Big Lake might get all the press, but its three cousins to the north fill with really nice trout each fall. Learn how to catch limits of specks in Lake Charles, Lake Prien and Moss Lake.
There’s a lot going on in Lake Charles in November and December besides refining oil and moving liquefied natural gas.
If you travel south of the spans of Interstates 10 and 210, you might well see more than just a few boats loaded with anglers fishing well within the city limits.
The major reason for the many boats is pure and simple — quality speckled trout.
Take Chris Ramos of Sulphur as an example.
One day last November, the 43-year-old avid angler and friend, Ray Duhon of Lake Charles hit the water at daybreak, and were soon fishing Lake Charles near I-10.
“There was a little bit of a northerly (wind), and we had a tide moving out,” Ramos said.
They began by throwing topwaters, specifically bone/white and pink/silver saltwater Heddon Spook Juniors in the shallows warmed by the early morning sun.
“We caught a few respectable trout, and after a while the topwater bite disappeared,” Ramos said.
But the anglers spotted a few gulls working an area of the lake, and they switched to natural, gold and root beer VuDu shrimp under popping corks.
“We had action under those birds just as soon as we began popping those corks,” Ramos said. “We each caught a limit of 15 trout all ranging in the 2- to 2 ½-pound range and were off of the lake by 9 a.m.
“And that’s also after hitting the shorelines for a bit to catch a couple of redfish near the country club.”
Ramos said that trip served as an sample of the speckled trout fishing to be experienced in the “small” waters of Lake Charles.
Certainly much of the trout-fishing attention in Southwest Louisiana is heaped upon the fabled waters to the south — Calcasieu Lake, otherwise known as “Big Lake.”
Trophy speckled trout have become a mainstay on Big Lake, but the little waters to the north can also deliver loads of quality specks in November and December.
We turned to some anglers who spend a lot of time each fall on Lake Charles, Prien Lake and Moss Lake, and they’ve agreed to share their secrets.
The old river channel and Lake Charles
In November, Ramos oftens launch from Calcasieu Parish’s Riverside Park Launch (1700 Miller Avenue, Westlake, La.) and motors over to the Old River Channel east of the launch around the northeast bend.
“I start the mornings here on the sunny shorelines of the west bank by casting Spook Juniors and speckled trout Rapala Skitter Walks,” he said. “Topwater action can be excellent when the water is moving, and I’ve often taken a limit of good trout and a few redfish there.”
Rocky shorelines and cuts with moving water on both sides of the Old River Channel are targeted by the angler.
Later in the morning, he casts VuDu shrimp under a cork in the same areas to score a few more specks.
Motoring south under I-10, Ramos moves into Lake Charles, where in November and December even more limits of trout can be taken.
This lake is bordered to the north by I-10 and to the east by the city of Lake Charles. It’s small: approximately one mile north south and 1 ½ miles east to west.
“There are some deepwater hotspots in Lake Charles,” Ramos said. “Lake Charles can range from 14- to 50- feet in depth in places. The deepest waters have been dredged and dug out to provide a foundation for the Civic Center.
“There are also drop-offs into the main (ship channel) to fish.”
The angler said that, when surface water temperatures fall into the 50s, speckled trout and baitfish often seek the warmer thermoclines these depths can provide.
“I’ll fish Egret Baits’ Wedgetail Mullets on the drop-offs and ledges,” Ramos said. “Once you start finding fish, take note of that depth on your chart. You can be very successful catching some 14- to 18-inch trout here in the winter.”
He said birds also will tip off anglers — whether it be the edges of shallow flats that capture the rays of the eastern sunrise or deeper ledges where trout hang feast on schooling mullet or pods of shrimp.
And most of the speckled trout found in the old river channel and Lake Charles in November and December are quite respectable schoolies.
“Ray and I average specks ranging from 2 to 3 pounds,” Ramos said. “Sure, we’ve taken speckled trout that weigh 4 and 5 pounds here, but the average remains at about 2 ½ pounds.
“These are really good trout.”
Egret Baits’ Ken Chaumont frequents these same areas, as well as Big Lake, on a weekly basis, and he said even larger trout have been known to come out of these waters — including the occasional 9- pounder.
And right from now through the winter is when it’s prime time to tie into one of these lunkers.
“The larger fish that have come from that area have all been fall and winter catches,” Chaumont said. “I’ve had one that went 7 pounds that came when fishing in 16 feet of water on a 5-inch Wedgetail rigged on a ½-ounce jig. It was sitting on a ledge close to a drop off to 35 feet of water.
“A few other larger trout came from very shallow water a bit south in Prien Lake on cold days as the shallow water was warming from the sun.”
Targeting monster trout is like running a pattern for bass, Chaumont said.
“I believe these much larger fish cruise the channel edges looking for fish to eat — not shrimp,” he said. “As winter sets in they need one big meal. They can’t expend the energy on chasing small prey, so they lay and wait in the perfect spot for that one big mullet or croaker to drift by with the current.
“I have noticed you need a strong current to catch these big fish and they love eddies.”
When fishing under birds, Ramos said he won’t follow them when they move drift off. Instead, he hangs around where the birds first marked a school.
“The birds can work areas quick and fast, especially in Lake Charles,” he said. “I have found good numbers of speckled trout by remaining in the same locations they have left for quite a while.
“In late November and December, it seems the birds just can’t see the bait anymore, and they fly away. When they do, don’t stop fishing that area. We still catch trout in these places, and often we see shrimp vault out the water after the birds have left.”
As for winter tackle, Ramos’ baitcast equipment includes Lew’s reels and Calcasieu Extreme Rods to catch these trout.
Prien Lake
Although slightly smaller than Lake Charles, Prien Lake just off the I-210 is perhaps the major powerhouse of these diminutive lakes in terms of delivering high numbers of speckled trout.
But quality fish can also be found here, especially on the flats Prien Lake’s western edges along the ship channel.
A few 9-pounders have been taken in these waters in the late fall and winter — especially where eddies are form from large tidal pushes that wrap around the islands that divide the lake and the Ship Channel.
Craig Vidrine, a 54-year-old from Opelousas, regularly makes trips to the area with fishing buddies from his hometown simply because the action is so hot during the fall.
“It’s a short boat ride to limits of speckled trout that can be found in relatively calm waters,” Vidrine said. “Prien Lake is well protected from the high winds that can sometimes give boaters problems in Big Lake.”
However, there is a very specific way to find numbers of specks when the waters are cold, he said.
“In late November and December, when water temperatures get cold, you’ll find these fish deep along the (ship) channel and on the west side of the islands to north of the I-210 span in 18 to 22 feet of water,” he said.
On most days, Vidrine launches from Prien Lake Park just south of the I-210 span and motors directly to the eastern edge of the island right across from the channel. Early in the day, he looks for signs of redfish moving along the shorelines before getting to the heart of speckled trout fishing.
“I’ll then move to under the I-210 bridge, head a little north and find the 18- to 22-foot drop-offs and follow that ledge,” Vidrine said.
He said speckled trout, sand trout and even an occasional silver trout can be taken in these depths.
Limits can be taken, but doing so requires really working at it and understanding the bite.
“You’re fishing relatively deep and within schools of many small fish,” Vidrine said. “The bite will sometimes be what I describe as mushy, or it can be just a slight tap. But don’t mistake these subtle bites to always be small trout.
“Sometimes when you set that hook you’ll be surprised at the heaviness on the other end.”
Admittedly, most of Vidrine’s trout — especially considering the fact that white trout are mixed in — measure 12 to 14 inches.
But bigger fish usually show up as the day ages.
“When the sun warms the flats along the ship channel on both sides, I will find even larger specks,” Vidrine said. “Birds working points north of the I-210 span will often give this away.
“Stay put when the birds leave, as other schools of speckled trout follow the same points and often wind up on the same flats you have fished already.”
Vidrine’s arsenal of lures for the deep bite is made up of smaller plastics, such as Egret Baits’ chartreuse/pepper 3.5-inch Wedgetail Mullets and Cajun/pepper Bayou Chubs — all cast on ¼-ounce jigheads.
Due chiefly to the subtlety of the speckled trout bite at such depths, Vidrine uses very light tackle: a light Pfleuger spinning reel mounted on a 7-foot medium/light-action spinning rod. He uses 10- to 12-pound monofilament.
Moss Lake
Moss Lake, just a few miles south of Prien along the Ship Channel, is basically a bay in comparison to Prien Lake.
However, it does hold trout on occasion, and Chris Ramos said to look for birds working the area to determine where fish are holding.
The best baits to cast here include Bayou Chubs and VuDus under corks.
The trout here can be numerous, there quality fish use the little waterway, too. However, the size of Moss Lake makes it difficult for many boats to get into schools of fish.
The deeper ledges off the ship channel are known to hold specks in the 14- to 17-inch range just north and south of Moss Lake. Fish deep with chartreuse/pepper and glow/chartreuse 3 1/2-inch Wedgetails on ¼-ounce jigheads to get to these fish.