LAC DES ALLEMANDS
Anglers flock to St. Charles Parish to enjoy what is known as
the “Catfish Capital of the Universe”
“Des Allemandes” (al-uh-mandz) translates in
French to mean “the Germans”, it was one of the
original German settlements established in 1721.
In 1978, the New York Times wrote about the lake.
Locals told the writer an abundance of “little red
worms” on the bottom of the lake nourish the catfish
making them the best in the world.
The late Tarzan Matherne, a fisherman who lived on
the lake, was quoted by the Times as saying, "Des
Allemands has the best catfish they got in the world.
This lake we've got don't have any pollution to give
the fish an oily taste. If they'd have a catfish capital
of the world somewhere else, I wouldn't care to go.”
16 | #OutHere
Plan a vacation in the area and attend the
annual Louisiana Catfish Festival in June.