Don't ask me how to say "Fordoche" because I can never remember, but we paddled there 05-19-2012. We left from a little landing on the West Atchafalaya levee that can accommodate about 10 parked truck/trailers. The ramp looks to be rough as the water gets lower, but will probably be OK for paddlers anytime.
Jude and I paddled and fished 7 miles and caught 16 crappie that were not what you would call big. We headed up what locals call the Dixie canal and turned up the first Bayou to Lake Fordche. We returned via the other outlet bayou and hit the Dixie and headed back. The fish were scattered and we caught most tight lining with jigs.
The water was at about 9.5' at Lake Pelba and has been dropping steadily for weeks. Locals are projecting that it will go to around 7.0' for weed control.
In hindsight we were told that if we had turned South at the first cut we would have had better action. It was a real nice trip and our first time there. Some of our route was on the marked Indian Bayou Canoe trail. They have maps of that available at the welcome center at Butte La Rose on I-10.
