Located on the border between Texas and Louisiana flows the stunning Caddo Lake. Huge cypress trees adorn the bayou, giving Caddo its signature look. The lake and bayou stretch around 27,000 acres, making Caddo one of the largest naturally-forming lakes in the South. Despite its natural beginning, the addition of a dam in the 1900s means the lake can no longer be claimed as wholly natural. Depending on rainfall, the lake fluctuates between a shallow 8 – 10 ft, although the deepest parts of the bayou can reach 20 feet.
This swampy, cypress labyrinth provides plentiful cover and vegetation, making it a biodiversity hotspot. Caddo is home to a variety of flora and fauna, including many rare and threatened species. Roughly 220 bird species, 190 tree species, 93 fish species, 47 mammal species, 46 reptile species, and 20 mussel species inhabit the lake and bayou, highlighting its ecological importance. Therefore, it’s obvious why Caddo is a haven for naturalists.
The flooded forest is also an incredibly popular fishing location for both recreational and commercial angling. Since Caddo spans both Texas and Louisiana, fishing regulations vary depending on what state you’re in. The plethora of cypress trees provides excellent habitats for many fish species, as well as providing aesthetic angling surroundings. This article provides a list of the most dominant fish species that inhabit Caddo Lake.
Caddo Lake Fish Species
1) Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)
This aggressive, apex predator is easily identifiable due to its characteristic huge mouth as its common name suggests. It is so large that the bass can feed on creatures that exceed over half its body length! As a result, this formidable fish preys on almost anything, from insects to amphibians, to small mammals. Largemouth bass favor shallow, clear water with dense vegetation, making Caddo Lake an ideal habitat. Additionally, largemouths are important biological indicators of clean lakes since they are sensitive to water quality.
Largemouth bass average 10 to 20 inches long and 0.5 to 4.5 pounds, although they can get much bigger. As such, this densely populated species makes excellent trophy fish. It is best to fish for largemouths in the deeper waters of the bayou. However, during the spring it’s beneficial to angle in the shallow, cypress-covered waters, as this is where they spawn. This gamefish can be caught using spinnerbaits, crankbaits, plastic worms, and jigs.
2) White bass (Morone chrysops)
White bass is characterized by dark lines than run horizontally across its silvery-grey body. This predominant pale color has also earned it the names silver bass and sand bass. Most abundant during the springtime, they inhabit large, deep bodies of water, like that of the bayou. This popular game fish reaches an average length of between 12 to 15 inches. White bass of a larger size prey on smaller fish, making them a biological predator for controlling pest fish. Smaller white bass feast on daphnia, water fleas, and copepods.
Caddo Lake supports quality white bass and making them a common angling target. Although there are daily catch limits on them, no size restrictions apply. Fishing in the deeper waters during springtime at periods of low light is when the chances of a successful catch are highest because this is when white bass are most active.
3) Yellow bass (Morone mississippiensis)
As suggested by its name, the yellow bass possesses a yellow body that has seven dark stripes running laterally along it. They inhabit quiet, slow-moving bodies of water that are clear and have some vegetation and aquatic plants. They are a demersal species, meaning they reside at the bottom of lakes or rivers. As such, their prey primarily consists of benthic invertebrates.
Due to its smaller size of less than 10 inches on average, yellow bass is not as popular as a gamefish compared to other bass species, such as white bass. Despite this, Caddo seems to host yellow bass of larger sizes than many other lakes. They are most commonly caught by anglers using minnows or crappie jigs and can be easily obtained due to their large populations. Mid-October is when huge schools of yellow bass enter the Caddo river channel and remain abundant until mid-spring, when they migrate to stiller waters.
4) Chain pickerel (Esox niger)
Caddo Lake poses an excellent habitat for chain pickerel since this species favors vegetated, swampy waters. This predatory fish is characterized by an elongated body and sharp teeth, making it a fast and deadly hunter. Shallow waters with dense vegetation provide the perfect habitat for chain pickerels to hide and ambush their prey. They primarily feed on smaller fish, although they will eat virtually anything they can catch, from crayfish to snakes.
As a popular sport fish, these solitary members of the pike family can be lured by most types of bait and put up a good fight if caught. They are highly abundant along Caddo, residing in the murky shallows.
5) Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus)
This species of catfish is the most plentiful among all catfish in American waters. They are easily identifiable by their cat-like whiskers which are highly concentrated with olfactory receptors. Due to its ability to metabolize a wide variety of food, it is an opportunistic feeder, preying on many types of flora and fauna. They are very hardy and can withstand highly turbid and polluted waters, making them extremely adaptable. However, this ability to quickly establish large populations has caused them to be regarded as an invasive species, easily outcompeting native fish.
Channel catfish are a popular game species due to their tasty and nutrient-packed meat. Just 100 grams of its protein-packed meat contains around 95 calories. The best time to fish for this species in Caddo Lake is during late spring and early summer. They can reach a maximum of around 40 to 50 pounds, although they are generally around the 20- to 30-pound mark.
6) Flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris)
Owing to its iconic flathead, this species of catfish is also known as the mudcat or shovelhead cat. Flatheads can grow larger than their channel cousins, averaging 20 to 30 inches in length, although they have been known to easily reach 60 inches. This carnivore will feast on anything, even smaller catfish. It is an apex benthic predator, being extremely sensitive to vibrations that it uses to hunt. Widely introduced as a popular, recreational catch, flatheads are now classed as an invasive species.
Flathead catfish provide excellent seasonal fishing opportunities, with the prime catch months being September and October. This species is known for its delicious meat and can be caught with bait or even bare hands by some experienced anglers.
7) Blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus)
Blue catfish have been introduced to many states because they are a popular recreational fishing target. They pose a good challenge for anglers due to their strong and feisty nature as well as nutritious meat. However, like their channel and flathead cousins, they are invasive. They are tolerant of a variety of habitats, water conditions, and salinity levels, allowing them to quickly expand their range and numbers. Often misidentified as channel catfish, they are bluer in color and have 30 – 36 rays on the anal fin instead of 24 – 29. These opportunistic, benthic feeders live off a varied diet ranging from worms to other fish.
Blue catfish are nocturnal, meaning that they’re most active during the night. As such, angling in deep waters during low light levels can increase your chances of a successful catch. They swim along the Caddo channels seeking warmer waters in winter and cooler waters in summer. Adults can exceed well over 100 pounds, being the largest species of the catfish family in North America.
8) Black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus)
The black crappie has an obvious preference for clear water that has an abundance of aquatic vegetation as well as a sandy or muddy bottom. Hence, Caddo Lake makes an ideal habitat for these fish. They inhabit shallow waters during the winter months or when they are spawning or feeding. For most of the year, black crappies school deep below the surface in open waters. They are fairly round-bodied with black mottled spots, and range between 5 to 12 inches long.
Black crappies play a key role in the food chain of its aquatic ecosystem. Larger fish depend on black crappies as a main food source, whilst some fish as well as birds prey on juveniles and their eggs. Moreover, crappies feast on aquatic invertebrates and small fish, controlling the populations of these organisms. They are prized game fish and are easiest to catch during the dawn of spring and summer as this is when they feed. However, when they school in deeper waters they pose a challenge to catch.
9) White crappie (Pomoxis annularis)
In terms of morphology, white crappies are very similar to black crappies. They are easily distinguished by their pigmentation or lack thereof in the white crappies’ case. Rather than spots, they have stripes that run vertically along their body. This species is relatively small, rarely exceeding 2 pounds in weight and 10 inches in length. Unlike their black cousin, they have no obvious preference for clear water and can often be found inhabiting turbid waters. They can also tolerate areas of little aquatic vegetation and low oxygen levels.
White crappies are most active during the mornings and evenings since this is the time they tend to feed. Throughout the rest of the day, their activity levels are significantly less. The best time to fish for them is during spring when the water temperature averages around 56 oF. When they are not spawning, they travel loosely in schools. White crappies’ markings offer some protection against predators in terms of camouflage, whilst their spines act like a slight armor.
10) Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)
Slow-moving bodies of water with lots of aquatic plants in which bluegills can take cover are favored by this species. Through both intentional and unintentional introductions, bluegill populations have boomed across America. They are likely to continue this increase due to their high game importance, ecotourism value, and food supply. Averaging only around 4 to 6 inches, bluegills are much smaller than some of the many other monsters lurking in Caddo Lake. Despite this, they are still an important part of the ecosystem.
They are a valuable and abundant food source for both larger, carnivorous fish and anglers alike. Spawning and feeding take place in aquatic, vegetative beds which is where bluegill are most predominantly found. This means it’s best to fish for bluegill during spring, amongst the shallow, weeded banks where they congregate to spawn. Larger individuals reside in deeper water during the winter or to take refuge from the summer heat. They are a member of the perch family and are easily identified through their iridescent blue and purple colorations alongside their vertically running dark stripes.
11) Redear sunfish (Lepomis microlophus)
Calm and stagnant waters are favored by redear sunfish, meaning they tend to be restricted to ponds, reservoirs, and lakes, such as Caddo. Their ideal habitats are fairly large and deep, as they like to be submerged at least 6 ft below the surface. Moderate amounts of vegetation and logs are preferred as redears like to congregate around these features.
Redears’ bodies are elongated along the dorsal-ventral axis and are green-grey in color. They have a prominent black spot with an orange border on their operculum. Although they can grow quite large, they average only around 9 inches. Ideal fishing locations are in deep water near aquatic vegetation.
Redears have been introduced outside their native range because they are a popular gamefish and make for a tasty meal. However, their colonization has negatively impacted the native pumpkinseed sunfish numbers, due to them being more effective at consuming mollusks. Redears are successful molluscivores, favoring aquatic snails which they consume by cracking their shells with their strong jaws, earning them the nickname shellcracker. Additionally, this has led to them becoming an important biocontrol species for eradicating invasive snail and quagga mussel populations.
12) Longnose gar (Lepisosteus osseus)
Easily distinguishable by their primitive morphology, they are often referred to as living fossils. They have a distinct, elongated body and snout, making them speedy and agile swimmers. Their body is covered in thick, overlapping scales that act as protective body armor. Capable of breathing in both water and air due to possessing a highly vascularized swim bladder, longnose gar can survive in bodies of water that are low in oxygen and high in salinity. As a result, they are abundant in swamps and backwaters. They are difficult to fish and considered a nuisance organism but make a rewarding catch.
Often compared to gators due to their unique look, longnose gar are nocturnal feeders that prey on a variety of smaller gamefish. They are ambush predators, feeding near the surface of the water. As such, they prefer to live in structurally rich habitats, such as vegetative shorelines with submerged trees, making Caddo ideal. Importantly, gar are hosts to the parasitic young of the yellow sandshell mussel, which would disappear without the gar.
