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Baton Rouge State Capital ponds
Posted on 3/21/26 at 4:06 pm
Posted on 3/21/26 at 4:06 pm
Anyone ever fish in the ponds around the state capital/veterans memorial park? Just curious if there's any fish in them. TIA
7
Posted on 3/21/26 at 4:13 pm to JoeJoeW
They are highly toxic (and been that way since the 80s). Capital police tend to run you off with the quickness.
It’s been on the EPA national priorities list for clean up for years, but it never gets funding.
It’s been on the EPA national priorities list for clean up for years, but it never gets funding.
This post was edited on 3/21/26 at 4:18 pm
Posted on 3/21/26 at 5:32 pm to BigBinBR
Why are they so toxic?
Posted on 3/21/26 at 5:47 pm to GREENHEAD22
A bunch of companies dumped there before the 1970s.
You will still see some people fish there occasionally, but if they are on the back side of the capitol near that rear entrance, or by the state buildings on N 3rd, or past the bridge on capitol access near the governors mansion capitol police will harass you.
During studies they have actually found all kinds of random fish there like piranha, koi, huge gold fish etc. from people releasing them there
WAFB did a short story on Spanishtown trying to get it cleaned.
You will still see some people fish there occasionally, but if they are on the back side of the capitol near that rear entrance, or by the state buildings on N 3rd, or past the bridge on capitol access near the governors mansion capitol police will harass you.
During studies they have actually found all kinds of random fish there like piranha, koi, huge gold fish etc. from people releasing them there
WAFB did a short story on Spanishtown trying to get it cleaned.
quote:WAFB
Contaminants in the lakes were first discovered in the 1970s. In order for a site to qualify as a Superfund, it has to have a hazard risk score of at least 26.5. In 1987, the Capitol Lakes got a score of 50. And almost four decades later, that score remains the same.
Originally, the state was responsible for rounding up the various companies that were contributing to the waste in the lakes. That responsibility was passed on to the EPA in 2021 after state negotiations were unsuccessful.
“The state investigated this all through the 70s,” Bailey said. “The state never took action against them the lakes have been allowed to silt in, and they’re heavily contaminated by all accounts.”
Posted on 3/21/26 at 7:44 pm to JoeJoeW
the PCB levels in those lakes is ridiculous. there are train tracks upstream from them. my paw paw worked on the rail road in BR and told me the bridge crossings is where they used to change oil in the locamotives - pull the plug and let it go
Posted on 3/22/26 at 7:04 am to BigBinBR
Never fished but have walked around and did see paradise fish swimming around grass beds near shore. I agree with it being an aquarium dump, no telling what’s in there.
Posted on 3/22/26 at 8:52 am to GREENHEAD22
And I’d bet being so close to the refineries around it has caused it to soak up what they are giving off
Posted on 3/22/26 at 12:03 pm to JoeJoeW
There used to be warning signs in Vietnamese to not eat the fish
Posted on 3/22/26 at 12:22 pm to Boston911
quote:
And I’d bet being so close to the refineries around it has caused it to soak up what they are giving off
Main culprit was a transformer company that was dumping oil in ditch connected to lake.
Posted on 3/22/26 at 2:28 pm to Capt ST
quote:this
Main culprit was a transformer company that was dumping oil in ditch connected to lake.
Posted on 3/23/26 at 9:22 am to JoeJoeW
I walk around the lake everyday for my lunch break.
There are no signs saying you can’t fish, just signs saying don’t eat the fish.
I see ppl fish pretty often when I walk and have never personally witnessed someone getting run off.
The amount of Mexican squealers, dos gris and mergansers that lake holds during the winter is crazy.
Thousands raft up on the lake.
Makes me nervous those divers are eating, and eventually fly off, get shot and some poor bastard is eating a contaminated duck.
There are no signs saying you can’t fish, just signs saying don’t eat the fish.
I see ppl fish pretty often when I walk and have never personally witnessed someone getting run off.
The amount of Mexican squealers, dos gris and mergansers that lake holds during the winter is crazy.
Thousands raft up on the lake.
Makes me nervous those divers are eating, and eventually fly off, get shot and some poor bastard is eating a contaminated duck.
Posted on 3/23/26 at 10:01 am to LSUbub12
I used to work in that area and it was an enjoyable walk when the weather was nice. Loved seeing all the migrating birds. I tried to fish once but had no luck but I know there are fish in there. I've read the signs about the toxic water. Probably got some folks sleeping with the fish in there and that's why its not been cleaned up 
Posted on 3/23/26 at 8:03 pm to JoeJoeW
In the spring when it heats up they have the most water snakes I have ever seen in one place.
Posted on 3/23/26 at 8:42 pm to GREENHEAD22
quote:
Why are they so toxic?
PCB's among other things.
quote:
Created from damming Grassie Bayou over a century ago, the 65-acre three-lake area and its live oak-lined shores create an iconic south Louisiana setting for the State Capitol.
But cut off from the Mississippi River — Grassie Bayou's historic end point — the manmade lakes don't naturally drain, relying instead on a pump to maintain water levels. With no natural outlet, sediments flowing into the lakes have settled on the bottom for decades.
That sediment was laced for years with contaminants from upstream industry and possibly vehicle yards, state and federal studies have repeatedly found.
quote:
The fish, particularly bottom feeders like smallmouth buffalo, have trace amounts of those toxic chemicals in their flesh that include the banned pesticide DDT, heavy metals and PCBs, studies show.
When the contamination drew attention in the 1980s, several companies with upstream properties reached settlements with state regulators to clean up their sites. Those agreements didn't include addressing pollutants in the lakes, however.
There used to be "No Fishing" signs around the lake written in Vietnamese.
LINK
This post was edited on 3/23/26 at 8:55 pm
Posted on 3/25/26 at 7:30 am to JoeJoeW
Capitol lake is also a storm water drain for that side of town. Trash flows into the lake every time it rains. Some very dedicated folks have pulled tons of trash out of the lake, and are trying to get some storm water filters installed, but haven’t been successful. LSU got a million dollar grant but put up a couple of cheap booms that did not do anything and stole the rest of the million.
You would be fishing in a giant trash settling pool. I guess catch and release, but I would wear nitrile gloves.
You would be fishing in a giant trash settling pool. I guess catch and release, but I would wear nitrile gloves.
Posted on 3/25/26 at 7:11 pm to JoeJoeW
Used to frog hunt there.....do not eat anything out of those cesspools.....seriously polluted.
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