Lake Pontchartrain Favorability Gauge for May
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 May: Great
May is a great month to fish for speckled trout in Lake Pontchartrain. The water temperatures are stabilizing from the lack of cold fronts making it down into the area. Look for water temperatures in the 70's and 80's throughout the month of May. The trolling bite is slowing down and anglers will have more success by jigging plastics on the bottom. If you decide to make a drag (troll) the Trestles are the best option. Use Rat-L-Traps with a B2 Squid as a trailer and cover a lot of water. Be sure to use different color baits to pick up on a pattern to the bite. If you choose to jig for trout, the water is clearing up so use more natural colored plastics on the bottom. Also the bait shops should have plenty of live shrimp on hand. Carolina Rig is the top option for live bait. May 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 May: Great
The redfish explosion that we've seen across South Louisiana is reflective with what anglers are catching in the lake. The redfish bite in May is great and will continue throughout the summer. Usually associated with a trout bite, diving seagulls in Lake Pontchartrain tend to be a signal that redfish are underneath especailly along the Northern shoreline of Lake Pontchartrain between Bayou Bonfouca and Bayou Cane. 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.
Check the reports on NFR and you'll find that the best redfish bite comes by fishing the reefs and shell pads such as Lemo's Reef and the shell pad off of Goose Point.
Check the reports on NFR and you'll find that the best redfish bite comes by fishing the reefs and shell pads such as Lemo's Reef and the shell pad off of Goose Point.
Black Drum May: Good
Black Drum can be plentiful in Lake Pontchartrain during the summer months, and May is the month we start to see the schools of black drum gathering on the bridges and deep bottom bayous that spill out into the lake. The mouth of Bayou Lacombe and deep sections of Eden Isles produce drum in May. The best bait is live shrimp but frozen shrimp works well also. It's not too complicated with drum as a simple jig head with bait will work. The Causeway and Trestles are options but don't ignore the Twin Spans in May. The drum frequent that bridge and the boat traffic is next to nothing. Another option for anglers targeting drum in May is the artificial reefs and the shell pads in the Lake. The shell pad off of Goose Point and the scattered well heads out of Bayou Lacombe produce drum in May.
Sheepshead May: Average
As the water temperatures warm up the sheephead bite will improve in Lake Pontchartrain. Sheepshead are structure feeders. Some anglers actually can watch them circling a pylon on the Lake Pontchartrain bridges. The bridges are the best place to catch a sheepshead in Mayl. 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 May: Average
With the warmer weather here the flounder bite should start to improve this month. While the bridges are popular spots to catch founder in May, don't overlook the grassy shoreline where the bayous flow out. Flounder are ambush predators and use current to move baitfish into the strike zone. Todd's Bayou is a very productive canal that offers deep drop-offs along it's shoreline and offers a strong current when the tide is falling. Also the southern shoreline of Bayou Bonfouca offers a stretch of grassy shoreline and a few cuts that flounder hang around to ambush baitfish. Dead shrimp on the bottom on a Carolina rig work well but some anglers say that live cochahoe minnows are flounder candy.
Garfish May: Excellent
Garfish reign throughout the summer and May is a fantastic month to target garfish because of the warming water temperatures. As the weather warms the bite should improve. Some hot spots along the Northshore are Cypress Bayou off of Bayou Lacombe, Bayou Cane, and Bayou Castine, 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 May: Below Average
While the warmer water in May will improve the croaker bite, June, July, and August are better months to target these fish. Croaker are a warm water fish and thrive during the summer months in the Lake. The mouth of Bayou Lacombe and Bayou Bonfouca are summer hotspots and there are a few reports of small croaker being caught there in April as well. When fishing for croaker remember to scale down everything. Line, pole, bait and hooks. Market shrimp work good but fall off of the hook quickly as croaker peck away at the bait. Try cutting a small strip of the stomach of your last caught fish. Fresh fish skin holds to the meat very well and stays on the hook longer.
White Trout May: Below Average
The white trout bite typically coincides with the croaker bite in Lake Pontchartrain. Both of these fish are warm weather fish and May isn't a great month to catch white trout. Next month we will see the white trout bite pick up with warmer water temperatures.