking, hiking, hunting, and camping in an adjacent private area. Seven boat launching areas are available and can be found on most of the area’s lakes, providing access to anglers that love to go drift fishing. Game species found in the WMA are largemouth bass, crappie, sunfish, and catfish. Crawfishing and frogging are other popular activities done by regular area users. When coming to Big Lake WMA, dress accordingly, as the area is poorly drained. It also floods seasonally, depending on Tensas River water levels, and periodically after heavy rainfall.

To the west of Baskin is Ouachita Wildlife Management Area. The WMA allows hunting, camping, wildlife viewing, and fishing in its 10,989-acre area. Reservoirs located within the reclaimed agricultural tract allow freshwater fishing opportunities. Largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish, and crappie are among the games to look out for here. To the west of the WMA, the Ouachita River is a 605-mile-long river that allows recreational fishing. It runs south and east through Arkansas and Louisiana, connecting with the Tensas River to form the Black River. The river is a productive place to fish year-round. Fish species that anglers can catch here include white bass, spotted bass, blue catfish, channel catfish, redear sunfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, flathead catfish, crappie, bowfin, striped bass, bluegill, warmouth, common carp, chain pickerel, and rainbow trout.

Turkey Creek Lake is found directly south of Baskin. It is located in Turkey Creek Park, where people can go boating, RV camping, fishing, and picnicking. A wooden bridge is submerged in the 4000-acre lake to allow more terrain for fly fishing, apart from its extensive 40-mile shoreline. The lake’s fertile waters and good vegetation make perfect nursing and breeding grounds for largemouth bass and crappie. Bluegill and catfish species also reside in the lake for more freshwater fishing action. There is a boat launching access in Turkey Creek Lake Park to allow boaters and drift fishers.

Top 10 Fish Species in Baskin, LA

The top 10 fish species in Baskin, LA, are crappie, blue catfish, bluegill, bowfin, channel catfish, striped bass, redear sunfish, spotted bass, white bass, and warmouth.

Seasonal Fishing

Like any other city, Baskin has rules in place to conserve water and adhere to state regulations. The state gives much importance to preserving its natural resources for the next generations to enjoy. Anglers are encouraged to check Louisiana fishing state regulations before heading out. Here are some threatened, endangered, and prohibited species that anglers must not possess in any part of Louisiana:

• Pink Mucket Mussel (Lampsilis Abrupta)
• Gulf Sturgeon (Acipenser Oxyrinchus Desotoi)
• Louisiana Pearlshell Mussel (Margaritifera Hembeli)
• Rabbitsfoot Mussel (Quadrula Cylindrica Cylindrica)
• Shovelnose Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus Platorynchus) 
• Inflated Heelsplitter Mussel (Potamilus Inflatus)
• Pallid Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus Albus)
• Fat Pocketbook Mussel (Potamilus Capax)

There will be corresponding penalties for anyone with any of the abovementioned species. Crawfish hunting and harvesting is a fun and popular activity for locals in Louisiana, especially when environmental conditions allow its abundant supply.

Say Hello to Wildlife Surrounding Baskin

1. Book a Fishing Guide

Don’t know the right spot to fish in Baskin? Well, think no more! Book a local guide today and have a great fishing experience. There is no need to go around to familiarize yourself with the place; get a fishing guide and bring your gear. It’s that easy! What are you waiting for? Get your local fishing guide now!

2. Big Lake State Wildlife Management Area

A part of the Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge's western perimeter runs along the eastern boundary of the Big Lake Wildlife Management Area. Together, these places make up one of the last few tracts of the massive bottomland hardwood forest that formerly covered the lower Mississippi River floodplain from Illinois to the Gulf of Mexico. The wooded region of Big Lake WMA is distinguished by a dense vegetation cover and a generally closed, limited canopy. Nuttall, water, willow, overcup oaks, American and cedar elms, sweetgum, bitter pecan, honey locust, sugarberry, willow, sycamore, persimmon, red maple, box elder, and cypress are only a few of the major tree species. This place is a wonderland for forest enthusiasts. Deciduous holly, elderberry, Baccharis, switch cane, poison ivy, and numerous herbaceous species grow in the understory. Go east, a little outside Baskin, and appreciate the herbaceous wildlife in Big Lake Wildlife Management Area!

3. Ouachita Wildlife Management Area

In the state’s southeast region, the Ouachita Wildlife Management Area (WMA) - McCurtain Unit comprises 131,000 acres in the state's southeast region. The WMA is located west of Baskin, a smooth short ride on a good day. Broken Bow Subunit is situated north of Broken Bow, around Broken Bow Lake and the Glover River. The Tiak Subunit lies southeast of Idabel, surrounding Haworth town and Tom town. The Broken Bow Unit's 111,000 acres are dominated by loblolly pine plantations and upland hardwood forests. The Ouachita Mountains' foothills and the Lower Mountain Fork River are located here. This section of the WMA was purchased from Weyerhaeuser in 1997 as part of a land swap between the Forest Service and Weyco. The topography of the 20,000-acre Tiak Unit is dominated by mature bottomland hardwood forests and mixed loblolly pine/hardwood forests. Have a wonderful time while surrounded by nature in Ouachita Wildlife Management Area!