Carencro, LA Fishing: Angling in the City of Crossroads

Carencro is a city located in the northernmost part of Lafayette Parish in south central Louisiana. It is also a suburb of the nearby city of Lafayette. The city’s name was derived from the Cajun French word for buzzard because the area where the community was settled was where large flocks of American black vultures roosted in bald cypress trees and feasted on fish die-off from the local river. Its name means ‘carrion crows.’ In the 1700s and 1800s, the influx of Acadians and Africans into the Carencro Prairie area formed the basis of the culture in the city today. An Acadian named Louis Pierre Arceneaux, a native of Beaubassin. Nova Scotia was the first to arrive in the area in 1765. The customs, food, music, language, and religious practices have remained the same throughout Carencro’s history. It has two sister cities; Dieppe in New Brunswick and Leuze en Hainaut in Belgium. 

Carencro prides itself on embodying joie de vivre. It is the crossroads of community, culture, commerce, and fun. The city’s music, food, and traditions showcase its thriving Cajun and Creole cultures. Carencro is home to many known attractions, including a world-famous restaurant, historically significant churches, and renowned events and festivals. Its downtown area captures small-town charm with a mix of city life interests. Anglers who are interested in going to Carencro will find that there are plenty of waterways they can cast their lines. It is surrounded by lakes, bayous, and rivers that readily accept one’s desire to fish.

Carencro Fishing

Carencro is a great place for anglers because there is plenty of access to water bodies that are filled with a variety of game fish. There are also plenty of opportunities to fish from land or use a boat to cover more water. Carencro’s unique blend of its Cajun and Creole heritage means that an angler can also experience a memorable fishing experience.

One of the best-known fishing spots in the area is Vermilionville, located south of the city. There, anglers have the chance to fish from the Vermilion River and Vermilion Bay. The Vermilion River flows southward through the Lafayette and Vermilion parishes. The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway meets with the river before cruising through Vermilion Bay. The river is a consequent stream and tidal river because it’s formed from the bottom up. Its surrounding landscape comprises swamps and marshes, making it an excellent fishery for catfish and trout. Fish species anglers can find in the river include blue catfish, channel catfish, speckled trout, brook trout, largemouth bass, red drum, black drum, bowfin, and bluegill. Boat anglers will experience the most productive fishing on the river because it is best navigated using a small boat like a flatboat. Many boat launch areas are found throughout its shoreline, where people can launch their canoes and kayaks. The closest boat launch area from Carencro is North Landing on 3604 Shadow Bluff Drive. For those primarily targeting catfish, mullet is the top choice of bait. Large fish can be spotted near the water’s surface because they’re mostly scent feeders. Mudflats are also where some fish can be found.

Vermilion Bay is considered a fantastic place for trout fishing. Louisiana has a lot of speckled trout fishing hotspots, but the bay is undoubtedly complex because of its mixture of habitats. For most of the year, it’s a better home for freshwater catfish than speckled trout, but it produces trophy-sized trout when properly pursued. Other fish in the bay are red drum, black drum, alligator gar, gafftopsail sea catfish, flathead catfish, channel catfish, and sheepshead. The best way to catch trout from the bay is by quietly drifting and trolling. Anglers who’ve fished there commonly use artificial lures like jig heads, jerk baits, and topwater plugs to lure fish in the middle of the water column. 

Bayou Teche can be found to the east of Carencro. It is considered one of the most underrated bream and bass fishing spots in the state’s south. It is home to many species, such as largemouth bass, blue catfish, channel catfish, flathead catfish, hardhead sea catfish, white bass, bluegill, redear sunfish, goggle-eye, choupique, sacalait, alligator gar, bull shark, white crappie, black crappie, American yellow perch, black buffalo, black drum, freshwater drum, common carp, garfish, longnose gar, and spotted gar. The best areas to catch bass are at docks, grass beds, the Oaklawn Bridge area, by cypress trees, and around the Irish Bend Road area. The best baits and lures to use when targeting bream and bass from the bayou are topwater frogs, nightcrawlers, tubes, small jig heads, and small bobbers. Bream are found around rocky areas and cypress trees. Anglers can use many boat accesses, especially in the Franklin and Baldwin areas.

Top 10 Fish Species in Carencro, LA

The top 10 fish species found in Carencro, LA, are blue catfish, channel catfish, speckled trout, largemouth bass, red drum, black drum, flathead catfish, bluegill, alligator gar, and redear sunfish.

Seasonal Fishing

Sea trout season occurs between April and September, with April, May, and August when they’re usually the most active. Anglers chasing after catfish species should do so in the spring and summer. Still, they can be caught any time of the year. Bream species such as bluegill and redear sunfish are best captured in the afternoon during summer because the temperatures are ideal. The best time to go bass fishing is from February through April during their spawning season. Those who want to target alligator gar can do so in late spring and early summer when the waters hit the ideal temperature. Sheepshead can be caught near the shore all year. Fall and early spring are the best seasons to go after them. The prime months to target crappie are February and March. Red and black drum can be harvested at any time in the state. Freshwater drum’s spawning season occurs between April and May. Common carp start biting early in the spring, but they can also be caught all year round.

Connect with Carencro

The city of Carencro has everything one will need if they’re interested in a community that is brimming with culture and fun.

1. Book a Fishing Charter

Fishing charters and guides use many of the city’s nearby local waterways as their prime destinations for any angler who wants to experience fishing in Carencro. Booking a fishing charter will help one have a more exciting angling adventure. Boat rentals and bait and tackle shops are available anywhere where there are designated fishing spots.

2. Check Out a Local Festival

Glow in the Cro is Carencro’s annual hot air balloon festival for a weekend in September. It is held at Pelican Park, where people can see and ride hot air balloons, go on carnival rides, listen to live music, and check out the arts and crafts market. Admission to the event costs $10 for people 13 years old and older. Those who want to ride a hot air balloon should book a reservation beforehand. The event depends entirely on the weather, so it’s a good idea to check for updates on its website or Facebook page.

3. Visit the Veterans Memorial

The city established the Carencro Veterans Memorial on November 11, 2014, to pay tribute to the servicemen and servicewomen of the community. The memorial was designed by the Louisiana Municipal Association award-winning architect Lynn Guidry. The memorial's design also won a Silver Award in Architecture in the INDesign Awards. There is a plaza of brick pavers engraved with the names of past and present veterans, 16 granite sculptures of soldiers or pillars inscribed with the names of those who were killed or went missing in action, and marble benches. The Veterans Memorial is located at 508 Theo Street.