Lake Pontchartrain Favorability Gauge for March
Lake Pontchartrain is home to a variety of fish. Since it is an estuary, the lake is constantly changing. There are many factors that change the conditions of the lake including hurricanes, rain, and spillway openings. This makes the Lake one of the most challenging destinations to fish in South Louisiana.
Since it's inception in 2012, NorthshoreFishingReport.com has collected thousands of fishing reports from Lake Pontchartrain. Below is a list of all of the fish that anglers pursue in Lake Pontchartrain. All the reports have been researched on NFR and assigned a monthly favorability score.
Since it's inception in 2012, NorthshoreFishingReport.com has collected thousands of fishing reports from Lake Pontchartrain. Below is a list of all of the fish that anglers pursue in Lake Pontchartrain. All the reports have been researched on NFR and assigned a monthly favorability score.
We've gone through the reports dating back from 2012 from the following fishing reports boards on NorthshoreFishingReport.com: Causeway, Slidell Bridges, Lemo's Reef, Pass Manchac, Sunset Point Fishing Pier, Slidell Fishing Pier, and Lake Pontchartrain (other). These reports determine 80% of the weight used in monthly projections. The other 20% of the weight is taken from the Monthly Fishing Forecasts that are written by NFR Members. Each species of fish is given a favorability rating. These ratings are not scientific and should be used as a best estimate of what to expect on any given month.
Speckled Trout March: Average
February marked the start of speckled trout moving back into Lake Pontchartrain and in March we'll see more speckled trout popping up more in the reports. It's important to watch the weather forecasts in March. If a front fails to make it down then temperatures could climb into the 80's making for good speckled trout fishing along the Trestles and Causeway. Trolling is still the best option for anglers as the trout are still scattered. The reports on NFR that show success are the ones that anglers choose to troll. Rat-L-Traps with a B2 Squid as a trailer work best. Be sure to use different color baits to pick up on a pattern to the bite. If you choose to jig for trout, brightly colored baits such as Matrix Lemonhead work best. March is a good month the target the artificial reefs in Lake Pontchartrain as the baitfish are starting to accumulate and look for refuge in the structure.
Redfish March: Below Average
March isn't a great month to target redfish in Lake Pontchartrain as the redfish are still in Lake Borgne and canals along the ICW and MRGO where there is deeper water. As the weather starts to warm the redfish will make their way back into the lake. Keep an eye on the trout, the redfish will be approximately 2 months behind them so May we will start to see a return of the redfish in the Lake. When they start to show up it will be in the shallows along the northern shoreline. Target the flats where the sun is able to heat up the water faster than other areas. Lures such as Top-Dog's and Mir-o-lure's are best for the flats. Gold spoons are a proven method as well just be careful of hanging up in eel grass along the shoreline.
Black Drum March: Terrible
Black Drum can be plentiful in Lake Pontchartrain during the summer months, but March will see the fish in saltier deeper whater offshore where they spawned in Febraury. During the month of March there isn't a single report on NorthshoreFishingReport.com that includes a drum being caught so that should put into perspective the odds of catching a drum this month.
Sheepshead March: Below Average
We've seen an increase in sheepshead reports this year but the cold water temperatures and call to spawn have sent these "Bay Snapper" south in search of deeper saltier water. Sheepshead are structure feeders. Some anglers actually can watch them circling a pylon on the Lake Pontchartrain bridges. They primarily feed on crabs, shrimp, small fish, and barnacles but unfortunately the latter is the only thing left to eat in March. This being the case, the bridges are the best place to catch a sheepshead in February. The Trestles and Causeway are options but another spot that produces great reports is the Twin Spans bridge. NFR doesn't get too many fishing reports from the Twin Spans but when we do it's usually sheepshead that are being reported. Best bait is live shrimp (the smaller the better). Also cracked crab and surprisingly - live crawfish! Using a Carolina Rig works well but keep in mind that the entire pylon from the waters surface to the bottom offers a good chance to catch a sheeshead so a lighter weight is in order to slow down the descending bait.
Flounder March: Below Average
We are starting to see an increase in the total population of flounder across southeast Louisiana and it is reflective in the reports. February was a brutal month for catching flounder in the lake but this month we start to see a few flounder being caught by trollers that drag batis on the bridges. This month it's all about water temperatures. Flounder move to deeper water of over 60 feet during the winter months. Watch for stretches of warmer weather which raises water temperatures over 60. A warm March will bring the flounder back into the Lake quicker. The Trestles train bridge is your best bet for catching flounder in March
Garfish March: Below Average
Garfish reign throughout the summer but when the water is cold, the bite slows down so March can be hit or miss. Spawning season for alligator gar is between April and June with a period of dormancy normally happening from December to February so March should bring a few garfish to the surface. As the weather warms the bite should improve. When targeting garfish it's important to remember to use heavy duty line with a steel leader. Chicken livers, market shrimp, cut fish, and live crawfish are bait options in January.
Croaker March: Terrible
As the weather gets colder, the croaker move out to deeper water. March is a month in a long string of months that croaker will be difficult to catch in the Lake. There are a grand total of 0 reports on NorthshoreFishingReport.com of catching a croaker in Lake Pontchartrain in March
White Trout March: Terrible
The white trout bite typically coincides with the croaker bite in Lake Pontchartrain. Both of these fish are warm weather fish and March is one of the worst months to fish for white trout in Lake Pontchartrain. This month the white trout have moved out of the lake to spawn in saltier water.