April 2016 Volume 17 • ISSUE 190 | Page 22

Marsh & Bayou’s Fishing Forecast Lake Pontchartrain by Chas Champagne DockSide TV / Matrix Shad 985-707-9049 [email protected] Spring is here and this is prime time to target trophy trout. The only problem with finding monster trout this year especially for us in Lake Pontchartrain is that water levels of every river surrounding the Lake has been near record highs so far this year. After battling the opening of the Spillway dumping Mississippi River water into our estuary we are now battling every other river flooding the Lake with fresh water. 22 April 2016 www.marshandbayou.com From the Tchefuncte River all the way to the Pearl River are at all time highs with the water to only flow one place, Lake Pontchartrain. Surprisingly we have made some solid catches during these tough times. The problem though is the consistency. One day we go out and catch 30-40 then the very next day 5. The fresh water is getting pushed around all over in different areas of the lake and if you can find small pockets of green saltier water the specks are there. Another problem we are going to get into is when the trout begin their annual spawn. The Lake simply does not have the salt in the water to create a healthy reproduction process for our beloved speckled trout. When the time comes to lay eggs our specks may hit the road. For sure the monsters will be hard to find. The full moons of April and May are both great times to target big specks but I am predicting smaller than average trout again this year and another off year for trying to put one on the wall. We should have a X