LDWF’s fish hatcheries complete 2025 spring Florida Bass stockings

July 20, 2025 From News Reports Bass Fishing, News Breaker, Newsletters
Florida Bass fingerlings being stocked by a Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries hatchery technician. (Photo courtesy LDWF)

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Inland Fisheries Section, in cooperation with the USFWS’ Natchitoches National Fish Hatchery and the City of Shreveport’s Cross Lake Fish Hatchery, produced and stocked approximately 5.3 million freshwater sportfish into 56 waterbodies statewide during the spring 2025 stocking season. The stocked fishes primarily consisted of Florida Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides) (5.2 million).

Florida Bass stocking is not typically performed to increase the abundance of bass in Louisiana waterbodies, but, rather to increase the size potential of bass in Louisiana waterbodies. The Florida Bass species is capable of growing larger than Louisiana’s native Largemouth Bass (Micropterus nigricans) species. The two species readily hybridize, and individuals reaching or exceeding 10 pounds in Louisiana usually have some degree of Florida Bass genetic influence as a result of LDWF’s stocking efforts. Stocking Florida Bass into existing native populations of Largemouth Bass, where successful, increases the potential for anglers to catch quality and/or trophy bass.f

Florida Bass stockings completed from January to June of 2025 are listed in the table below.

Body of Water Species Size Quantity Stocked
Bayou Bartholomew Florida Bass Fingerlings                        16,200
Bayou D’Arbonne Lake Florida Bass Fingerlings                      300,400
Bayou St. John Florida Bass Fingerlings                           3,200
Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge Florida Bass Fingerlings                           2,000
Black Bayou and Black Bayou Reservoir Florida Bass Fingerlings                        11,500
Black Bayou Lake Florida Bass Fingerlings                        84,200
Black Lake and Clear Lake Florida Bass Fingerlings                      105,400
Black River Lake Florida Bass Fingerlings                        33,000
Bussey Brake Florida Bass Fingerlings                        40,100
Caddo Lake and James Bayou Florida Bass Fingerlings                      176,900
Cameron Prairie Florida Bass Phase II Fingerlings                              100
Caney Creek Florida Bass Fingerlings                        53,000
Caney Lake (combined) Florida Bass Fingerlings                        61,200
Chatham Lake Florida Bass Fingerlings                           3,100
Cheniere Brake Lake Florida Bass Fingerlings                        63,400
Chicot Lake Florida Bass Fingerlings                        32,900
Clear Lake and Smithport Lake Florida Bass Fingerlings                        15,100
Corney Lake Florida Bass Fingerlings                        14,600
Cotile Lake Florida Bass Fingerlings                        26,200
Cross Lake Florida Bass Fingerlings                        114,100
Drainage Canals, Jefferson and Orleans Parishes Florida Bass Fingerlings                              600
Eunice City Lake Florida Bass Fingerlings                           1,200
False River Florida Bass Fingerlings                           6,000
Fullerton Lake Florida Bass Fingerlings                              570
Grand Bayou Reservoir Florida Bass Fingerlings                        36,000
Gretna City Pond Florida Bass Fingerlings                              300
Henderson Lake Florida Bass Fingerlings                        50,300
Holbrook Park Pond Florida Bass Fingerlings                              250
Iatt Lake Florida Bass Fingerlings                        71,000
Ivan Lake Florida Bass Fingerlings                        10,000
Kepler Creek Lake Florida Bass Fingerlings                        24,600
Kincaid Lake Florida Bass Fingerlings                        38,000
Lacassine Pool Florida Bass Fingerlings                      180,400
Lake Bistineau Florida Bass Fingerlings                      229,900
Lake Bruin Florida Bass Fingerlings                        20,000
Lake Buhlow Florida Bass Adults                                 77
    Fingerlings                           5,300
Lake Claiborne Florida Bass Fingerlings                        143,800
Lake Concordia Florida Bass Fingerlings                        22,000
Lake Fausse Point and Dauterive Lake Florida Bass Fry                  2,080,500
    Fingerlings                      100,300
Lake LaFourche Florida Bass Fingerlings                        25,900
Lake Providence Florida Bass Fingerlings                        44,300
Lake St. John Florida Bass Fingerlings                        50,600
Larto Lake Florida Bass Fingerlings                        80,500
Little Alabama Bayou Florida Bass Fingerlings                           4,000
Mill Creek Lake Florida Bass Fingerlings                           6,800
Millers Lake Florida Bass Fingerlings                        32,100
Nantachie Lake Florida Bass Fingerlings                        36,400
Pearl River Navigation Canal Florida Bass Phase II Fingerlings                           3,200
Perez Park Pond Florida Bass Fingerlings                              300
Poverty Point Reservoir Florida Bass Fingerlings                        20,100
Rockefeller Refuge Florida Bass Fingerlings                      105,800
Sibley Lake Florida Bass Fingerlings                        21,000
Spanish Lake Florida Bass Fingerlings                        26,600
Toledo Bend Reservoir Florida Bass Fingerlings                      499,400
Valentine Lake Florida Bass Fingerlings                           1,100
Vernon Lake Florida Bass Fingerlings                        84,000
    TOTAL 5,219,797

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

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