Planning to fish the legendary Northshore of Louisiana? Make Abita Springs your gateway to this rich fishing destination. This small quirky community sits at the region’s heart, a peaceful home base for anglers fishing Lake Pontchartrain and the other water bodies that make Northshore one of Louisiana’s most gifted fishing spots.
Abita Springs was once a resort destination frequented by New Orleans folks at the height of the Yellow Fever epidemic. Today, this place is a residential area for artistic types drawn to its history and character. It is still worth a visit, especially if you’re looking for a Louisiana spot that shares the unique vibe of New Orleans without the crowds. For anglers, the community offers a beautiful and convenient gateway to all the fantastic fishing areas in the Northshore region.
Enjoy convenient access to Lake Pontchartrain when you stay at Abita Springs. From this locale, you can easily hop from one great fishing area to another.
Lake Pontchartrain is one of the best water bodies to fish in this part of Louisiana. The vast and shallow body of water is an estuary directly linked to the Gulf of Mexico. As a result, it attracts many fish species from the famed gulf. Furthermore, its waters are largely brackish, offering both freshwater and saltwater fishing opportunities to anglers of different levels and interests.
Some of the top catch in this area include speckled trout, redfish, black drum, sheepshead, Atlantic croaker, bluegill, Southern flounder, channel catfish, largemouth bass, and white trout. Several fishing piers on the Northshore offer great access to Lake Pontchartrain. From Mandeville, there are the fishing piers and rocky shorelines at Fontainebleau State Park and Sunset Point Fishing Pier.
On the way to Slidell, you can make a pitstop at Highway 11 Bridge which offers different fishing points. Within the city of Slidell itself, you will find the St. Tammany Fishing Pier, a pier built on the remains of what was once the area’s best fishing spot, the Interstate 10 twin spans. Still, you can hop on a boat or book a fishing charter on the Rigolets Marina within Slidell. The boats here can take you fishing on Lake Borne, Lake Catherine, Lake Pontchartrain, and the Biloxi Marsh. You can also reach the rigs and reefs of St. Tammany Parish, Orleans, and Dudley and the bridges around the area, particularly Highway 90, Highway 10, and Highway 11.
In Madisonville, the clear waters of the Tchefuncte River can be accessed via Fairview-Riverside State Park. From the park, you can fish both the freshwater and brackish water parts of the river.
The Abita Brewing Company is a homegrown brewery famous all over the state. It offers both guided and self-guided tours.
The Abita Mystery House is a quirky roadside attraction unique to the region. It features collections of the oddest finds and most provocative displays on this side of Louisiana.