River Bass Have Anglers Seeing Red

There’s a saying in Louisiana: If you don’t like the weather, stick around — it’s about to change. You might be able to say the same thing for one of Louisiana’s hottest bass fishing resources: the Red River.

The Red River either rises, falls and flows from water releases at the locks, or it stills. The river and its countless acres of backwater lakes make good conditions for bass fishing.

No matter the conditions, though, the Red River has gained national attention as a productive fishery. The Bass Anglers Sportsman Society have hosted two BASSMasters Classics here, and numerous other national tournaments host here, too.

Why? The facilities are great. The fishing is excellent. And when you’ve reached your fishing quota, there is plenty to explore from Shreveport-Bossier to Alexandria.

A quick guide to fishing the Red River: 

At first glance, the Red River doesn’t exactly scream “great fishing." The water is a reddish color, there are not many trees and the river has been altered considerably. But don’t let that fool you. The river is made up of five pools, all of which contain plenty of bass in the 3-to-8-pound range. The river lakes area is also great for bass, and public boat launches are available from Vivian to Bossier City, Coushatta, Natchitoches, Alexandria, Pineville and Marksville.

What fishing bait should I use in the Red River? 

Summer fishing means crankbaits and plastics for Red River bass. Be sure to use shad and chartreuse colors in crankbait, and purple or black for plastic worms.

Red River maps and information:

Find a map of the entire Red River, information about the largest marina on the river at Red River South Marina and general information about the Shreveport area.

Kinny Haddox is an avid outdoorsman and writer from West Monroe, Louisiana. He is the publisher of LakeDarbonneLife.com and a feature writer for Louisiana Sportsman magazine.

Learn more about Louisiana fishing and fishing licenses through our Fishing Resources page.