Bunkie, LA Fishing: Angling On The Best Spot Top Side Of Green Earth

Bunkie is home to some water bodies like lakes, bayous, and rivers where anglers can fish. It is also near some of Louisiana's excellent fishing spots.

Bunkie, LA Fishing: Angling On The Best Spot Top Side Of Green Earth
Bunkie, LA Fishing: Angling On The Best Spot Top Side Of Green Earth
Team Guidesly

October 18, 2022, 7 min read

Updated on October 14, 2022

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Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana, includes the city of Bunkie. Bunkie was founded as a station terminus or the final station on the Texas and Pacific Railroad line. Bunkie was initially called Irion but was later named for Captain Samuel Haas' daughter. Captain Haas is the original landowner of Bunkie. Local lore claims that Maccie, the daughter, had a pet monkey as a young child, which she named "Bunkie," possibly unintentionally pronouncing "monkey" as "bunkie." The daughter eventually adopted the name. Bunkie is also often called "Best Spot Top Side Of God's Green Earth."

Bunkie is called the "Home of the Louisiana Corn Festival," mainly because the area surrounding Bunkie is a known agricultural area; since the late 20th century, corn has been a vital commodity produced in Bunkie. Since 1987, Bunkie has hosted the annual Louisiana Corn Festival during the second whole weekend of June. Bunkie benefits significantly from the region's diverse soil because it is located in the center of some of the best farmland in the South.

Bunkie is portrayed as a typical small rural southeastern town that holds plenty of fishing havens and various fish species anglers could ever wish for.

Bunkie Fishing

summer, boat, calm weather

Bunkie is home to some water bodies like lakes, bayous, and rivers where anglers can fish. It is also near some of Louisiana's excellent fishing spots.

Bayou Huffpower is a stream found in Avoyelles Parish between Bunkie and Cottonport. It is named after an old settler in the area. Blue catfish are the most abundant fish species in the area that anglers can target. Bayou Huffpower flows throughout the whole area of Bunkie. Lake Wilson is situated near Pythian Cemetery. To enjoy everything amusing at Lake Wilson, you'll wish there were more hours in the day. Common carp and bluegill are the fish anglers can hook in the lake. Anglers can also fish for bass in these lakes and bayous.

Anglers targeting fish like bass and crappie will have fun visiting Tanner Lake, where bass and crappie are biting well. Bank fishing is allowed in the area, and anglers can also go baitcasting. A few meters north of Tanner Lake sits Lac Bon Garçon. Fishing for largemouth bass is done in this area. Townsend Lake is a reservoir located in Avoyelles Parish near Bunkie, with an elevation of 15 meters above sea level. Anglers can hook different fish species in the area, such as blue catfish, crappie, blackfin tuna, flathead catfish, bluegill, and largemouth bass. Trout are also abundant in these lakes, with speckled trout and redfish also found in these locations.

Lac aux Perles is a lake near Alexandria and Bunkie in Avoyelles County, which is 137 acres in size with an elevation of 39 feet above sea level. Anglers enjoy the quiet environment in the lake. Boat launches are also available in the area for those who want to go kayak fishing. Largemouth bass, bowfin, alligator gar, freshwater drum, blue catfish, and longnose gar are the most popular fish species that anglers can catch in the lake. Fishing in deeper water is advisable for anglers targeting gar. Anglers can also try fishing in Boggy Lake. Sunfish fishing is abundant in the area. Anglers primarily target fish like bass, trout, and bluegill in Boggy Lake. These lakes and rivers are some of the best spots in Bunkie. 

Anglers won't have to travel far to enjoy a nice day because Bunkie is close to many fantastic fishing locations accessible by car. Because Bunkie is in a rural area, many fishing spots and various kinds of fish are nearby. In the northern part of Boggy Lake is where anglers can find Jews-Harp Lake. Jews-Harp Lake spans 1.24 kilometers, filled with trophy largemouth bass. Numerous lakes and streams surround the Bunkie area. Anglers can choose from several fishing locations, such as Turner Canal, Boeuf Bayou, Rogue Bayou, and Clair Bayou. Bass, trout, and catfish are the fish anglers commonly hook in these areas.

There are plenty of ways anglers can reach the fishing Bunkie’s fishing locations. Anglers can use amenities like boat ramps, docks, and piers at various fishing locations in Bunkie. Anglers frequently use fly fishing, baitcasting, kayak fishing, and light tackle fishing when visiting fishing areas in lakes and bayous found in Bunkie. They can also fish from the shoreline and the banks. Selecting the best bait when angling in lakes and rivers is crucial. Using live bait is an advantage for most anglers. Although live bait attached to a popping cork attracts fish more, plastic bait and electronic lures are still frequently used when the latter is unavailable. Fishing in Bunkie's open water with grass and vegetation gives anglers a chance to catch more.

Anglers are urged to purchase the necessary licenses and permits before heading to a great fishing action in the state. The state's Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has established bag and possession restrictions for each kind of fish.

 

Top 10 Fish Species in Bunkie, LA

The top 10 fish species found in Bunkie, LA, are largemouth bass, bluegill, common carp, bowfin, longnose gar, alligator gar, freshwater drum, blue catfish, flathead catfish, and crappie.

Seasonal Fishing

Fishing in Louisiana is most abundant during the spring and fall months, and while winter is mild in Louisiana, the cold weather can still affect your fishing trip. The rate of fish that anglers can catch may change if they know the best times of day and year to go fishing. If you aim to hook largemouth bass, April through November are the best months to visit Louisiana. The best time to catch catfish is in the summer. Catfish are active during the day and night. Waiting until dusk to go fishing in Louisiana will increase anglers' chances of capturing catfish. Blue catfish commence their breeding season every late spring or early summer, while flathead catfish prefer to breed from late May through August. Since freshwater drum are not the most sought-after fish species, they are easy to catch all year long, and there is little competition from other anglers. Every year, from April to October, bluegill start to spawn; the height of the breeding season is between May and June. The best seasons to hunt for them are spring and early summer. In Louisiana, the common carp spawning season begins in late spring and lasts through mid-summer. 

According to anglers, the best time to catch large carp is in the spring. Although anglers can hook crappie throughout the year, they bite best in cold water. Anglers can target crappie best from November to February, when they are in pre-spawn season, and from February to April, when they are in spawning beds. The spawning season for longnose gar occurs from May to June, and it takes place in shallow, vegetated freshwaters. Gar hunting season is said to be best in July and August. In shallow areas, alligator gar spawning begins in the late spring or early summer when water temperatures are close to 70°F. The best time to go alligator gar fishing is during summer.

Take a Memorable Trip in Bunkie

The ideal location for your upcoming trip is Bunkie, which is at the center of the prosperous attractions in central Louisiana.

1. Book A Fishing Charter

For those who want a more enhanced fishing experience, fishing guides and charters are easily accessible because many well-known fisheries surround Bunkie. Booking a fishing charter will help reduce the stress of having a productive fishing trip because local fishing locations hold a variety of game and sport fish. Additionally, fishing charters also offer boat rental services.

2. Bunkie’s Drive-By Tour

Bunkie is surrounded by numerous beautiful antebellum homes, giving it a long history. A drive-by tour brochure with the history of these houses is available at the depot, but tours are not authorized because they are currently used as active plantations. Hillcrest is one of the antebellum houses in Bunkie. It was a wedding gift to a newlywed. Up until today, the bride's initials that she carved on the dining room's window are still there.

3. Bunkie Depot Museum

At Main Street and Oak Street intersection sits the abandoned Bunkie Depot, symbolizing days gone by. As a shipping location for cotton and businesses related to cotton, like the creation of cottonseed oil, Bunkie grew up around it. The depot was shut down when Bunkie's passenger train service was halted in 1968. The museum and the Bunkie Chamber of Commerce are housed on the depot's first floor. Next to the depot is a Veterans Memorial. The depot welcomes visitors three to five days per week. The museum contains many relics from when the railroad served as Bunkie and Avoyelles Parish's primary means of transportation for shipping goods and delivering mail across the country, including a telegraph and signal lights. People in Bunkie whose relatives had worked at the depot donated the museum's exhibits. The Bunkie Depot was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. There is plenty of information you to learn about Bunkie's economy.

Fish in Bunkie and beyond.