Bayou Nezpique Fishing Guides
A prairie bayou draining the rice country above Basile into the Mermentau system, with good crappie water and heavy summer catfishing.
Guides on the Bayou Nezpique
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About the Bayou Nezpique
Bayou Nezpique drains the Cajun prairie north of Basile and carries it south into Bayou des Cannes and the Mermentau River system. The gauge near Basile sits on a drainage of about five hundred and twenty-seven square miles, most of it rice ground, crawfish ponds and pasture. That agricultural character matters: the bayou runs turbid through much of the year and its flow responds quickly to irrigation practice as well as to rainfall.
What the prairie gives back is fertility. This is productive warmwater habitat, and the bayou supports a dense forage base that feeds a strong panfish and catfish population. Crappie fishing is the local draw, concentrated around any structure the channel offers, and spring brings fish shallow along the bank timber. White and black crappie are both present and often mixed in the same water.
Largemouth bass hold wherever the bayou gives them cover, and spotted bass appear more often in the faster upper reaches. Channel catfish are everywhere and flatheads use the deeper bends and any accumulated wood. Bluegill, redear sunfish and warmouth are abundant along the margins, which makes this an easy place to take children fishing. Bowfin, longnose gar and freshwater drum round out the catch and are taken regularly on cut bait.
Access is mostly at road crossings and small parish landings rather than developed ramps, and a shallow draft boat or a kayak opens far more water than a trailered rig. The bayou is low and sluggish in late summer and can run high and fast after heavy prairie rain, so checking the gauge before a trip is worth the minute it takes. The prairie country around it is flat and open, and wind can make a small boat hard to hold on station far more often than current does.
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Access
Basile - the gauge reach and the most convenient road access on the bayou.
Highway 190 crossing - bank fishing and a small-boat put-in.
Jennings - the nearest city downstream for supplies and lodging.
Bayou des Cannes confluence - reached by boat from the lower landings.
Elton - access to the middle reach through parish roads.
Lake Arthur - the downstream end of the Mermentau system and its developed ramps.
Mermentau River landings - access to the larger water below the confluence.
Seasons
Spring: crappie shallow along the bank timber and the most reliable fishing of the year.
Summer: catfish in the deep bends, with bream and warmouth along the edges.
Fall: cooling water brings bass back onto the structure and clears the bayou.
Winter: slow, with crappie and catfish holding deep and best fished on warm spells.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Bayou Nezpique?
As of Sep 17, 5:15 am, the USGS gauge Bayou Nezpique near Basile, LA reads 20 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Bayou Nezpique?
Anglers target Black Crappie, Bluegill, Bowfin, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Freshwater Drum, Largemouth Bass, Longnose Gar, Redear Sunfish, Spotted Bass, Warmouth, White Crappie on the Bayou Nezpique in Louisiana.
Where can you access the Bayou Nezpique?
Basile - the gauge reach and the most convenient road access on the bayou. Highway 190 crossing - bank fishing and a small-boat put-in. Jennings - the nearest city downstream for supplies and lodging. Bayou des Cannes confluence - reached by boat from the lower landings. Elton - access to the middle reach through parish roads. Lake Arthur - the downstream end of the Mermentau system and its developed ramps. Mermentau River landings - access to the larger water below the confluence.
When is the best time to fish the Bayou Nezpique?
Spring: crappie shallow along the bank timber and the most reliable fishing of the year. Summer: catfish in the deep bends, with bream and warmouth along the edges. Fall: cooling water brings bass back onto the structure and clears the bayou. Winter: slow, with crappie and catfish holding deep and best fished on warm spells.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Bayou Nezpique?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Louisiana agency site: https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/recreational-freshwater-finfish-and-crawfish