The outlook for fishing the Basin this fall looks good barring any late-season storms. Two years ago, Gustav churned things up, and also left debris that ultimately led to fish kills as a result of hypoxia. Most of those areas have recovered in numbers, though quality in terms of size remains a work in progress.
Water level is always an ongoing problem when fishing the Basin. Typically by fall, the river is down well below flood stage. However, some years, excessive amounts of rain can cause swelling, where the water overtakes the banks of the Atchafalaya, such as October 2009, when Louisiana experienced record rainfalls.
Other problems include lack of oxygen leading to fish kills during hot summer temperatures, as the water starts to fall rapidly in the Basin.
“When water stays high into August, the air temperature gets up into the 90s and the water in the swamp becomes anoxic,” Walker said. “Afterwards, it keeps falling, with the temperature high, where it pulls all that water out of the swamp and into the canals, which leads to fish kills. It wipes them out, and kind of puts a stymie on things for a couple years or so in that area.”
Fishing is always better in the Basin when the water is below flood stage. Many anglers around Morgan City have an unspoken 5-foot rule. When the water is above 5 feet, they find something else to do.
The water in the Basin is less spread out around Butte La Rose, as compared to the Morgan City area.
“I tell people you can start fishing below 11 feet at Butte La Rose, because that’s when you can find some banks, where the fish are easier to locate,” Walker said. “Not that you can’t find fish in higher stages; it’s just a lot easier when it’s lower.”
Editor’s Note: This story appears as part of a feature in Louisiana Sportsman’s October issue. To ensure you don’t miss any information-packed issues, click here to have each magazine delivered right to your mail box.