LDWF’s Fish Hatcheries Stocked 4.2 Million Freshwater Sportfish Statewide This Spring | Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) hatcheries produced and stocked approximately 4.2 million freshwater sportfish into 50 waterbodies statewide during the spring 2024 stocking season. The stocked fish primarily consisted of Florida Bass (4.2 million) and Hybrid Striped Bass (67,100).

LDWF owns and operates Booker Fowler, Beechwood, Huey P. Long, and Monroe Fish Hatcheries. Hatcheries also partner with the USFWS’ Natchitoches National Fish Hatchery and the City of Shreveport’s Cross Lake Fish Hatchery to meet statewide fish production needs. Fish are requested annually by LDWF’s nine fisheries management districts primarily to enhance or improve sportfishing opportunities.

“We are proud to be able to stock such a large quantity of freshwater sportfish throughout the state for the benefit of our fisheries habitat and recreational anglers,” said LDWF Secretary Madison Sheahan. “Our goal for fish stockings is to have a healthy population of sportfish statewide and to provide ample opportunity for recreational anglers to try their hand at catching large trophy bass in our Sportsman’s Paradise.”

While Louisiana hatcheries support various fish stocking needs throughout the state, most of today’s hatchery resources are directed to the production of Florida Bass. The Florida Bass can grow larger than Louisiana’s native Largemouth Bass species. The two species readily hybridize, and individuals reaching or exceeding 10 pounds in Louisiana usually have some degree of Florida Bass genetic influence due to LDWF’s stocking efforts. Stocking this species into existing native populations of Largemouth Bass, where successful, increases the potential for anglers to catch quality and/or trophy bass. Below are a few examples of the Florida Bass genetic influence in some of our most notable bass lakes.

Lacassine Pool	96.4%	Indian Creek	36.7%
NOLA City Park	80.2%	Chicot Lake	32.5%
Poverty Point	71.0%	False River	29.6%
Cypress Lake	43.2%	Bundick Lake	26.5%
Toledo Bend	42.1%	Lake Claiborne	26.1%

Stocking of Florida Bass focuses hatchery resources on areas with the best likelihood for success. Stocking is no longer done in areas where introgression of the Florida gene into the native bass population has been unsuccessful or in habitats where bass do not generally live to an age where they can reach trophy size.

Below are the results of stocking activities completed by LDWF Hatcheries from January to June of this calendar year.

Body of Water	Species	Size	Quantity Stocked
Bayou Bartholomew	Florida Bass	Fingerlings	20,000
Bayou dArbonne Lake	Florida Bass	Fingerlings	271,700
Black Bayou Lake	Florida Bass	Fingerlings	15,000
Black Bayou and Black Bayou Reservoir	Florida Bass	Fingerlings	38,000
		Fingerlings*	12,200
Bussey Brake	Black Crappie	Fingerlings	4,200
	Florida Bass	Fingerlings	49,100
	White Crappie	Fingerlings	132
Caddo Lake and James Bayou	Florida Bass	Fingerlings	151,000
Calcasieu River	Hybrid Striped Bass	Fingerlings	29,500
Caney Lake (combined)	Florida Bass	Fingerlings*	4,200
Chatham Lake	Florida Bass	Fingerlings	3,100
Cheniere Brake Lake	Florida Bass	Fingerlings	62,500
		Fingerlings*	214,900
		Fry*	405,000
Chicot Lake	Florida Bass	Fingerlings	32,000
Corney Lake	Florida Bass	Fingerlings	14,000
Cotile Lake	Florida Bass	Fingerlings	24,800
Crooked Creek Lake	Bluegill	Fingerlings	1,000
	Florida Bass	Fingerlings	8,000
Cross Lake	Florida Bass	Fingerlings	99,000
		Fingerlings*	7,100
Dubuisson Lake	Florida Bass	Fingerlings	4,000
False River	Florida Bass	Fingerlings	6,000
Fullerton Lake	Florida Bass	Fingerlings	500
Grand Bayou Reservoir	Florida Bass	Fingerlings	30,000
Gretna City Pond	Florida Bass	Fingerlings	200
Hardwater Lake	Florida Bass	Fingerlings	10,000
Iatt Lake	Florida Bass	Fingerlings	71,000
Ivan Lake	Florida Bass	Fingerlings	6,000
Kepler Creek Lake	Florida Bass	Fingerlings	25,300
Kincaid Lake	Florida Bass	Fingerlings	38,000
Lake Bistineau	Florida Bass	Fingerlings	139,900
Lake Bruin	Florida Bass	Fingerlings	20,200
	Hybrid Striped Bass	Fingerlings	6,700
Lake Buhlow	Florida Bass	Fry*	206,400
Lake Claiborne	Florida Bass	Fingerlings	80,000
	Hybrid Striped Bass	Fingerlings	16,100
Lake Concordia	Hybrid Striped Bass	Fingerlings	2,700
Lake Fausse Point and Dauterive Lake	Florida Bass	Fingerlings	100,000
Lake Providence	Florida Bass	Fingerlings	39,700
		Fry*	515,400
Lake St. John	Hybrid Striped Bass	Fingerlings	5,000
Larto Lake	Florida Bass	Fingerlings	80,200
Mermentau River	Paddlefish	Fingerlings	1,039
Mill Creek Lake	Florida Bass	Fingerlings	7,900
Nantachie Lake	Florida Bass	Fingerlings	31,000
Parc Des Families	Florida Bass	Phase II Fingerlings	400
Parc Natchitoches	Florida Bass	Phase II Fingerlings	44
Pearl River Navigation Canal	Florida Bass	Phase II Fingerlings	2,300
Perez Park Pond	Florida Bass	Fingerlings	200
Poverty Point Reservoir	Florida Bass	Fingerlings	20,000
	Hybrid Striped Bass	Fingerlings	7,100
Rockefeller Refuge	Florida Bass	Fingerlings	150,100
Ruston Sports Complex	Bluegill	Fingerlings	1,000
Sibley Lake	Florida Bass	Fingerlings	22,000
Spring Bayou	Florida Bass	Fingerlings	54,000
		Fingerlings*	163,600
		Fry*	197,400
Toledo Bend Reservoir	Florida Bass	Fingerlings	620,000
		Fingerlings*	41,900
Valentine Lake	Florida Bass	Fingerlings	1,000
Vernon Lake	Florida Bass	Fingerlings	84,000
Woolen Lake	Florida Bass	Fingerlings	5,000

(Surplus Stocking*)

More information about the LDWF Freshwater Fish Hatcheries can be viewed at https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/freshwater-fish -hatcheries.

For more information about stocking, contact Hatchery Biologist Manager Chase Chatelain at (318) 748-6914 or cchatelain@wlf.la.gov.