Columbia, LA Fishing: Home of a Variety of Fishing Opportunities

The city of Columbia serves as the parish seat for Caldwell Parish in Louisiana. As of the 2010 census, 390 people lived there, down from 477 in 2000. Daniel Humphries originally cleared the area that would become Columbia in 1827. A few years later, the only settlement between Monroe, Louisiana, and the Black River towns was founded, and a store was built.

Up until the entrance of the railroad, the harbor developed into a busy port for shipping cotton by steamboats and Packet boats. There are several plantations in the area, and in February 1864, Columbia served as the scene of a Civil War skirmish between Federal and Confederate troops. Observe and savor nature while riding, hiking, fishing, and other outdoor activities.

Columbia Fishing

Anglers will find a variety of fish here, including bluegill, redear sunfish, crappie, flathead catfish, carp, largemouth bass, blue catfish, and striped bass. Columbia Lock and Dam is a dam located just 9.8 miles from Clarks, in Caldwell Parish, in the state of Louisiana, the United States, close to Riverton, LA. Your chances of getting a bite here are good whether you're spinning, fly fishing, or baitcasting. So head out to Columbia Lock and Dam with your preferred fishing gear.

Jimmie Davis State Park is one of the twenty-two state parks in the American state of Louisiana. It is situated on the northern shore of Caney Creek Lake, a 5,000-acre reservoir in Jackson Parish, close to Chatham. Jimmie Davis State Park,  located on a peninsula on Caney Lake, provides two boat launches and a fishing pier for outdoor enthusiasts searching for a top location for freshwater fishing trips. No other place in the state is better at landing a 10-pound bass. The lake also has large populations of giant crappie, bluegill, and chinquapin. The park provides two boat launches and a fishing pier for the use of boaters. Near the community of Jonesboro in northern Louisiana, Jimmie Davis State Park is located on a peninsula in Caney Lake. Largemouth bass records have been set in this lake.

The Caney Lake Reservoir was built in the 1980s across Caney Creek. Since then, anglers have caught record-sized bass from the lake. According to a list of the top 20 bass ever taken in Louisiana, 16 came from Caney Lake. One of those fish—a largemouth bass weighing about 16 pounds—set a new state record. Anglers attribute the existence of the ideal fish habitat to the dense grassy beds that line the shore.

Visitors can also participate in various water activities on the 2,700-acre man-made lake that serves as the focal point of Poverty Point Reservoir State Park. It also provides a picturesque setting for waterfowl’s annual spring and fall migration. Numerous fish and wildlife species live in or pass through the reservoir. For largemouth bass, black crappie, bluegill, and channel catfish, anglers can fish the lake year-round. The area is part of the Mississippi Flyway, home to numerous avian species.

A 15,000-acre reservoir known as Lake D'Arbonne is one of the best fishing lakes in the state. It is famed for the quantity and size of its crappie, which draws not only amateur anglers but also national crappie fishing competitions. Bass, bluegill, and catfish populations are also thriving. There are few locations on the lake where anglers can't catch catfish or bluegill. Six substantial fishing piers, three in the campgrounds and three in the day-use area, are present at this state park. A sizable, upgraded boat launching facility and parking area are included. Water skiers and pleasure boaters enjoy the wide open parts of the lake, roughly five miles from the park. These are all made possible by the park's boat launch.

Chemin-A-Haut State Park is a natural haven for admirers of unaltered beauty and is located on a high bluff overlooking Bayou Bartholomew. Big Slough Lake, which lies close to the park's perimeter and offers the chance to fish from the shore, gets its name from the French phrase "high road." There, you can find a variety of freshwater creatures. Take advantage of the great park location's lovely tranquility. Only redear sunfish and bluegill can be caught and kept between April and October, and all other fish must be returned immediately.

Kayaking and shore fishing for bluegill, bass, catfish, and crappie are available at Big Slough Lake. However, the number of visitors to the park who go fishing in the nearby Bussey Brake Reservoir is significantly rising. Recently opened 2,200-acre reservoir is producing massive fish catches, including bass over 10 pounds and crappie over three pounds.

Getting aboard an inshore charter is your ticket to an enjoyable and peaceful outing if you bring the family. Most of the time, charter captains will take care of the equipment and will know where to take you so that your kids may participate in the activity. For Louisiana inshore fishing charters, Fowl Language Guide Service and Cajun Outcast Inshore Charters are highly recommended.

Top 10 Fish Species in Columbia, LA

The top ten fish species caught in Columbia, LA, are bluegill, redear sunfish, crappie, flathead catfish, carp, largemouth bass, blue catfish, striped bass, spotted bass, and channel catfish. 

Seasonal Fishing

Whether a day is good or bad for fishing depends on a variety of weather factors. Fish feeding behavior is influenced by precipitation amount and intensity. The variations affect the tendency of fish to bite frequently in air and water temperatures. In Columbia, the best months are October, April, and May, while the worst months are July and August. So, plan your fishing trip carefully to increase your chance of catching fish.

Recalibrate Your Senses in Columbia

While enjoying all that Columbia offers, learn something new and feel renewed. Check out these great activities when you're in Columbia.

1. Book a Fishing Charter

Choose the best fishing charters, like Tapped-Out Charters or Serigne's Fishing Charters, while in the sportsman's paradise, you can make the most out of your fishing trips to Columbia. Grab your fishing gear and enjoy the sunshine. Visit the fishing spots in Columbia to round out your time in Louisiana and have the chance to break records.

2. Visit the Masur Museum of Art

The largest museum of visual arts in Northeast Louisiana is the Masur Museum of Art. The museum is housed in the historic Masur family residence and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Our goal is to promote and support the visual arts in our neighborhood through top-notch exhibitions, instructive activities, and our permanent collection. All community members can broaden their perspectives by taking advantage of the museum's numerous and varied offerings because the entrance is always free. The Masur Museum of Art offers a regular schedule of temporary exhibitions complemented by a wide range of adult and youth educational programs. We provide art lessons, workshops, lectures, and artist talks in addition to summer art camps.

3. Catch a Glimpse of Southern Hospitality at the Martin Home Place Museum

The National Register of Historic Places lists the c. 1878 farmhouse known as The Martin Homeplace as a rural life museum. The Martin Home Place is a national showcase for southern hospitality in Columbia. George and Ann Martin constructed The Home Place to house their 12 children. The mansion, included on the National Register of Historic Places, served as the administrative hub of a cotton plantation around 1880. Enjoy quilting, tatting, and pine basketry demonstrations while hearing tales of farm life 100 years ago.