Caddo Lake Guide: Camping and Kayaking

Caddo Lake sits on the Texas-Louisiana border, and it paddles unlike most lakes. Channels wind between bald cypress trees draped with Spanish moss, swamp water levels are highly variable, and the Corps says it has the largest cypress forest in the world. The Army Corps of Engineers calls it a 25,400-acre lake and wetland, an internationally protected wetland under the Ramsar treaty, and the largest natural freshwater lake in the South.

This guide draws on Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD), the Corps and the Ramsar record. We did not paddle it ourselves, so treat prices and conditions as figures to confirm.

Caddo Lake at a glance#

Sources give different sizes because they measure different things. The Corps uses 25,400 acres for the lake and wetland. TPWD’s state park page says 26,810 acres. The Caddo Lake Institute says the Ramsar site covers approximately 20,000 acres on the Texas-Louisiana border, and the Ramsar record lists 7,977 hectares for the designated site, designated on 23 October 1993. Use the number that matches what you are describing.

The Texas state park is Caddo Lake State Park, at 245 Park Road 2 in Karnack, Texas. TPWD says it sits next to the 8,500-acre Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge, which is run by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and that the park is only four miles upstream from Caddo Lake. Its main page says you can paddle Saw Mill Pond and the Big Cypress Bayou from the park. TPWD labels March through November the park’s busy season.

Camping and cabins at Caddo Lake State Park#

The park page says to choose from 46 campsites, ranging from water only to full hookup. The rates TPWD lists are per night plus the daily entrance fee, which is $4 for each adult aged 13 and older and free for children 12 and under. Its cabin page lists one cabin category at $115 per night plus the entrance fee, and the park mentions staying in a historic cabin. These rates were on TPWD’s pages when we checked, so confirm them at booking. Our lake camping reservation guide explains how to time it.

Paddling at Caddo Lake#

TPWD says the Caddo area has ten official paddling trails and over 50 miles of canoe and kayak trails. The trails near the Big Cypress Bayou and Caddo Lake are around Jefferson, Karnack and Uncertain.

• From the state park. Explore Saw Mill Pond and the Big Cypress Bayou. You can rent a canoe in the park office or bring your own.
• Hell’s Half Acre. The park page says experienced paddlers can venture onto this trail, which TPWD places near Uncertain. TPWD gives about 8.8 miles round trip and about 3 to 4 hours of floating, depending on time on the bayou, water level and wind speed. It passes Carney Canal and the start of Boat Road C, which TPWD describes as one of the major boat roads that wind through the swamp and the Caddo Lake wildlife management area.
• Trail markers. Each Caddo and Big Cypress Bayou trail is marked with a unique reflective arrow sign attached to trees and posts. The Hell’s Half Acre marker is a red arrow.

Canoe rental rules. Renters must be 18 or older and able to lift and launch the canoe. Park staff are not available to assist. Each canoe takes up to three people, with a maximum occupant and cargo weight of 700 pounds, and rental includes life jackets and paddles. We did not find a rental price in the sources we used, so ask the park office.

Safety on the water#

TPWD’s trail guide is direct about the hazards:

• The bayou is very popular and has seasonally heavy motorboat traffic, and the backwater swamp can have motorboat traffic too, depending on water level.
• Water levels in the swamp are highly variable.
• Hunting is permitted on surrounding property, including duck hunting in the winter months.
• Swimming in the swamp is not recommended.

Wildlife. The trail guide lists over 90 fish and reptiles, including turtles, snakes such as non-venomous watersnakes and ribbon snakes and also cottonmouths, and an occasional alligator, as well as 47 species of mammals. The state park page says alligators live in the park. Give them room, keep pets and children away from the water’s edge, and read alligator safety at lakes and fishing around alligators safely before you go.

Private land. TPWD says the river and lake are classified as navigable, which permits public use of the streambed and, if necessary, the banks to portage any hazard. Other use of private banks without the landowner’s permission can be considered trespassing.

If you are shopping for a boat, our guide to the best lake and river kayaks covers the options.

Fishing at Caddo Lake#

TPWD says largemouth fishing is good all year, and that the time for trophy fish is spring, with March the most productive month. Crappie fishing is most productive in winter and early spring, peak white bass fishing is in winter and early spring where there is current, and late spring and early summer is most productive for sunfish and catfish. On the paddling trail, TPWD lists bass, crappie, many panfish, bowfin and pickerel.

These are the Texas limits TPWD listed when we checked.

• Black bass: eight daily in any combination, of which no more than four may be largemouth 18 inches or longer. For largemouth there is a 14 to 18 inch slot: bass 14 inches and less, or 18 inches or greater, may be kept.
• Blue and channel catfish: no minimum length, 50 daily and in possession in any combination, with no more than five 30 inches or longer.
• Flathead catfish: minimum 18 inches, 10 daily and in possession.

TPWD says limits for catfish, crappie, white bass and black bass apply on both the Texas and Louisiana portions of the lake, while rules for some other species, including alligator gar, may differ between the two states. Its regulations page also flags a fish consumption advisory in effect for Caddo Lake, but the page we read did not list the species or meal limits, so check with TPWD before you eat what you catch. For more Texas options, see the best fishing lakes in Texas.

Boat access#

TPWD says boat access is available at Caddo Lake State Park, two public ramps and several private marinas. The state park provides an improved boat ramp, picnic tables, nature trails and a fishing pier. The Highway 43 ramp is a two-lane concrete ramp with no fee and is open all year. We did not find a lake-specific speed or no-wake rule in the sources we used, so ask at the park or ramp.

Planning the trip#

March through November is the busy season, so book early for weekends. Bring a map you can follow without cell service, watch the weather and water level, and tell someone your route. If you are paddling with kids, our guide to lake camping with kids covers the basics. For a different part of the state, the Lake Lewisville guide covers a big reservoir near Dallas.

Frequently asked questions#

Sources#

• Caddo Lake State Park, Texas Parks and Wildlife
• Plan your visit, Caddo Lake State Park
• Campsites and fees, Caddo Lake State Park
• Lodging fees, Caddo Lake State Park
• Entrance fees, Caddo Lake State Park
• Paddling and canoe rental information, Caddo Lake State Park
• Pineywoods paddling trails, Texas Parks and Wildlife
• Hell’s Half Acre paddling trail, Texas Parks and Wildlife
• Caddo Lake fishing, Texas Parks and Wildlife
• Caddo Lake access, Texas Parks and Wildlife
• Caddo Lake fishing regulations, Texas Parks and Wildlife
• Caddo Lake, US Army Corps of Engineers Vicksburg District
• Caddo Lake Ramsar record, Ramsar Sites Information Service
• Ramsar designation, Caddo Lake Institute